Streszczenia artykułów XXII Rocznika Elbląskiego - j. angielski

After 1945 Elbląg did not constitute a significantly important location for press publishers. Dailies published in Gdańsk  were dominant in the city, including Głos Wybrzeża, which since 1954 came out as Elbląski Głos Wybrzeża and since 1957 as Głos Elblaga. After the Elbląg Voivodeship was established the government instructed the centralization of the press titles, liquidating Głos Elbląga and bringing back Głos Wybrzeża which was published between 1975 and 1993. The biggest manufacturer in Elbląg brought out its own Głos Zamechu between 1962 and 1990.

At the turn of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Elbląg had around 15 thousand inhabitants and was one of the biggest cities in Poland. Of this size and richness it was of obvious interest to the Swedish King Gustav II Adolf who in 1626 invaded the Royal Prussia, a province of the Kingdom of Poland. As a result of misunderstandings and resentment of the representatives of different city quarters towards one another, as well as of the lack of modern fortifications, Elbląg fell into the Swedish hands on 15th July 1626.

The article deals with some selected problems related to the political life in the city between 1957 and 1958, with specific focus on the activities by the security service. These were extremely interesting years right after the political changes of 1956. This was the end of the Stalinist era and a significant make-over in the contemporary political, economic and cultural policies. Massive terror was no longer in place and other repression measures stopped while most of those imprisoned under Stalin were freed. Those who had earlier remained in hiding also felt a little safer.

St. Adalbert’s Church was build on an Elbląg hill called Neue Welt in the beginning of 20th century. Parish rights were granted on 22 February 1907 after the church received the altars. Hugo Ganswind (1875 – 1925) became its first parish priest on 14th October 1909. This area got incorporated into the municipal territory of Elbląg on 1st October 1912.

Based on a number of sources (printed, auction catalogues, press advertisements, correspondence, hand-written notes on books, etc.) we have acquired knowledge of a series of at least 37 book auctions held in Elbląg in 18th century, initiated by a municipal councilor, Mr Piotr Poselger, conducted in 1717. The rules of the actions organized in Elblag were not different to those which took place in Gdańsk and Toruń. Catalogues constituted an important element of each auction. Only five have remained today.

Medieval settlements in the area of Pasłęk should be considered in a wider perspective of the settlement policy of the Order of the Teutonic Knights.

Settlers began to populate territories lying east and west of the Lower Vistula River earlier than the Knights of the Order. Slavic peoples, e.g. Pomeranians – the forefathers of Kashubians - lived west of the Lower Vistula River. In the thirteenth century they had their own rulers and defended their independence from the powerful neighbours: Poland and Denmark.

The origins of Elbląg Library date back to 1601 when a library was established at the municipal gymnasium. The book collection grew for many years thanks to donations from the school professors, city mayors, church ministers and other prominent inhabitants of Elbląg, such as valuable manuscripts and incunables from St. Dominican friars which included De revolutionibus by Nicolas Copernicus and richly ornamented De humanis corporis fabrica by A. Wessalius printed in 1555 in Basel.

This analysis offers results of a comprehensive research of seventeen selected medieval monuments in Elbląg (within the perimeters of the following streets: Stary Rynek, Studzienna, Ścieżka Kościelna, Bendarska) in terms of technologies applied in their construction.

Between 1928 and 1930 a Polish military intelligence unit operated in Tczew. Its task was to penetrate the western communes in Ostpreussen (Estern Prussia), northern areas of Grenzmark Posen – Westpreussen (Border Province of Poznań – West Prussia) and the territory of the Freie Stadt Danzig (Free city of Gdańsk). The Unit reported directly to the agency of the Second Division of the Chief Staff of the Polish Army (encrypted as BIG) and was under cover of the Polish General Precinct in Gdańsk. In the intelligence nomenclature it was referred to as the Officer Post No 4 (PO 4).

The article presents the literary life in Elbląg between 1918 and 1945 and some of the activities of the individual libraries in the city. It names well known writers who created in Elbląg and those who were born there, as well as writers whose work related to the city, discussing their lives and work. The article also talks about selected literary events held in Elbląg.