Pamiętnik Biblioteki Kórnickiej

The scientific milieu’s longing for Count Władysław zamoyski’s biography seem to have a chance to be fulfilled. Today’s state of knowledge on his life and achievements, largely digitised (which can be exemplified by the subsequent praise-worthy volumes of the “journal of the Kórnik Library”), justifies a belief that such a work will materialise in the not too distant future. The continued re-search into selected areas of the Count’s life should not hamper preparations for creating zamoyski’s biography.

This article seeks to present the category of a nation – a continuity of ideas and transformations – in the reflections and attitude of three eminent representatives of the House of Zamoyski in the 19th and early 20th century: the father, the son and the grandson, i.e. Stanisław Kostka (1775–1856) – President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Poland, Władysław (1804–1868) – a general and a distinguished politician of the Hôtel Lambert, and Władysław junior (1853–1824) – a social activist and philanthropist. Hence, our deliberations remain focused on the concept of the nation, its complexity and transformations – in strict correlation with specific individuals, their beliefs and practices in sociopolitical life, rather than as a separate issue. An exploration of their thought constructs in selected narrations and life attitudes made it possible to identify the values and norms that were inherited by the subsequent generations of the zamoyskis in post-partition times. They were certainly responsible for the development of their worldviews, choices and behaviours, creating specific models of responsibility and faithfulness to the national idea. The historical and political-ideological context of the epoch, which influenced the intergenerational differences in the perception of the social world in the Zamoyski family, is also significant in this context.

This article seeks to present a network of Władysław Zamoyski’s social, scientific and daily contacts with inhabitants of Australia during his visit to the Antipodes in the years 1879–1881. The author reconstructs the different circles in which Zamoyski functioned at the time – from environments directly connected with the organisation of international exhibitions in Sydney and Melbourne, through Australian political, financial and scientific elites, to the milieu of providers of the services and entertainments Zamoyski enjoyed. Zamoyski’s Australian heritage from the collections of the Kórnik Library, complemented with mentions from Australian press and literature, allow a conclusion that at the time Count Władysław became acquainted with many leaders of Australian social life. He simultaneously acquired a lot of experience and materials to which he later referred in his modernisation activities in Poland.

The article presents a spiritual biography of Władysław Zamoyski (1853–1924), one of the most outstanding Poles of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, a charismatic patriot and a creative social activist. The count’s activity was influenced by the Christian pursuit of salvation, realized in the spirit of the so-called triple work (especially spiritual alongside intellectual and physical work). The selected examples are presented based on memoirs and studies – from the thematic, family and ecclesial perspectives. The article discusses the aristocrat’s religious upbringing, his social involvement, desire for inner growth, and attitude of service (to his family, the poor, Poles, as well as the Church as a community and institution). The most significant factors in his religious formation were the spirituality of St. Francis and St. Albert Chmielowski (the evangelical counsels, poverty in spirit). His deep religiosity was connected with his secular state, celibacy, and the question of his unfulfilled life-calling (perhaps to monastic life). The pioneering count was ahead of his times in legal matters (the trial concerning Lake Morskie Oko), organizational ability (a journey to Australia, management of the estates in Kórnik and Zakopane), national independence (supporting Polish estates and societies), educational field (School of House Work for Women), charity (ecclesiastical and secular), and spiritual matters (universal call to holiness). He fulfilled the patriotic testament of his ancestors by serving God and the Fatherland. He finalized the family mission by establishing the Zakłady Kórnickie Foundation and donating his property to the Polish nation. The testimony of his life continues to be current and universal.

The article presents some little-known, short literary works by Henryk Sienkiewicz and Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, as well as Stanisław Konstanty Drohojowski, the owner of Czorsztyn Castle, and his daughters: Anna, Aleksandra and Helena. The works are devoted to Władysław Zamoyski and his presence in Zakopane. As such, they are an extraordinary literary evidence of his time in the Tatra Mountains. Sienkiewicz and Witkacy describe Zamoyski’s daily life in Zakopane in a humorous manner, particularly his relations with the neighbours around him. In turn, the poems written by Stanisław Drohojowski and his daughters, maintained in a serious tone, depict the Count as a hero who salvaged Morskie Oko for the Polish nation.

At the turn of the twentieth century, the border conflict between the owners of Zakopane and Spišská Javorina lost its private character and became an antagonism between two states ruled by the Habsburg dynasty, generating a plethora of emotions on both sides of the frontier. However, it was only one of the stages of the creation of the joint Polish-Hungarian border. The article analyses the earliest period of existence of the border at the turn of the second millenary. Relevant sources consistently indicate the Tatra Mountains as a border marker – nevertheless, they probably included the whole of the Slovak Ore Mountains. The Poland of Bolesław the Brave may have also covered the Váh province (Upper Váh region). The Polish medieval historical tradition ‘incorporated’ the present-day West Slovakia into Poland, hence considering that the territory used to belong to Poland. It was probably land of the ‘Ducatus’, i.e. the Arpadian secundogeniture, whose rulers were strongly supported by the Piasts. The recent archaeological excavation of the hook defence structure of the Piast type in the Bratislava Castle show that Polish troops might have controlled the western part of the Ducatus in the times of Bolesław the Brave.

The article aims to define the biographical space associated with Count Władysław Zamoyski and to present a proposal for its practical application in the form of a linear tourism product ‘Zamoyski in Greater Poland – A Biographical Trail.’ The analysis highlights the potential for creating a regional thematic tourist offer based on the life and work of this extraordinary figure – a social activist, philanthropist, and patron of science and culture. The trail holds numerous advantages from the perspective of promoting the region and preserving the historical and cultural heritage of Greater Poland. It can also serve as an educational tool for audiences of all ages, with a particular emphasis on school youth. The proposed trail aligns with the trend of experience-based and peace-oriented education, appreciating the importance of role models in the process of learning and building regional identity.

The main purpose of this article is to present the group of town officials of Kórnik up to the year 1793. The paper is divided into two main parts. The first one is a short presentation of the specification of Kórnik’s local government with the professional structure of members of the particular offices. This part also specifies the sources enabling the reconstruction of the composition of Kórnik’s authorities. The second part contains an annex with a list of the town’s offices until 1793 and a personal index of all the individuals mentioned.

The article discusses the 16th-century redevelopment of the castle in Kórnik near Poznań. Based on the preserved remains (dendrochronologically dated piles used for the foundations of the island, other architectural details, and archaeologically discovered stove tiles), the author dates the reconstruction to the period from the turn of the 1st and 2nd decade to the mid-16th century. A detailed analysis of the architectural details leads to the conclusion that the workshop of Master Benedict, as well as artists active in Poznań in the fourth and fifth decades of the 16th century, were involved in the reconstruction process. From this perspective, Kórnik castle becomes the first building in Greater Poland to have adopted Renaissance forms and at the same time the only building in the region on which the Wawel workshop worked. In addition, the article presents the reconstruction initiated by Łukasz II Górka in the context of the family’s foundation and political activities, and also addresses the problem of the previous erroneous dating of the Renaissance reconstruction of the castle to the third quarter of the 16th century.