Volume 40 (2019): Issue 1 (June 2019)

In the following paper I would like to analyse the educational and pedagogical system that applied to boys joining the Vilnius craft workshops. The boys did not only work, e. g. participate in the manufacture of goods, but they also prepared themselves for the profession. The purpose of the following overview is to characterise the educational-pedagogical path that had to be completed in order to become a fellow. Questions about the life of the pupils within the structures of the craft guild workshops and also about the skills they acquired there must be asked. This research does not encompass sons of the master craftsmen and craftsmen not belonging to guilds, who came to Vilnius trying to join the craft guilds. These issues require a separate analysis. The following research does not pretend to be a comprehensive study of the problem; it is a revision and an amendment to research by Józef Morzy, in which he partly analysed craft guilds in Vilnius in terms of the essential work skills they held. In order to explain these issues, analysed were the statutes of craft guilds that operated functioning in the one of the greatest cities of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, in Vilnius, in the early modern period.

The Minor Seminary in Włocławek – institutional and educational assumptions The article focuses on the activities of the Minor Seminary in Włocławek in the 20th century. It is an example of a formative and educational institution which was subordinate to the Church and the state systems at the same time. The school was owned by the Włocławek Diocese for the entire period of its functioning and existence. Organisational activities and the educational process of the institution were conducted in a complex social, political and systemic reality of the time. Throughout the entire period of its functioning, the school was dependent on Russian, Polish and German authorities. The article presents the history of the Minor Seminary, its organizational and curricular changes, as well as, its basic structure premises.

The history of the Seminary is a part of the research in the field of private education concerning two types of the school’s levels: middle and high schooling conducted in the 20th century in Poland. Additionally, the research is a contribution to further research in the organisational and educational field of the Minor Seminary in Włocławek, ecclesiastic education, particularly regarding the Minor Seminaries in Poland in the 20th century.

The institutionalisation of pedagogy in the Second Polish Republic period – the case of the Department of Pedagogy and Didactics at the University of the Piasts (Wszechnica Piastowska) The Second Polish Republic is a period of the institutionalisation and disciplinarisation of pedagogy. The interwar period is characterised by the institutions, established for the pedagogical education of teachers, and agendas that arise along with them, at Polish universities, aiming at pedagogical education and generation of pedagogical knowledge. The example of such actions was the establishment of the Department of Pedagogy and Didactics at the University of the Piasts (Wszechnica Piastowska). It was due to the efforts of the first directors of the Department – Antoni Danysz, Bogdan Nawroczyński, and Ludwik Jaxa-Bykowski, that the Poznań academic pedagogy had played a significant role in the structures of the University of Poznań, and in the scientific development of Polish pedagogy. Despite it being shut down in 1933, within the continuous cooperation with the Department of Psychology, the Poznań University, gave the opportunity and shaped the future teachers.

Educational as well as care and upbringing institutions intended for Jewish children and youths have a long and solid tradition in Polish lands. Within this group, institutional forms of preschool education merit attention, all the more that other national and ethnic minorities didn’t run their own pre-schools in Poland after World War II. In this landscape, Jewish preschools must be considered an exception. Ultimately, however, they suffered the same fate as other care and education institutions run by entities inconvenient from the point of view of the educational policy of the party and government authorities in Poland, inspired by the Marxist-Leninist ideology, guidelines of the communist head office in Moscow and implementing the monopolistic vision of the so-called socialist educational and development system.

Edyta Stein – Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross – was fascinated by the “mystery of man”. Discovering this mystery led her to experience the “mystery of God”. She had a beautiful and difficult road leading through life and scientific transgressions, the path from thanatology to transthanatology, from the existence of a contingent existence to the existence of eternal Being.

According to Edith Stein, the existence of man is unique. Everyone has to discover the fullness of his existence. Here comes Stein’s transition from psychological and philosophical considerations (phenomenon-fact) to theological considerations (foundation). By learning about God, man recognizes himself and discovers the ultimate truth of his existence. Whoever does not reach himself will not find God and enter eternal life. Or better: whoever does not find God will not find himself (no matter how much focus he will give on finding himself) and the source of eternal life that awaits him in his own interior¹.

The aim of the article is to present the achievements of an archaeologist, professor Tadeusz Sulimirski, in the area of organising and managing the Polish education in exile in the years 1941–1947. The biographical method was mainly applied in the research paper, with the author presenting one of the leading figures in the Office of Education and School Matters and Ministry of Religious Denominations and Public Enlightenment of the Polish government in exile. He demonstrated a lot of initiatives which aimed at developing and streamlining any forms of Polish education in exile. He cooperated particularly closely with general Józef Haller. He devoted much attention to Polish higher education in exile. After the recognition of the Polish government in London was withdrawn by the British government, professor Tadeusz Sulimirski became the manager of the Department of Education formed on 7th July 1945 of the British Interim Treasury Committee for Polish Questions. Holding that position, he showed great creativity and organisational skills. He coordinated very skilfully the gradual closing down of Polish education in Great Britain and also, to some extent, in some of its domains. He took much care of the financial situation of the Polish students in Great Britain and in the Middle East. He participated in the action of receiving on the British land students and schools of General Anders 2nd Corps evacuated from Italy.

