FACULTY OF POLISH STUDIES

PERIODICALS

The Age of the Enlightenment

The idea of publishing a journal devoted to the age of the Enlightenment, which would be a forum for researchers specialising in various disciplines related to the Enlightenment era, originated in the Section for Enlightenment Literature in the seventies. At that time, and during the next twenty years, the Section was headed by Professor Zdzisław Libera. He encouraged two outstanding researchers to co-operate with him, namely: the law historian Bogusław Leśnodorski and the art historian Stanisław Lorenz. In 1974, the latter became head of the Editorial Committee of a newly established journal, which had been approved by the Rector of University of Warsaw for publishing by Warsaw University Press.

The Editorial Committee consisted of historians (e.g. Barbara Grochulska, Witold Kula, Jerzy Michalski, Emanuel Rostworowski and Andrzej Zahorski, among others), art historians (Andrzej Ryszkiewicz), historians of literature (Mieczysław Klimowicz and Ewa Rzadkowska), historians of science and pedagogy. The first issue of the yearly was published in 1977. Professor Libera, who was the originator of that project, was determined to publish it regularly, which was not easy at that time (social tensions, martial law, very low efficiency of printing houses). Most of the volumes of "Wiek Oświecenia" were devoted to a specific theme. It was a series of thematic books, rather than a typical periodical. For instance, Volume 2 (published in 1978) was devoted to controversies over Stanisław August and Polish Classicism. Volume 5 (published in 1988) originated from research conducted by Bogusław Leśnodorski and his team, which concentrated on the issue of "Social elites in Poland". Volume 7 focused on the problems of antique affinities in the culture of the Enlightenment period.

Only five volumes of the journal were published in the first decade of its existence. In the late eighties, the situation improved, and in the nineties, almost all issues of the journal were published on a yearly basis. Besides volumes devoted to a specific topic proposed by the Editorial Committee, there were volumes linked to the most important Polish and European Enlightenment-related anniversaries, such as "On the French Revolution and the Four Years' Sejm", or "On the 200th anniversary of the Kościuszko uprising.".

After the death of Lorenz i Leśnodorski, Professor Libera became the only editor-in-chief of the journal and he remained the main editor until he passed away. He was replaced by Teresa Kostkiewiczowa, associated with "Wiek Oświecenia" from its beginnings. In the last few years, the journal has changed its layout, but the basis structure and the interdisciplinary research objectives remained the same. New management of Warsaw University Press have made it possible to shorten the journal's publication process considerably (Elżbieta Nogowiczowa, the previous manager of the Press should be acknowledged here for maintaining the journal's high editorial standard).

Editorial address:

"Wiek Oświecenia", University of Warsaw
ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28
Gmach Polonistyki (Faculty of Polish Studies), room 22.
00 - 927 Warsaw