Old rarities – German officers’ annals (Ranglisten) in the collections of the Copernicus Library

Abstract

From the very beginning of the existence of Prussia, the army was highly respected by citizens, and the rulers made a persistent effort to increase the army’s effectiveness. One of the characteristic features of the Prussian military conduct was the fact that each year a list of officers from all military units was issued; it included information about the army’s structure or dislocation. Next to each officer’s name there appeared not only information about his current rank or posting, but also about the date of his commission or the military decorations he possessed.
The article presents the specific nature and history of the Prussian officers’ annals and examines the content and formal features of the volumes owned by the Copernicus Library. Emphasis is given to revealing their source, value for historians. It also includes a description of how the officers’ annals became part of the collections of the library.