Research Unit for Historical-Legal Bibliography

Bibliographic work at the Faculty of Law of the University of Warsaw has a long tradition – it was initiated by Jan Wincenty Bandtkie, the first Dean of the Faculty. It was formalised by Professor Jakub Sawicki, who in 1954, in volume VI of Czasopismo Prawno-Historyczne, published Materials for the Polish historical-legal bibliography for the years 1944-1953. Since then, the Journal has published them regularly. After Professor Sawicki, the work was led by Professor Hubert Izdebski, and subsequently by Professor Maria Zabłocka, who to this day oversees the Roman law section.

The result of these efforts is a bibliography published annually in Czasopismo Prawno–Historyczne. It includes both the works of Polish researchers devoted to Roman law and the general history of state and law, as well as publications of Polish and foreign scholars devoted to the broadly understood history of the political system and law in Polish lands within their historical borders. Before the end of the 15th century, this refers to the Kingdom of Poland (with Ruthenia from the mid-14th century), and from 1385 also to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and later to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Works devoted to Mazovia and Silesia also have their place here.

Advances in information technology now make it possible to supplement the traditional printed version of the bibliography with a new electronic form, facilitating the use of a very extensive and constantly expanding body of material. With user convenience in mind, we have therefore decided to publish the bibliography in an electronic version.

In addition to the main bibliography, we also provide a list of the contents of Czasopismo Prawno-Historyczne for the years 1948-2013.

We would also like the website to include individual lists of publications by historians of law. To begin with, we are publishing such material for our Master, Professor Juliusz Bardach. Work is under way to add the list of publications of another historian from the Warsaw centre – Professor Stanisław Russocki. In due course, we plan to publish the bibliographies of Bogusław Leśnodorski and Władysław Sobociński.

The link on the Research Unit for Historical-Legal Bibliography page refers to the bibliography. This is the first version, which we will refine and improve. In the material currently presented, noticed errors have been removed and some items omitted; it has not been possible to consolidate all reviews and polemics, so it is worth searching the entire document.

We wish the bibliography to serve as effectively as possible researchers in our discipline, students and all enthusiasts of the history of law sensu latissimo. We therefore kindly ask you to send by e-mail to bibliografia-ihp@wpia.uw.edu.pl any additions and information about errors and omissions you have noticed. We will also be grateful for any suggestions that may help us improve our work.