Eighty-Five Years of the Polish Biographical Dictionary at 17 Sławkowska St., Cracow

Abstract

The Polish Biographical Dictionary (Polski Słownik Biograficzny, abbr. PSB) is one of the most prestigious publications in Polish historiography. Published since 1935, with the editorial board domiciled in Cracow, at 17 Sławkowska St.; from 1935 to 1949, under the patronage of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences [PAU], 1958–99 – Institute of History, Polish Academy of Sciences [IH PAN]; since 1999 – both PAN and PAU, with IH PAN acting as the publisher. During the eighty-five years of its existence (temporarily discontinued during the Second World War and the Stalinist period, 1949–58), fifty-two volumes with almost 28,000 biographical entries were published, arranged alphabetically – from ‘Abakanowicz’ to ‘Taube’, and chronologically spanning from the legendary King Popiel until persons who died in 2000. The Dictionary was founded by Władysław Konopczyński, a professor of the Jagiellonian University of Cracow, who was its first editor-in-chief (in 1935–49). Professor Emanuel Rostworowski, his former student and editor-in-chief in 1964–89, heavily contributed to bringing the project up to top standard, which was maintained by his successors, literary historians Professor Henryk Markiewicz (1989–2002) and, from 2003 onwards, Professor Andrzej Romanowski. Between December 2014 and 2019, more than 8,500 entries were digitalised and made available at: www.ipsb.nina.gov.pl.