The Specificity of the Sejmiks of Wielkopolska in Times of Transformation. Notes on Grzegorz Glabisz’s Book Sejmiki Wielkopolski w latach 1764–1793

Abstract

The sejmiks, as their local assemblies, were the central element of noble self-government in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and, simultaneously, institutions that enabled nobles to influence the policy of the royal government. In the present century, historiography has seen a revival of both the editions of sejmik records and publications of monographs devoted to individual assemblies. However, there is still a need for synthetic studies, which makes Grzegorz Glabisz’s book Sejmiki Wielkopolski w latach 1764–1793 [Sejmiks of Wielkopolska 1764–1793] all the more valuable. Apart from a brief overview of the political history of the period, the bulk of the book provides a meticulous reconstruction of the structure and functioning of sejmiks across the province of Wielkopolska.