Dzieje Polski

work by Bobrzyński

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June 25, 2026

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Michał Bobrzyński's Dzieje Polski ("History of Poland") is a significant work in Polish historiography. Published in 1879, it is associated with the "pessimistic" or Kraków school of thought.1

Bobrzyński, a historian and politician, argued that the weakening of Poland's central government was the primary cause of the 18th-century partitions of the country. His work critically examined Poland's historical political and social institutions, advocating for a reappraisal of its past based on this perspective. He was a professor of legal history at the University of Kraków and studied the social history of medieval Poland.1

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Michał Bobrzyński
…Poland, published his politically influential Dzieje Polski (“History of Poland”) in 1879, and became the chief exponent of the “pessimistic” (or Kraków) school of Polish historiography, which sharply criticized Poland’s former political and social institutions.
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…Poland, published his politically influential Dzieje Polski (“History of Poland”) in 1879, and became the chief exponent of the “pessimistic” (or Kraków) school of Polish historiography, which sharply criticized Poland’s former political and social institutions.
Read More