Władysław Zawadzki, Literature in Galicia (1772–1848) [1878]

Title: Literature in Galicia (1772–1848). An Excerpt from the Memoirs of Władysław Zawadzki.

Author: Władysław Zawadzki (1824–1891) [a writer and journalist from Lviv, author of literary and theatrical reviews as well as popular science works, and an expert on Lviv literature].

Publisher: Lviv, at the Wł. Łoziński Printing House; published by Władysław Weber.

Year of publication: 1878.

Format: 24 cm.

Volume: 158, [1] pp.

Binding: original paperback cover, paper.

A memoir-style study of the literary life of Galicia from the First Partition to the Spring of Nations, published in Lviv in 1878. The subtitle, “An Excerpt from the Memoirs of Władysław Zawadzki,” indicates the nature of the book: it is not an academic lecture, but rather the author’s account from the perspective of an eyewitness. The author discusses the emergence of the Polish press under Austrian rule, the conditions for the circulation of books and readership during the pre-March censorship period, as well as the literary circles in Lviv and the provinces. The work is cited in Estreicher’s “Bibliography” (vol. V, p. 251), and contemporary studies on the Galician press cite it as one of the most important sources for the history of literature during that period. It was published by Władysław Łoziński’s publishing house, under the auspices of Władysław Weber.

Władysław Zawadzki (1824–1891) was a writer and journalist associated with Lviv. He published literary and theatrical reviews as well as popular science articles in Galician periodicals, and his *Literature in Galicia* remains the most frequently cited work in his body of work.

Provenance: On the title page is a handwritten ownership signature in black ink reading “Dr. Jan Zawidzki.” The signature matches that of Jan Wiktor Zawidzki (1866–1928), a physical chemist and historian of chemistry, who owned a library of approximately 400 volumes, mostly historical works. Zawidzki graduated from the Riga Polytechnic School in 1896; in 1900, he earned his doctorate in chemical kinetics under Wilhelm Ostwald in Leipzig; from 1918 to 1919 he served as rector of the Warsaw University of Technology and headed the Department of Inorganic Chemistry there, and from 1924 to 1925 he served as acting minister of religious affairs and public education. However, the owner’s identity requires confirmation. The piece bears no postwar institutional stamps.

A find for researchers of Galician literary and press history, collectors of Lviv-related items, and collectors of prints in original brochures. The piece bears the former owner’s handwritten signature and is in its plain, original publisher’s binding.

The paper publisher’s cover is in good condition; the paper is clean, free of stains and watermarks; the text block is loose and separating from the cover.

Catalog ID: 12179-24-A-X