The Historical-Geographical Dictionary of the Polish Lands in the Middle Ages has undergone a gradual change in the last years. Expanding queries in unpublished sources meant that, in addition to the task of showing the settlement network, the Dictionary began to play the role of a data repository, including material for social and economic history. This role was bolstered by developing Dictionaries for other Polish lands and by making them available online. New chances of development are opened by technological advances, which may facilitate easier data retrieval and Dictionary compilation. This panel aims to discuss the Dictionary’s role in the research toolkit of various disciplines, its social significance, and its conceptual shape. Hence, the division into two parts. The second part will present the experiences of researchers of various disciplines and their expectations towards the Dictionary. We hope that these voices will help to improve the Dictionary and other similar projects.
Coordinators
Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla PAN
Papers
Remarks on the Historical-Geographical Dictionary of the Polish Lands in the Middle Ages
prof. dr hab. Jan Wroniszewski
Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu
The Dictionary is a collective work, compiled in three research teams of the Department of Historical-Geographical Dictionary of the Polish Lands in the Middle Ages Polish Academy of Sciences. These teams follow the same concept in terms of search requirements, structure of the content layout (construction of entries), etc., however, in a way that shows certain differences, especially concerning the transmission of the source content. It can be seen that over the years the amount of information included in the Dictionary is increasing (although not in the same proportions in each research team), and the same applies to commentaries and even “appendices” (genealogical tables). The whole project is far from complete, so it is important to reflect on the choice of the way forward, above all with a view to the research utility of this work.
The Historical-Geographical Dictionary of Polish Lands in the Middle Ages from the perspective of an archaeologist
prof. dr hab. Anna Marciniak-Kajzer
Uniwersytet Łódzki
The Historical-Geographical Dictionary of the Polish Lands in the Middle Ages is a monumental work created by historians, primarily with historians and settlement studies in mind. Meanwhile, this publication has become a basic tool for researchers from many disciplines. For archaeologists, it is also an excellent source of research not only on settlement structure, but also on material culture. There are noticeable differences in the content of dictionaries compiled for individual lands. Even the content of entries published at the beginning and currently differs significantly. The amount of data that is extracted from archival resources is growing rapidly, and the entries included in it are becoming more and more extensive. This makes its publication in traditional form causes many limitations. Perhaps, therefore, it is worth considering changing the formula for making the obtained information available, so that it is possible to supplement the entries as the source data is obtained.
Castrum, curia, fortalitium. The importance of the Historical-Geographical Dictionary in research on the seats of the Masovian nobility
dr Piotr Lasek
Instytut Sztuki Polskiej Akademii Nauk
The importance of written sources in research on domestic defensive and residential architecture is unquestionable. This is primarily due to the state of preservation of these monuments, only a few of which have survived to our time in a well-preserved cubature form. We often obtain information about the existence of a given building only from historiographical and normative sources. Collecting these references, scattered in various archives and collections, is a task beyond the capabilities of a single researcher. Hence the important role of the Historical-Geographical Dictionary. In this speech, I will indicate the importance of data collected by the Dictionary in research on the residences of the Masovian nobility in the late Middle Ages. Due to the almost total destruction of most such objects and the poor state of identification by archaeological methods, only a careful analysis of written records allows us to obtain new information about the seats of the Masovian nobility.
The use of the Historical-Geographical Dictionary of the Polish Lands in the Middle Ages (SHG) in toponomastic research
dr Paweł Swoboda
Instytut Języka Polskiego Polskiej Akademii Nauk
The paper will focus on the role played by the Historical-Geographical Dictionary of the Polish Lands in the Middle Ages (SHG) in the development of the dictionary Place Names of Poland: History, Origin, Changes (NMP) - the main toponomastic project carried out at the Institute of Polish Language of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The first part will be devoted to how the editorial solutions applied in SHG were reflected in the conception and scope of the work carried out by NMP. The second part will present problems related to the presentation of source material (and its verification) and historical-geographical information in the SHG when working out entries concerning particular localities in the NMP. In the final part of the presentation, suggestions will be made for changes and solutions to the issue of presentation of source material in a potential new version of the online SHG, which would be relevant from the point of view of historical toponomastics.
“The Historical-Geographical Dictionary of the Liw land in the Middle Ages” - regionalists' opinions and evaluations
dr Mirosław Roguski
Fundacja Rozwoju Badań Regionalnych
The paper points out the importance of the Historical-Geographical Dictionary of the Liw Land in the Middle Ages for local researchers, regionalists, authorities and employees of cultural and educational institutions. Users appreciate the value of the dictionary, especially in the context of the loss of historical sources during Second World War. The Dictionary is considered a valuable tool in genealogical and historical research, especially for the region's residents. Cooperation with scientists, organized conferences and promotion of the Dictionary among local authorities emphasize its importance in education, cultural activities and tourism. These activities contribute to expanding knowledge of the region's history and building local identity. The dictionary has also influenced the development of social initiatives related to history and civil society.
