Krakow Yearbook is a peer-reviewed academic journal published since 1898 by The Society of Friends of Kraków History and Heritage, dedicated to all aspects of the history of the city of Krakow, from its early medieval beginnings to the present day. The long history of the journal, although interrupted by world wars and other historical events, makes it one of the oldest periodicals in the discipline of urban studies in this part of Europe.
The subject matter of the articles is broad, varied, often interdisciplinary, comprehensively covering issues related to the society, culture and role of old Kraków, as well as its urban planning and protection of the preserved heritage. These include the history of crafts, industry and technology, trade and guild organisations, the bourgeoisie and families of Krakow, the political and cultural activity of the city. The topics covered include the topography of the oldest Krakow, municipal heraldry and sigillography, the history of art (painting, sculpture, artistic crafts, theatre and music), as well as local customs and traditions. Some texts are also devoted to well-known figures associated with the city. The protection and conservation of monuments and the management of cultural heritage, in a European and global context, occupy a special place among the topics covered.
The guiding principle accompanying the editors of the journal is to take a critical and interdisciplinary look at the history of Krakow – one of the oldest Polish cities with an extremely rich history, which has influenced Central Europe to varying degrees over the centuries due to the role it played in the history of Poland and the region. For many centuries it was the seat of the kings of Poland, including the Jagiellonian dynasty which also ruled in other countries in this part of Europe (Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Hungary), making it a significant political centre of the time. Due to its membership of the Hanseatic League, it also became an important economic centre of the region. Krakow attracted numerous artists and writers, and in time also scientists, after the foundation of the Krakow University, the oldest university in Poland and the second in Central Europe, known today as the Jagiellonian University. All these functions meant that many nationalities and cultures met in the city, the most numerous of which was the Jewish population living in the neighbouring town of Kazimierz, currently part of Krakow. The city experienced its heyday during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and sadly lost its political importance in later centuries, but still remained and remains a cultural centre full of historic architecture.
The presented context makes research on Krakow not only of local importance, but also a starting point for multidisciplinary research and academic discussions on the history of Poland and more broadly the entire region of Central Europe, including those of a comparative nature. The entirety of the phenomena and processes occurring in the spaces of this city can be treated as a model for the search for a broader perspective with transnational overtones, referring to European and world material and non-material heritage. This kind of approach is discernible in many of the articles published in the journal. The history of Krakow is the field of research of both European historians (e.g. German, Austrian. French, Czech, Hungarian, Slovak, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Swedish and British) and American historians.
