Łódzki ośrodek badań historycznych. Przeszłość i teraźniejszość
The Lodz historical research center. The past and present

Summary/Abstract: The author raises the question of what Polish historiography owes to the Lodz Historical Institute and as a reply, he sketches most important turning points and accomplishments in the 75-year long presence of a study of history at the University of Lodz. Phase one, from 1945 to 1948, was the period when – especially in the first couple of years – Lodz actually assumed the role of a ‘provisional’ capital. It exhibited relative pluralism of the historical community and significant intellectual ferment. Phase two, that lasted until 1956, was the period of Stalinization of Polish historiography, that affected the Lodz Historical Institute maybe even to a greater extent than others. Phase three that continued till the end of the 1960s and phase four that spanned over the 1970s, were the periods of ‘normalization’, that is of return towards source studies and creating one’s own academic identity, as well as of ‘stabilization’, when strong faculty base was built. These were also the times when four ‘schools of history’ – recognizable not only from the Polish perspective but also from the European one – started to take shape within the Lodz historical community. These included: the school of ethnohistory, the school of history of historiography, the Lodz school of Byzantinology, and the school of history of diplomacy and international affairs. The achievements of these four schools are subject to a short presentation in this article.

• Details
• Contents