Aleksander Bronikowski, The Imprisonment of Jan Kazimierz Vasa in France. Vol. II [1828]

Title: The Imprisonment of Jan Kazimierz Vasa in France. A 17th-century historical novel by Alexander Bronikowski, translated from German into Polish. Volume II.

Author: Aleksander Bronikowski, born Alexander August Ferdinand von Oppeln-Bronikowski (1783–1834) [an officer in the Polish army and a novelist writing in German, one of the pioneers of the Polish historical novel].

Translation: [Adrian Krzyżanowski].

Publisher: In Warsaw, at Józef Węcki’s Printing House No. 163, next to the Main Town Hall.

Year of publication: 1828.

Format: 15 cm.

Number of pages: 384.

Binding: Period half-leather binding (worn).

This is a Polish translation of a novel by Aleksander Bronikowski, the German original of which was published in Dresden in 1827. The translator is not listed on the title page, but the translation is attributed to Adrian Krzyżanowski. The novel recounts one of the most surprising episodes in the history of the Vasa dynasty. On May 10, 1638, the young Prince Jan Kazimierz, the future king of Poland, was detained at the port of Tour-de-Bouc in Provence on the orders of Cardinal Richelieu. The pretext was a suspicion of spying on behalf of the Habsburgs. In reality, the prince became a hostage in a power struggle against Władysław IV’s pro-Habsburg policies. Imprisoned successively in Salon, at the fortress of Sisteron, and at the Château de Vincennes, he regained his freedom only on February 25, 1640, after nearly two years of captivity. The Warsaw edition features, in Volume One, a copperplate frontispiece depicting Jan Kazimierz’s prison in Sisteron, engraved by Dietrich. The present Volume Two contains the second part of the novel.

Aleksander Bronikowski was born on February 28, 1783, in Dresden, into the family of Piotr Bronikowski of the Osęk coat of arms. He served as an officer in the army of the Duchy of Warsaw and later in the army of the Kingdom of Poland, where he rose to the rank of major. After retiring from service, he settled in Dresden and devoted himself to writing historical novels on Polish themes. He modeled his work after Walter Scott, but adhered more faithfully to historical facts than the Scottish master. Although he wrote in German, his works were quickly translated into Polish and widely read. They represent an important link in the development of the Polish historical novel prior to Kraszewski. He died on January 21, 1834, in Dresden.

Provenance: a former handwritten inscription in ink on the title page.

This is an early Warsaw translation of a historical novel from the Romantic era, in a handy format. A must-have for collectors of early Polish historical prose, Warsaw prints from the 1820s, and bookbinders seeking items for restoration.

The block is compact, tight, and stable; the stitching holds the signatures securely in place; the text is complete and intact for Volume Two. Handmade rag paper, highly rigid, with numerous natural foxing spots, acid discoloration, and superficial soiling on the margins from past reading. A period half-leather binding in a state of disintegration: the leather and paper covers show severe mechanical damage; the spine and covers are heavily worn; the corners are rounded and frayed; the spine is dull and has been unprofessionally reattached to the block using carpenter’s glue. This piece requires a complete bookbinding restoration.

Catalog ID: 3098-15-A-X