parlamentaryzm

Editing Dietine (sejmik) Files from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Discussion on Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities for Publishing Sources on the History of Parliamentarism and Local Government This text follows a series of editing workshop sessions titled "Dietine (sejmik) Files from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, " where editions of dietine files were prepared and designed, and issues related to their work methodology were discussed. The sessions were associated with a resurgence in historical research in this area and the ongoing efforts in editing dietine documents. While these documents predominantly originate from the Polish Crown dietines, the first set of files from Lithuanian assemblies has been published, with additional publications on the Grand Duchy of Lithuania currently in progress. The increased focus on these editions has led to various challenges and uncertainties that the publishers had to grapple with, sparking lively scholarly discussions. One of the most contentious issues is the selection of files for publication. Over the past decades, their scope has significantly expanded, and editors now adopt different approaches due to the varying specificity of the materials they are preparing. This issue also influences the adopted principles of modernizing the files, with different approaches being presented. However, most publishers tend to opt for moderate modernisation in an attempt to preserve the original wording of the text. Other issues generating discussions include the critical apparatus and the digitisation and modern forms of making the documents available to the public. The use of digital methods for providing access to dietine files could be pivotal for the development of this research, potentially altering its nature in the near future.

The commemorative ceremony for the 550th anniversary of the establishment of the Polish bicameral parliament in Piotrków Trybunalski was organised by the Marshal of the Sejm, Marek Kuchciński, and the Deputy Marshal of the Senate Maria Koc. As demonstrated by Prof. Wacław Uruszczak, it was in Piotrków, from the 9th to the 31st of October 1468, that the first Polish bicameral Sejm gathered, with the participation of territorial envoys elected by local legislatures (sejmiki). The jubilee celebrations began with a Holy Mass, which was followed by the unveiling of the plaque in the Castle Square commemorating the event of 550 years prior, and the opening of a special exhibition at the Royal Castle in Piotrków. One of the important elements of the celebrations was the academic conference entitled “From Piotrków to Warsaw. The 550th Anniversary of the Parliamentarism of the Republic of Poland”. During the symposium, speeches were given by scholars from several research centres who deal wi...