Stanisław Marian Kutrzeba (1876–1946) was a Polish historian and politician who was
Professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...
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
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
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
Krajowa Rada Narodowa in Polish language, Polish (translated as State National Council or Homeland National Council, abbreviated to KRN) was a parliament-like political body created during the later stages of World War II in Nazi Germany, German- ...
.
His works in the area of history were centered on the
history of Polish law
The Polish law or legal system in Poland has been developing since the first centuries of Polish history, over 1,000 years ago. The public and private laws of Poland are codified.
The supreme law in Poland is the Constitution of Poland. Po ...
, the
history of Poland from 14th to 18th centuries and the
history of Kraków.
Life
Stanisław Kutrzeba spent his youth in
Kraków
, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, where he finished his education, obtaining a
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
in
law from the
Jagiellonian University in 1898; he also studied abroad (in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
) 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 intellectuals (''
Sonderaktion Krakau''). Until February 1940 he was a prisoner in the
Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Upon release, he joined the
Polish Underground State. He became a member of the Committee of Three, which aided persecuted families of persons related to the university; he was also active in
underground education.
In 1918 he was a member of the Polish delegation at the
Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920).
In 1944 he was involved in the talks that led to the creation of a
Provisional Government of National Unity. In 1945 he became a member of the
State National Council
Krajowa Rada Narodowa in Polish language, Polish (translated as State National Council or Homeland National Council, abbreviated to KRN) was a parliament-like political body created during the later stages of World War II in Nazi Germany, German- ...
.
He received decorations including the Commander's Cross and Commander's Cross with Star of
Polonia Restituta (1930) and the Officer's Cross of the
Légion d'honneur.
Works
Kutrzeba works in the area of history were centered on the history of
Polish law
The Polish law or legal system in Poland has been developing since the first centuries of Polish history, over 1,000 years ago. The public and private laws of Poland are codified.
The supreme law in Poland is the Constitution of Poland. Po ...
, the
history of Poland 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:
* ''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)
See also
*
List of Poles
References
*''Biogramy uczonych polskich'' (Biographies of Polish Scholars), ''Część I: Nauki społeczne'' (Part I: Social Sciences), ''zeszyt 2: K-O'' (fascicle 2: K–O) ''(pod redakcją Andrzeja Śródki i Pawła Szczawińskiego''
dited by Andrzej Śródka and Paweł Szczawiński), Wrocław, Ossolineum">Wrocław.html" ;"title="dited by Andrzej Śródka and Paweł Szczawiński), Wrocław">dited by Andrzej Śródka and Paweł Szczawiński), Wrocław, Ossolineum, 1984.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kutrzeba, Stanislaw
1876 births
1946 deaths
Politicians from Kraków
People from the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria
Polish Austro-Hungarians
Members of the State National Council
20th-century Polish historians
Polish male non-fiction writers
Members of the Lwów Scientific Society
Members of the Polish Academy of Learning
Members of the Académie des sciences morales et politiques
Jagiellonian University alumni
Academic staff of Jagiellonian University
Rectors of the Jagiellonian University
Sachsenhausen concentration camp survivors
Commanders with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland)
Officers of the Legion of Honour
Burials at Rakowicki Cemetery