Wileński oddział Polskiego towarzystwa historycznego

ENThe Wilno branch of the Polish Historical Society was active from 1925 to 1939. Its purpose was to support the development of historical studies and establish a community of historians and history lovers. The number of members during its existence varied from 26 to 54. At the head of the society operated a board of directors that was elected at the annual meeting of members. Professor Alfons Parczewski was the branch’s Chairman from 1925 to 1933, and from 1933 to 1939 Professor Stefan Ehrenkreutz presided over the board. At the society’s meetings, members would present papers on various historical topics; they would publish works in local Wilno scholarly publications, and they would cooperate with historians from other scholarly centers around Poland. An important event for the Wilno branch of the Polish Historical Society, as well as for the entire Wilno scholarly community, was the VI General Congress of Polish Historians, convened in Wilno on September 17–20, 1935. Some 618 individuals participated in the event. More than 50 scholarly papers were presented, a wide series of important issues were discussed, and various resolutions were passed. The activities of the Wilno branch of the Polish Historical Society were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II in September 1939. Keywords: Wilno, historical studies, historians, scholarly activities, scholarly societies.