In the post-war years he actively participated in the work of Polish scientific circles. He rendered considerable services to the development of Polish education in exile and contributed to strengthening the Polish identity among those in exile due to the war.

The aim of the article is to present the educational issues of the Polish People’s Republic (Polska Republika Ludowa – later referred to as PRL) in the light of the 1961 personal notes of Primate Stefan Wyszyński (referred to as Pro memoria). The source base of this examination, is the manuscript of Primate Wyszyński, stored in the Archdiocese Archive in Gniezno. The first section of the article is the outline of the state of research on the PRL education, as well as, methodological matters. The second section is dedicated to a brief characteristic of education in the “people’s” Poland, regarding the spread of ideology until 1961. The third section is dedicated to the characteristics of the source material. The fourth section shows – in the light of the personal writings of Primate Wyszyński — issues such as: The 1961 Act on the Development of the Educational System, the educational and care institutions of the Roman-Catholic Church, monastic and parochial preschools, religious schooling, confessional secondary school education, catechesis, minor seminaries, major seminaries, higher education and academic ministry.

Several dozen letters written between August 13th, 1876 and May 5th, 1890, were analysed. Their sender was Roman Bniński (father). They were mainly addressed to his son, Roman.

The analysed letters only allow a basic characterisation of the father’s attitude towards his son. It is supposed to shape/bring up his son. Thus, the correspondence displays acceptance, cooperation, reasonable freedom and recognition of the child’s rights.

The letters constitute a direct source presenting the family’s everyday life, relations within it, family affinities and relations with neighbours, acquaintances and friends... Such is the nature of the letters written by Roman Bniński to his son. Like all direct written sources, the letters allow for the development of a new image of the landed gentry. This image is confronted with its stereotypical images, established mainly on the basis of positivist and Marxist literature.

The family constitutes the fundamental social unit composed of persons related by marriage and parenthood. Mutual relations and bonds between family members are determined by the tradition conveyed through upbringing, which in turn is based on mutual emotions and attitudes subject to the law in force and orders of moral nature. The influence of axioms of religious nature does not remain without influence on the prerogatives recognised by the family. In general, it constitutes the cultural legacy of generations subjected to multiple influences, every one of which is a link in the family history.

The analysis of functions of the family as a basic social group and of parental authority shows that functions of the family have a much broader range than functions of parental authority do. Functions of the family are implemented with respect to all its members, both adults and minors. Regulations with respect to these functions concerning adult family members is expressed in a range of norms included in the Polish Family and Guardianship Code. Furthermore, the correct implementation of the functions by the family also influences the correct performance of parental authority.

This article raises the question of the memory of a site the past contained in sources, reported memories of witnesses of events and symbols. Examples of such places of memory are the streets and squares on the campus of the UWM called Kortowo. They speak about the past, which bears significance for our times. The article comprises an introduction and two chapters. The introduction presents the rich history of Kortowo spanning several centuries, from the Old Prussian settlements to the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. The first chapter is dedicated to the history of the streets and squares of Kortowo from the moment when the university authorities made the decision to give names to streets on campus, as suggested by the university faculties, to make everyday life easier for the academic community. The chosen patrons of the streets are: M. Oczapowski (agrono-mist, theorist of agriculture, pioneer of agricultural experimentation), R. Prawocheński (specialist in animal husbandry), J. Licznerski (pioneer of modern dairy science), K. Obitz (doctor of veterinary medicine, journalist, activist for the Masurian people), J. Hevelius (an astronomer from Gdańsk), B. Dybowski (biologist and traveller), Cz. Kanafojski (professor of mechanisation in agriculture). The second chapter presents short biographical notes about three of the seven street patrons, i.e. B. Dybowski, K. Obitz and R. Prawocheński, the most characteristic and multi-dimensional figures. The presentation of these and other street patrons restores the memory of their scientific, social and personal achievements, and provides justification for selecting these names of streets in Kortowo.

The year 1519 was particularly important in the history of Poznań, due to the foundation of a new school – the Lubrański Academy, the first humanities school in Poland, which was founded on the basis on the best models of Renaissance education, with teachers such as Krzysztof Hegendorfer and Benedykt Herbest. In the 16th century, the Academy was considered to be a competitor to the Krakow Academy, which it ultimately became affiliated with in the beginning of the 17th century. The relationship with the university in Krakow ensured the stability of the Poznań Academy, as well as access to a staff of experienced teachers, and a curriculum widely respected by the society – distinguished in Poland with its practical approach to preparing young people to work in various state roles, especially in the field of law and – like other educational institutions – preparing them for cultural life as well. The affiliation with the Krakow Academy also had its downsides – during the education reforms taking place during the Enlightenment, the Lubrański Academy maintained a conservative and apprehensive stance, while introducing a number of modern solutions, in particular in the field of teaching modern foreign languages.