Wokół wolnych elekcji w państwie polsko-litewskim XVI-XVIII wieku. O znaczeniu idei wyboru – między prawami a obowiązkami
On the Royal Elections in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Between 16th and 18th Century. The Meaning of Choice – Between Rights and Obligations

Contributor(s): Mariusz Markiewicz (Editor), Dariusz Rolnik (Editor)
Subject(s): History, Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, History of Law, Military history, Political history, Social history, Modern Age, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Keywords: Free election; Rights; Obligations; Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Summary/Abstract: The following studies collected in this volume are devoted to the subject matter of the royal elections in the political and legal tradition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealthbetween the 16th and the 18th century. The volume has been divided into three parts,comprised of thirty-five essays total. The first part, titled “On the Idea, Symbols and Practiceof Choice,” approaches the royal elections from the perspective of the study of political doctrine.The article by Teresa Chynczewska-Hennel presents examples of Old Polish political life which reflect the standpoint that the royal elections benefitted the Commonwealth in selecting the best candidates to the throne of Poland. Andrzej Stroynowski, in turn, focuses on both the benefits and the drawbacks of royal elections. Mariusz Markiewicz offers insight into the ways in which Polish royal elections were perceived in 17th century-Europe. Finally, an article by Jolanta A. Daszyńska constitutes a conclusion of sorts, as it touches upon the topic of the first presidential election in the United States of America understood as a reflection of the practical realization of the republican ideals of that young nation’s society.The second part of the volume, dedicated specifically to the particular elections of the rulers of the Commonwealth, is divided into six parts and ordered chronologically according to the individual rulers referenced in the articles. As a result, this part of the volume constitutes a synthetic overview of the evolution of the idea of the royal election in Polish political tradition between the 16th and the 18th century. This part of the volume begins with articles on the development of early modern political theory and praxis related to the elections in the times of the last of the Jagiellonian dynasty. Maciej Serwański, Tomasz Kempa, Jerzy Urwanowicz, and Dorota Gregorowicz write about the political praxis during the first royal elections, while Agnieszka Pawłowska-Kubik as well as Dariusz Dolański and Filip Wolański devote their articles to the conceptions of the royal elections in their initial stages (with regard to Zebrzydowski’s Rebellion and 18th century historical compendia respectively). In the parts devoted to elections during the reign of Sigismund III Vasa’s two sons as well as the reign of John III Sobieski, the authors discuss the issues of the relationship with the political elites (Anna Filipczak-Kocur, Maciej Franz), as well as the military (Przemysław Gawron, Zbigniew Hundert). In turn, Paweł Duda, MonikaKonrádová, and Aleksandra Ziober touch upon the diplomatic relationships with the Vaticanand the Holy Roman Empire, while Artur Goszczyński and Robert Kołodziej focuson the organization of the election. Eight of the articles in this part of the volume discussthe crucial Saxon period in the history of Poland. Mariusz Sawicki and Andriej Macuk discuss the attitude of the Commonwealth elites to the election of the Saxon kings. The diplomatic issues connected with European politics are elaborated upon by Aleksandra Skrzypietz (the correspondence of the Prince of Conti), Zbigniew Anusik (Swedish politics), and Urszula Kosińska (Infante Manuel, Count of Ourém’s candidacy to the throne of Poland).Moreover, this part of the volume focuses also on the important issue of the candidacy andelection of Stanisław Leszczyński to the throne of Poland, which is touched upon in differentcontexts in articles by Michał Zwierzykowski, Tomasz Ciesielski, and Małgorzata Durbas.Moreover, two articles are devoted to the era of Stanisław August Poniatowski: Arkadiusz M.Stasiak writes about the election of the king in the context of the God-given power of the king, on the basis of the election of 1764, while Henryk Kocój discusses the issue of electinga Saxon ruler during the time of the Great Sejm, in the context of the account of the Saxonianrepresentative to Poland, August Franz Essen.The last part of the volume is devoted to the election of civil servants in the Commonwealth.Andrzej Rachuba and Maria Czeppe discuss the influence of clergy on the decisions made at regional councils. Witold Filipczak presents the issue of the election of landed magistrates in the times of the Permanent Council, while Katarzyna Bucholc-Srogosz touches upon the election of the speakers of the Permanent Council. Tadeusz Srogosz discusses the issues with electing representatives and civil servants by the royalist faction at the regional council in Żytomierz in 1790. This part of the volume concludes with an article by Dariusz Nawrot, “Between the Commonwealth Tradition and the Rules of Centralized Power. The Election of Civil Servants in Lithuania in 1812.” The volume ends with an extensive bibliography and index.

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