Activity of Macierz Polska publishing foundation in Lvov in years 1882–1894

Abstract

The author of this article discusses the first period of functioning of one of the more significant social publishing foundations in Galicia, namely Macierz Polska in Lvov. Established in 1882 on the initiative of Jozef Ignacy Kraszewski, for the next eleven years it operated with Antoni Malecki, literature historian and retired professor of the Lvov University as its president. At that time more than 60 publication appeared, which might not have been an impressive number but statutory limitations, difficulties with obtaining valuable and original works – which was strongly insisted on – peasants’ reading needs not quite awoken yet, greatly influenced this fact. The Lvov foundation since its beginnings attempted to combine two goals, namely the practicalpragmatic one and the religious -national one. The former was realized by means of publishing works allowing to modernize farms, increase their incomes, facilitate the use of technologicalcivilizational achievements. The latter allowed to widen the viewpoint of the peasant reader onto the issues of the national community, its past and other factors uniting the nation such as religion and language. The fact that the foundation was managed by a literature historian and medieval researcher influenced the profile of publications. One third of the offer constituted historic and historic-religious readings being of mostly biographical character. Relatively easy for less educated receiver, they made their readers acquainted with the greatest Polish monarchs and leaders (Kazimierz the Great, Jadwiga Angevin, Wladyslaw Jagiello, Stanislaw Zolkiewski, Jan Tarnowski, Stefan Czarniecki, Jan Sobieski, Stanislaw August Poniatowski, Tadeusz Kosciuszko) and saints (st. Wojciech, st. Kinga, st. Brunon, st. Jan Kanty). Efforts were made to reach for heroes representative for various historic periods. Old, complete elaborations of Polish history written by Izabela Czartoryska and Wladyslw Ludwik Anczyc were also reprinted. The publishing programme also included works presenting selected persons and events from the world history. Masterpieces of national literature were represented by Pan Tadeusz by Adam Mickiewicz and Piesn ziemi naszej by Wincenty Pol. Press titles issued by Macierz Polska were “Niedziela” (“Sunday”), “Kalendarz MP” (“MP Calendar”) and subsided ”Gospodarz Wiejski” (“Country Farmer”). Although they gained a certain numer of permanent subscribers, among which the majority we the peasants, they fought for survival.