Stanislaw Kutrzeba
Encyclopedia
Stanisław Marian Kutrzeba (1876–1946) was a Polish
historian and politician who was Professor
of the Jagiellonian University
from 1908, and then until the end of his life the Chair of Studies in Polish law. He was chair of the Law Department (1913/1914, 1920/1921), university's rector
(1932/33), General Secretary of Polish Academy of Learning
(1926–39) and its president (1939–1946). He was one of many professors of Jagiellonian University arrested by Nazis
during Sonderaktion Krakau
in 1939. After being freed in 1940, he took part in the underground education
. In 1945, he was deputy to the State National Council
.
His works in the area of history were centered around the history of
Polish law, the history of Poland
from 14th to 18th centuries and the history of Kraków
.
, where he finished his education, obtaining a doctorate
in law
from the Jagiellonian University
in 1898; he also studied abroad (in Paris
) and in 1902 he obtained a habilitation
. His career was closely connected to the university where he obtained his doctorate: he became a professor of the Jagiellonian University in 1908 and from then until the end of his life was the Chair of Studies in Polish law. Chair of the Law Department (1913/1914, 1920/1921), he also held the post of university's rector
(1932/33).
He was also an activist in other organizations, the most prominent of which was the Polish Academy of Learning
. He was its General Secretary (1926–39) and its president (1939–1946). Other organizations he was active in included: Warsaw Scientific Society
, Lwów Scientific Society
, Poznań Society of Friends of Arts and Sciences
, Polish Historical Society and Kraków's Historical and Monument Society. He was a member of foreign and international organizations, such as the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
and the French Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques.
In November 1939 he was arrested by German Nazis during their purge of Kraków's Polish intellectualls (Sonderaktion Krakau
). Until February 1940 he was a prisoner in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp
. Upon his subsequent release, he joined the Polish Underground State. He became a member of the Committee of Three, which took care of aid to the persecuted families of people related to the university; he was also active in the underground education
.
In 1918 he was one of the members of the Polish delegation at the Treaty of Versailles
. In 1944, he was involved in the talks that led to the creation of Provisional Government of National Unity
, in 1945 he became a member of the State National Council
.
He was awarded, among others, the Commander's Cross and Commander's Cross with Star of the Polonia Restituta
(1930) and the Officer's Cross of the Légion d'honneur
.
from the 14th to 18th centuries and the history of Kraków
. He published over 400 various academic works. He was also involved in the publishing of the Polish Biographical Dictionary
. His Historia źródeł dawnego prawa polskiego (1925–1926) was reviewed by his former student, another contemporary Polish historian of law and professor of Jagiellonian University, Adam Vetulani
, as "the most important support work for historical sciences, created in the interwar period."
Selected works:
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
historian and politician who was Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
from 1908, and then until the end of his life the Chair of Studies in Polish law. He was chair of the Law Department (1913/1914, 1920/1921), university's rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
(1932/33), General Secretary of Polish Academy of Learning
Polish Academy of Learning
The Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences or Polish Academy of Learning , headquartered in Kraków, is one of two institutions in contemporary Poland having the nature of an academy of sciences....
(1926–39) and its president (1939–1946). He was one of many professors of Jagiellonian University arrested by Nazis
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
during Sonderaktion Krakau
Sonderaktion Krakau
Sonderaktion Krakau was the codename for a German operation against professors and academics from the University of Kraków and other Kraków universities at the beginning of World War II....
in 1939. After being freed in 1940, he took part in the underground education
Education in Poland during World War II
This article covers the topic of underground education in Poland during World War II. Secret learning prepared new cadres for the post-war reconstruction of Poland and countered the German and Soviet threat to exterminate the Polish culture....
. In 1945, he was deputy to the State National Council
State National Council
Krajowa Rada Narodowa in Polish was a parliament-like political body formed in the late stages of the Second World War in the Soviet Union, as part of the formation of a new Communist Polish government...
.
His works in the area of history were centered around the history of
Legal history
Legal history or the history of law is the study of how law has evolved and why it changed. Legal history is closely connected to the development of civilizations and is set in the wider context of social history...
Polish law, the history of Poland
History of Poland
The History of Poland is rooted in the arrival of the Slavs, who gave rise to permanent settlement and historic development on Polish lands. During the Piast dynasty Christianity was adopted in 966 and medieval monarchy established...
from 14th to 18th centuries and the history of Kraków
History of Kraków
Kraków is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland, with the urban population of 756,441 . Situated on the Vistula river in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. It was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1596, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Kraków from 1846 to...
.
Life
Stanisław Kutrzeba spent his youth in KrakówKraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, where he finished his education, obtaining a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
from the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
in 1898; he also studied abroad (in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) and in 1902 he obtained a habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
. His career was closely connected to the university where he obtained his doctorate: he became a professor of the Jagiellonian University in 1908 and from then until the end of his life was the Chair of Studies in Polish law. Chair of the Law Department (1913/1914, 1920/1921), he also held the post of university's rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
(1932/33).
He was also an activist in other organizations, the most prominent of which was the Polish Academy of Learning
Polish Academy of Learning
The Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences or Polish Academy of Learning , headquartered in Kraków, is one of two institutions in contemporary Poland having the nature of an academy of sciences....
. He was its General Secretary (1926–39) and its president (1939–1946). Other organizations he was active in included: Warsaw Scientific Society
Warsaw Scientific Society
Warsaw Scientific Society is a Polish scientific society based in Warsaw. It was established in 1907 as a continuation of the Society of Friends of Science to advance the sciences and arts and to publish scientific papers....
