Józef Spors (August 13, 1941 – June 13, 1992) was a Polish

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

, specializing in the medieval

History of Poland The history of Poland spans over a thousand years, from Lechites, medieval tribes, Christianization of Poland, Christianization and Kingdom of Poland, monarchy; through Polish Golden Age, Poland's Golden Age, Polonization, expansionism and be ...

and its northern region -

Pomerania Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian Voivod ...

Biography

Spors was born in

Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...

in 1941, during

German occupation of Poland German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

. He studied

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

at the

Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń or NCU (, UMK) is located in Toruń, Poland. It is named after Nicolaus Copernicus, who was born in Toruń in 1473. History The beginnings of higher education in Toruń The first institution of higher ...

. He graduated in 1965 after presenting thesis concerning

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

expansion into Polish lands in the 13th century. His Ph.D. thesis concerned political history of the Land of Słupsk-Sławno and the region of

Białogard Białogard (; ; Pomeranian language, Pomeranian: ''Biôłogard'') is a historic town in Middle Pomerania, northwestern Poland, with 23,614 inhabitants as of December 2021. The capital of Białogard County in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Bi ...

in the 13th and 14th centuries. He received his postdoctoral after publishing a dissertation concerning administrative divisions of

Gdańsk Pomerania Gdańsk Pomerania (; ; ) is the main geographical region within Pomerelia (also known as Vistula Pomerania, Eastern Pomerania, and previously Polish Pomerania) in northern Poland, covering the bulk of Pomeranian Voivodeship. In contrast to ''Pome ...

and the Land of Słupsk-Sławno from 12th to 14th century. During his short life he published over 80 publications including 6 historical monographies. Another 20 were published after his death. His main field of interest was history of both

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

and Gdańsk Pomerania. However his works concentrated on the history of the whole of Medieval Poland as well. He was the founder and first director of the Institute of history at the Pomeranian Academy in

Słupsk Słupsk (; ; ) is a city with powiat rights located on the Słupia River in the Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland, in the historical region of Pomerania or more specifically in its part known in contemporary Poland as Central Pomerania ...

from 1986 to 1991. He was buried in Słupsk cemetery on June 17, 1992.Józef Lindmajer, ''Józef Franciszek Spors 13 VIII 1941 - 13 VI 1992'', Słupskie Studia Historyczne 1992, nr 1, p. 21
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Publications

*
Dzieje polityczne ziemi słupskiej, sławieńskiej i białogardzkiej w XII-XIVw
' (1973) * ''Agresja Brandenburska wobec Polski do 1278 roku.'' (1973) * ''Podział dzielnicowy Polski według statutu Bolesława Krzywoustego ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem dzielnicy seniorackiej.'' (1978) * ''Podziały administracyjne Pomorza Gdańskiego i Sławieńsko-słupskiego od XII do początku XIV w.'' (1983) *
Studia nad wczesnośredniowiecznymi dziejami Pomorza Zachodniego. XII - pierwsza połowa XIII w.
' (1988) * ''Wojewodowie Polski dzielnicowej w XII i XIII wieku. cz. I'' (1991) * ''Uwagi nad genezą wojewody dzielnicowego w Polsce XII - początku XIII wieku.'' (1991) *
Organizacja kasztelańska na Pomorzu Zachodnim
' (1991)

References

Polish academics 20th-century Polish historians Polish male non-fiction writers 1941 births 1992 deaths Historians of Poland Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń alumni {{Poland-historian-stub