Aleksander Gieysztor

In this article the author reveals the three approaches, which dominated
in the twentieth century, to the study of the Jagiellonian’s era in Central and Eastern Europe in 20th century. The author links the a formation of national scientifi c and methodological schools with the development of ideas pronounced by Oskar Halecki, Aleksander Gieysztor and Jerzy Giedroyc. He also highlights key issues in each particular national historiography. The content of this papers considers the process of internationalization in the national historiography schools, reveals new mechanisms of the knowledge formation about the Jagiellonian’s epoch in the contemporary society.

The article discusses the long lasting and manifold relations that Girolamo Arnaldi (1929-2016), an eminent Italian medievalist, maintained with Poland and Poles. The first two sections are dedicated to scholarly exchange with Polish historians (occasions for meeting, common initiatives, shared research interests, including a new approach towards medieval narrative sources). The last section addresses Arnaldi's support for human rights in communist Poland, in particular under martial law (1981-1983).

The Archives of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw contain hitherto unknown letters written by historians Aleksander (1916–1999) and Irena (1914–1999) Gieysztor in 1937–1939 to their professor Marceli Handelsman (1882–1945). The article contains an edition of the letters together with an introduction presenting the relationship between the Gieysztors and Handelsman (both before and during the war). The letters could be divided into two thematic groups. The first seven letters and the last one (written between November 1937 to July 1938 and in
August 1939) are devoted to Aleksander Gieysztor’s military service and activities related to the publication of his MA thesis. His fi ancé􀂬— Irena Czarnecka􀂬— was also involved in this latter venture. The second group is made up of twelve letters written by the couple from Paris between October 1938 and June 1939. The letters are an interesting contribution to the biography of Aleksander and Irena Gieysztor. They are a mine of information not only on their pre-war everyday life, but also
reveal their then dilemmas, feelings, and thoughts. They also could be regarded as a contribution to the history of pre-war intelligentsia. Of special interest could be opinions (occasionally formulated expressis verbis, and sometimes vaguely) of the young university graduate about the hardship of the barrack life as well as the French and Polish scientifi c community in Paris on the verge of war. What is interesting is a changing mood of Parisian letters, in harmony with the international
situation and impending war. The letters are also an expression of the
Gieysztors’ great attachment and respect to their Master􀂬— Marceli Handelsman.

The article is dedicated to Girolamo Arnaldi, an eminent Italian medievalist, who passed away on January 30th, 2016. It consists of three parts: the first provides an academic biography of Arnaldi; the second discusses an international dimension of his scholarship and focuses on his relations with Polish historians; the third presents Arnaldi as a scholar of medieval historiography.