, Lwów Scientific Society
Lwów Scientific Society
Lwów Scientific Society was a Polish scientific society, founded in 1901 in Lwów by Oswald Balzer as Association of Support of Polish Sciences...
, Poznań Society of Friends of Arts and Sciences
Poznan Society of Friends of Arts and Sciences
The Poznań Society of Friends of Learning is a learned society in Poznań, Poland, established in 1857, of scholars and scientists in all branches of learning...
, Polish Historical Society and Kraków's Historical and Monument Society. He was a member of foreign and international organizations, such as the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest.-History:...
and the French Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques.
In November 1939 he was arrested by German Nazis during their purge of Kraków's Polish intellectualls (Sonderaktion Krakau
Sonderaktion Krakau
Sonderaktion Krakau was the codename for a German operation against professors and academics from the University of Kraków and other Kraków universities at the beginning of World War II....
). Until February 1940 he was a prisoner in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May, 1945. After World War II, when Oranienburg was in the Soviet Occupation Zone, the structure was used as an NKVD...
. Upon his subsequent release, he joined the Polish Underground State. He became a member of the Committee of Three, which took care of aid to the persecuted families of people related to the university; he was also active in the underground education
Education in Poland during World War II
This article covers the topic of underground education in Poland during World War II. Secret learning prepared new cadres for the post-war reconstruction of Poland and countered the German and Soviet threat to exterminate the Polish culture....
.
In 1918 he was one of the members of the Polish delegation at the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
. In 1944, he was involved in the talks that led to the creation of Provisional Government of National Unity
Provisional Government of National Unity
The Provisional Government of National Unity was a government formed by a decree of the State National Council on 28 June 1945. It was created as a coalition government between Polish Communists and the Polish government-in-exile...
, in 1945 he became a member of the State National Council
State National Council
Krajowa Rada Narodowa in Polish was a parliament-like political body formed in the late stages of the Second World War in the Soviet Union, as part of the formation of a new Communist Polish government...
.
He was awarded, among others, the Commander's Cross and Commander's Cross with Star of the Polonia Restituta
Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta is one of Poland's highest Orders. The Order can be conferred for outstanding achievements in the fields of education, science, sport, culture, art, economics, defense of the country, social work, civil service, or for furthering good relations between countries...
(1930) and the Officer's Cross of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
Works
Kutrzeba works in the area of history were centered around the history of Polish law, the history of PolandHistory of Poland
The History of Poland is rooted in the arrival of the Slavs, who gave rise to permanent settlement and historic development on Polish lands. During the Piast dynasty Christianity was adopted in 966 and medieval monarchy established...
from the 14th to 18th centuries and the history of Kraków
History of Kraków
Kraków is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland, with the urban population of 756,441 . Situated on the Vistula river in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. It was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1596, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Kraków from 1846 to...
. He published over 400 various academic works. He was also involved in the publishing of the Polish Biographical Dictionary
Polish Biographical Dictionary
Polski słownik biograficzny is a Polish-language biographical dictionary, comprising an alphabetically arranged compilation of authoritative biographies of some 25,000 notable Poles and of foreigners who have been active in Poland – famous as well as less well-known persons, from Popiel, Piast...
. His Historia źródeł dawnego prawa polskiego (1925–1926) was reviewed by his former student, another contemporary Polish historian of law and professor of Jagiellonian University, Adam Vetulani
Adam Vetulani
Adam Joachim Vetulani was a Polish historian of medieval law and canonist, professor of Jagiellonian University, a member of Polish Academy of Learning. He was the son of Roman and Elżbieta Kunachowicz, brother of Kazimierz, professor of Lvov University, Tadeusz, professor of animal husbandry,...
, as "the most important support work for historical sciences, created in the interwar period."
Selected works:
- Przyczynek do dyplomatyki polskiej w XIII wieku (1895)
- Finanse Krakowa w wiekach średnich (1899)
- Historya rodziny Wierzynków (1899)
- Podwody miast polskich do roku 1564 (1900)
- Stosunki prawne Żydów w Polsce w XV stuleciu (1901)
- Studya do historii sądownictwa w Polsce (1901–1903)
- Handel Krakowa w wiekach średnich na tle stosunków handlowych Polski (1902)
- Taryfy celne i polityka celna w Polsce od XIII do XV wieku (1902)
- Urzędy koronne i nadworne w Polsce, ich początki i rozwój do roku 1504 (1903)
- Dawny zarząd Wawelu (1906)
- Skład sejmu polskiego, 1493-1793 (1906)
- Mężobójstwo w prawie polskiem XIV i XV wieku (1907)
- Franciszek Piekosiński jako historyk prawa polskiego (1908)
- Przyczynki do teoryi runicznej (1909)
- Kilka słów o metrykach kościelnych w Polsce (1910)
- Unia Polski z Litwą. Problem i metoda badania (1911)
- Sprawa polska w Królestwie Polskim 1815-1915 (1916)
- Sprawa żydowska w Polsce (1918)
- Dawne polskie prawo sądowe (1921, 2 tomy)
- Polska Odrodzona (1921)
- Sejm Walny dawnej Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (1922)
- Polskie prawo polityczne według traktatów (1923, 2 części)
- Historia Śląska (1933, redaktor)
- Metoda historyczna w prawie politycznym (1938)
- Polska Akademia Umiejętności 1872-1938 (1939)
- Wstęp do nauki o państwie i prawie (1946)