Olsztyńskie więzienie w czasach pruskich (1898-1938)
The Olsztyn Prison Under Prussian Rule (1898-1938)

Summary/Abstract: Reforms in the Prussian judicial system and broader modernization efforts in East Prussia during the second half of the 19th century prompted the decision to build a new prison in Olsztyn. The history of the Olsztyn Prison under Prussian rule has received little scholarly attention thus far. This publication is an extension of the author's research on how the prison system developed across historical and contemporary Polish territories. The prison in Olsztyn was the largest and most modern court prison in East Prussia. The aim of the present article is to examine selected aspects of the Olsztyn prison's operations across four decades of Prussian rule. Extant archival records have provided crucial insights into how the Prussian penitentiary system functioned. Furthermore, this paper is the first to partially reconstruct the prison's staff composition, describe the routines of daily prison life, and to chronicle selected security incidents.

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