“The West” in Walerian Koronowicz-Wróblewski’s concept of Polish history

Abstract

Walerian Koronowicz-Wróblewski’s Słowo dziejów polskich (The Word of Polish History), published in 1858–1860, was a very popular work in the second half of the nineteenth century. His author proposed his own interpretation of Polish history, idealising the role and activities of the nobility to the extreme. Koronowicz-Wróblewski focused primarily on eastern issues, including the relations of the Polish state with its eastern neighbours. The following text aims to examine how the West (understood both as Western Europe and as the Polish-German and Polish-Czech borderlands, changing their nationality in the course of history) is perceived in this author’s conception.