The CAC database
Database content and the chronological framework
Biographical data of individuals associated with the University of Kraków between 1364 and 1780 have been collected within the database. These include University of Kraków students, graduates, professors and officials as well as students of humanistic secondary school called Nowodworski’s Schools and affiliated with the University of Kraków, together with other persons subject to the rector's jurisdiction.
The CAC database chronological framework begins in 1364 with the first foundation of the University of Kraków by king Casimir III the Great and ends in 1780 with the transformation of the University of Kraków into the Principal School of the Realm as a result of the reform by Hughes Kołłątaj on behalf of Committee for National Education. Click here for a discussion of University of Kraków's structure and organisation.
Sources, references and materials
The database primarily consists of biographical data extracted from the following series of university records: general matriculation roll (matricula, metrica, album studiosorum), matriculation registers of students’ colleges and Nowodworski’s Schools, graduation books of the Faculty of Arts (libri promotionum) and lists of graduates from higher faculties, books of diligence (i.e. books containing lecture assignments; libri diligentiarum) of the Faculty of Arts, rectors’ court files (acta rectoralia), records of decisions (conclusiones) of the university’s general assembly, assemblies of faculties and assemblies of three masters’ colleges (libri conclusionum), charters published in “Codex diplomaticus Universitatis Studii generalis Cracoviensis”. Excerpts from selected medieval manuscripts from the Jagiellonian University Library in Krakow are also included to the database. Furthermore, “Polski Słownik Biograficzny” (The Polish Biographical Dictionary), “Kartoteka Komitetu Źródeł do dziejów Życia Umysłowego Polski XVI–XVIII wieku”(card-index made by The Committee for Collecting Sources Relating to the Intellectual Life in Poland from 16th to 18th cent.) as well as selected journals of medieval philosophy and theology provide additional information. Source extracts are supplemented by bibliographical data and possibly by further biographical details, which can be found in papers of Żegota Pauli (1814–1895) and in so called “Teki” (The Files) by Leszek Hajdukiewicz (1924–1995), who formerly pursued research on repertories of Krakow graduates. Click here for a detailed list of sources, references and materials.
Processing source materials
The core of the database comprises excerpts from the aforementioned sources, references and materials. Both categories are treated as a source of information. The source so defined is the basis for determining a historic event. Each excerpt is quoted in the original language and then interpreted using standardised superordinate names in Polish. For this reason, there exists a strict correlation between the source and the biographical information. Some excerpts go with digital images of relevant manuscripts or published editions (this function in still in the test phase). This makes it possible to verify and correct the data. Please let us know, if you discover any errors.
Biographical data
Each person in the database has a unique entry, which is made up of interpreted biographical information. The biographical entry is of a modular structure and contains the following categories of information:
- personal data
- education and academic degrees
- offices and functions held at the university and outside of it
- the work i.e. intellectual achievements (publications by the person in question) and personal library (books belonging to a private library etc.)
- selected bibliography
However, it is worth pointing out that the collected data do not constitute exhaustive biography of given individual; the content of an entry is relevant to the content of the above-mentioned sources. The chronological framework of an entry is not equal to the exact lifetime of an individual; it represents the first and last appearance in source materials and has been automatically generated by software. Click here for more information about the structure of an entry.
