“Within the field of medieval history he had all the makings of a star of the highest order” Roman Grodecki (1889-1964), the university master of Jerzy Wyrozumsk

Abstract

The article presents the biography and scientific achievements of Roman Grodecki (1889–1964), professor of the Jagiellonian University born in Rzeszów and one of the greatest Polish medievalists of the 20th century. Grodecki began his studies in 1907. Under the supervision of Professor Stanisław Krzyżanowski was introduced to the secrets of research on the history of the Middle (...) o Romanie Grodeckim – uniwersyteckim mistrzu Jerzego Wyrozumskiego 27 Ages. In 1914 his studies were interrupted and he joined the Polish Legions. As a soldier Grodecki participated in two war campaigns. For his service was awarded the Cross of Valor in 1922 and the Cross of Independence in 1932. He completed his habilitation in 1920 on the basis of a series of studies on the history of money in Poland and in 1922 became professor. Roman Grodecki specialized in socio-economic history. He was also the author of the syntheses of the political history of the 12th and 13th centuries and translations into Polish of monuments of historiography, the Chronicle of Anonim called Gall (1923) and the Book of Henryków (1949). The article was written in connection with the scientific conference “Plus ratio quam vis. Professor Jerzy Lesław Wyrozumski (1930–2018)”, organized on November 4th, 2019, in the Institute of History of the University of Rzeszów on the first anniversary of the Professor’s death, during which the ceremonial opening of the Roman Grodecki seminar room took place. In this room books from Roman Grodecki’s collection donated to the University in accordance with the last will of his student, Jerzy Wyrozumski, were placed. As an annex to the article, a bibliography of Roman Grodecki for 1960–1964 (2020) was attached.