The subject of the paper is the library of Stanislaus Rosarius (1520–1572). This doctor of philosophy and medicine, a graduate of the University of Padua who socialized with a number of key figures of the Polish Renaissance, was a highly regarded physician and an eminent member of the Calvinist congregation in Krakow. Being a prosperous practitioner, during his entire career he allocated part of his income to purchasing books for his private library. In total, Rosarius amassed almost 400 volumes, which made his library one of the largest of its kind at that time, not just within the royal capital of Poland. The library’s impressive range distinctly shows the broadness of the humanistic interests of its owner. As its main part, the article comprises two inventories of Rosarius’ books, one compiled in 1572 and the other in 1583. The present publication lists all entries from both the manuscripts, amply demonstrating the unique character of the collection as well as providing a sound basis for further detailed studies on Renaissance book collections in the possession of Krakow burghers

In 1935, the National Museum in Krakow began collecting Jewish handicraft with the aim of establishing the “Judaica department”. Until WWII (1939), numerous objects were purchased with the help of antique shops and private individuals. One of the main sources (or even the most important) was Szymon Rabinowicz, a Jewish antique dealer. Surprisingly, although his work was very important for the preservation of Jewish culture, very little was known about him – he was virtually anonymous. Even worse: many legends about him that were spread among old curators of the Museum turned out to be completely untrue. It was only about 75 years after his death that it became possible to reconstruct his life. Now we know that he was born in Frysztak (near Strzyżów, Poland) on 16 December 1895. He arrived in Podgórze in 1914 or 1917 and settled there. During WWI (1914–1917), he served in the Austro-Hungarian army on the Russian front, but was killed by the Germans either in the Krakow Ghetto or during the transport from KL Plaszow to the Death Camp in Treblinka, in 1942.

The goal of the article is to describe the activities of the initially legal, and later illegal, National-Radical Camp (ONR) in Krakow and its region in the years 1934–1939. The main period of activity for this organisation in Krakow itself and the Krakow region was in 1934 and, after its breakup, as the Falanga National-Radical Camp in the years 1937–1939. Groups also existed in Tarnow, Nowy Targ and Zakopane. Numerous splits, its illegal structures, lack of funds for activities, arrests and invigilation of its ranks by police informers did not help the development of the party. The name of the organisation changed a few times, but it remained subordinate to the leaders of the Falanga National-Radical Camp in Warsaw. The small number of active members did not prevent it from penetrating various political, economic and cultural environments with the objective of obtaining new members or necessary funds. All the activities of ONR in Krakow were, however, more of a hooligan than a revolutionary nature. It did not play a significant role in the political scene in Krakow after the end of the 1930s.

Aleksandra Czechówna (1839–1923) was the daughter of Tomasz Czech and Aleksandra, née Zielińska. Her “Journal from the whole life...”, written for almost 70 years (1856– 1923), is stored in the National Archives in Krakow, ref. no. 29/1582/1–29/1582/44 (former ref. no. IT 428/1–428/44). It represents a great source that depicts the cultural, social and daily life of Krakow in the second half of the 19th century, and the first two decades of the 20th century.
The text placed here comes from volume 42 of the “Journal”, ref. no. 29/1582/42 (former ref. no. IT 428/42). It represents a continuation of the entries concerning the first four years of World War I and describes the fifth year of the ongoing fight (see “Krakowski Rocznik Archiwalny” 2014, vol. 20, pp. 111–132; 2015, vol. 21, pp. 133–163; 2016, vol. 22, pp. 139–170).
The presented text was written by a perceptive observer of events of great importance for Poles. The author mainly used press reports and clerical announcements, but also made use of personal accounts. The description of the situation is, therefore, incomplete, especially with regard to politics. It does, however, provide a wide range of information about the events taking place on the eastern front as well as in Krakow. It paints a picture of the difficult daily life, full of worries, sacrifices and shortages, of the residents of the city in the next year of the ongoing war. It also provides a description of the feeling of Poles, their constant uncertainty, but also the great expectations connected with recreating a Polish state. When the dreams of Poles finally became a reality and Poland regained independence, beside the great joy, A. Czechówna was still worried by the international situation and internal conflicts.

The journals written by Henryk Majcherek, the doyen of Krakow’s acting world, are a source for research into the history of Poland and, in particular, the so-called Polska Ludowa (People’s Poland). They were written from the 1960s until the beginning of the 21st century and contain innumerable carefully-noted details. Here, just a small fragment of the memoirs are presented. They require explanation. Written down by the author, they are a picture of Krakow, of a neglected historical town, a picture of the knowledge at that time and a depiction of the scale of the problems. Without support in the form of descriptions and references, the reader may not fully understand the details or the depth of the differences dividing the Poland of that time – a country of the Warsaw Pact – from the “free” world, in which purchasing butter, cheese or nails was not a problem. At the same time, the reader becomes a witness to the golden times of Polish theatre and cabaret, as well as the work and daily reality of great directors and actors.

The article tries to take a closer look at the history of the archive and library of Saint Catherine’s parish in Wolbrom, describe the local conditions and briefly characterise the archival resources and library collection. The parish archive and library, originally part of the monastery, in Wolbrom have previously been the subject of only a few studies. Saint Catherine’s parish in Wolbrom was founded in the first half of the 14th century. At  the beginning of the 1620s, it was handed over to the Canons Regular of the Lateran from the Corpus Christi Church in Kazimierz near Krakow. The first printed books almost certainly arrived in the town together with the founding of the parish, while the oldest mention of the parish book collection in Wolbrom comes from 1566. In the following centuries, the collection was successively enriched with donations from benefactors and the clergy. The main users of the collection were almost certainly the monks themselves, the heads of the parish schools and pupils. The rich collection in the parish library was not, however, always respected, especially in the 18th century when, after an inspection, attention was drawn to the terrible conditions in the library. Many valuable parts of the collection were also destroyed during wars and invasions.
The Wolbrom parish archive was mentioned for the first time in the second half of the 17th century. Initially, the archive was located in the chambers of the prior, then in the monastery library above the church sacristy. The resources of the archive mainly include parish registers. Most of the documentation comes from the time of the partitions. The parish archive also contains documents not connected with the activities of the parish. There is even a royal document from the time of Stanislaw II August Poniatowski concerning the local guild of furriers. The observations carried out in the archive and library allow important recommendations to be made

The documents of the Diocesan Archives in Tarnów contain documents produced in the parishes of the Baranów diocese, previously of the Tarnów diocese but assigned since 1992 to the Sandomierz diocese. Parish registers (baptisms, marriages and deaths) cover the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Some of them refer only to the nineteenth century. In addition, documents from local record departments, dignitaries and canonical visits allow you to create an image of the history over the centuries of the Baranów parish. They are a valuable source of research resources. They serve as an important supplement to the history of the Church of the Sandomierz diocese. They are also indisputable proof of the religiousness of the diocese and the work of the clergy among the faithful in particular parishes, places and times.