| dc.description.abstract | Graduates of historical studies from five state universities (University of Warsaw, Poznan, the Jan Kazimierz
University in Lvov, and the Stefan Batory University in Vilnius) that were active during the Second Republic of
Poland were primarily employed in the secondary school sector. With that perspective in mind, they were adequately
trained in subject contents, methodology and (to a lesser degree) teaching techniques. First of all, the students
participated in historic seminars covering all major epochs in history and supplementary disciplines, social and
economic history and regional history. They listened to lectures delivered by many outstanding historians, such as
M. Handelsman, O. Halecki, W. Tokarz, L. Piotrowicz, W. Konopczyński, J. Dąbrowski, K. Tymieniecki, A. Skalkowski,
F. Bujak. The supervisors of all seminars in contemporary universities were leading historians who guaranteed a
high level of studies. There were few practical classes and assistants’ task was to prepare books, bibliographical
sources and other didactic aids more than to conduct teaching activities.
An important factor that had a great influence on the course and the outcome of historical studies was equipping
university libraries and laboratories with textbooks and other published materials. Universities varied
considerably in that respect Warsaw and Cracow were equipped best, in Vilnius the situation was the worst. The
list of authors of major textbooks included the names of L. Piotrowicz, R. Gródecki, J. Dąbrowski, S. Zachorowski,
W. Konopczyński, H. Mościcki, A. Szelagowski, O. Halecki, W. Sobieski and others. The mentioned Piotrowicz also
prepared a set of wall maps for ancient history (Greece, Italy, and the Roman Empire).
The system and course of M.A. seminars at the pre-war universities reveal a considerable strictness of studies
completion and obtaining the M.A. degree. The activity of the Pedagogical College, and especially teaching
programmes and curriculum of methods of teaching history course appear very interesting and may be an inspiration
for the modem teacher training practice at university level nowadays. | en_EN |
