Political literature in the Polish Crown nobility book collections from the 17th century, in the light of publishing production of national printing houses from the years 1501-1732

Abstract

The article focuses on publishing repertoire (books offer) and content analysis of the nobility book collections from the years 1587-1732, in regard of the function of political literature in the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland. The study is based mostly on published inventories and selected other sources. Analysed data concerns book collections of: Stanisław Sapiński, Łukasz Opaliński, Stanisław Lubieniecki, Henryk Szembek, Aleksander Michał Lubomirski, Maciej Grabski, Hieronim Pinocci and Jan Sobieski, and further Jan Strzembosz, Justyna Lorkowaska, Jan Grudziński, Krzysztof Dobiński, Krzysztof Tomasz Drohojewski, Stanisław Kazimierz Bieniewski, Jan Adam Stadnicki, Jerzy Dzieduszycki, and Cracow nobility from the first 30 years of the 18^th century. Reconstruction of a book offer for the years 1501-1732 was based on bibliographic and statistical data. The collection does not include foreign publications imported to Poland (except Polonica). During analysis the following content groups of publications were determined: historical publications, publications concerning theory of the state and the society and opinion journalism, information and propaganda printings, pronunciation textbooks. The author found out that political literature was a second important in the publishing repertoire of that time, just after religious and panegyric prints, and was dominated by opinion journalism. Important were also historical texts, and popular – those concerning Turkey. Comparison of publishing production with the content of nobility book collections enabled formulation of a hypothesis concerning discrepancy between offer of national printing houses and reading needs of nobility. Moreover, owners of libraries met their needs through foreign readings mostly.