Józef Raciborski [ed.], Łódź Yearbook Dedicated to the History of Łódź and the Surrounding Area. Vol. III [1933]

Title: The Łódź Yearbook Dedicated to the History of Łódź and the Surrounding Area. Volume III.

Editors: Edited by Józef Raciborski in collaboration with Bronisław Ziemięcki and Kazimierz Kaczmarczyk [Józef Raciborski—first director of the Łódź Archives of Historical Records; Bronisław Ziemięcki (1885–1944)—mayor of Łódź from 1927 to 1933; Kazimierz Kaczmarczyk (1878–1966)—archivist and historian, long-time director of the State Archives in Poznań]

Publisher: Łódź, Publishing House of the Archives of Historical Records of the City of Łódź, published by the City of Łódź. Printed at the A. Drewing and A. Milkner Heirs Printing House in Łódź. Plates produced at R. Borkenhagen’s Photochemical Works in Łódź.

Year of publication: 1933.

Format: 28 cm.

Number of pages: 422.

Binding: original period half-leather.

The third volume of the “Łódź Yearbook Dedicated to the History of Łódź and the Surrounding Area” is part of the pre-war series published by the Archives of Historical Records of the City of Łódź, whose subsequent volumes appeared in 1928, 1931, and 1933. The publication was part of a vibrant movement at the time dedicated to researching the history of the city and region, which centered around the archive founded in 1926, and the volume—large-format and illustrated with plates produced at R. Borkenhagen’s facilities—was printed at the A. Drewing and A. Milkner printing house and published by the city. The year of publication coincided with a difficult period in Łódź’s history: an economic crisis was underway, and in 1933, the Ministry of Internal Affairs dismissed the city’s mayor. The next volume in the series was not published until 1958 as Volume IV.

Józef Raciborski served as editor; he was the first director of the Archives of Historical Records of the City of Łódź, established following the conference of January 27, 1926, and located at 1 Wolności Square. The archive became a center of intensive research on the history of the city and the region, bringing together Łódź historians and teachers who, in 1927, founded the Łódź branch of the Polish Historical Society. Kazimierz Kaczmarczyk (1878–1966), a historian and archivist who was initially associated with the Kraków Archives, headed the State Archives in Poznań from 1925–1939 and 1945–1953 and is considered one of the most outstanding Polish state archivists. Bronisław Ziemięcki (1885–1944), a Vilnius-born activist in the Polish Socialist Party (PPS), served as Minister of Labor and Social Welfare in the Moraczewski government after World War I and was elected mayor of Łódź on November 24, 1927. He served until 1933, making him the longest-serving mayor of the city during the interwar period. During his term, a number of schools were built, Piotrkowska Street and Wolności Square were paved, and Zdrowie Park was opened in 1930. He was killed by the Germans on February 22, 1944.

Provenance: The piece is bound in burgundy artistic half-leather with an embossed ex-libris reading “Ex Navicula Navis” (Łódź’s Latin motto, “from a boat to a ship”) and the city’s coat of arms. The volume bears no institutional stamps or ownership inscriptions; the copy’s subsequent history remains unknown.

This item is of interest to researchers of the history of Łódź and the region, collectors of items related to Łódź, and enthusiasts of bindings featuring municipal ex-libris.

The block is compact and stable, the original stitching intact, and the folds even. The paper is clean, with proper stiffness, showing natural yellowing, and free of foxing, water stains, and losses; the piece is complete. The leather spine shows minor, inactive insect punctures and superficial scuffs; the corners of the cover are slightly worn without any loss of the cardboard’s rigidity; the gilt title and city coat of arms are distinct and legible.

Catalog ID: 456x3-28-A-Z