The History of Political System and Law in Poland WP-PRZ-HU
The periodisation of the history of the political and legal system in Poland. The old Polish state (until 1795).
Post-partition History (1772/1795-1918).
The forms of nationhood in the central Polish lands (1807-1915). The creation of the Duchy of Warsaw (1807) and the Congress Kingdom of Poland (1815). The constitutions of the Duchy of Warsaw (1807) and the Congress Kingdom of Poland (1815, 1832). The parliamentary system. Central and territorial administration. The organisation of the Insurrection authorities in 1830/31 and 1863/64. Municipal government in the Congress Kingdom (1864). The liquidation of political separation in the Congress Kingdom. The organisation of the judiciary. The Austrian annexation (1807-1914). The creation of the Free City of Kraków. The bestowal of the Constitutions (1815, 1818, 1833). Lawmaking authority. Administration (to 1846). The autonomy of Galicia after the National Statute (1861). State and governmental authorities. Territorial regional government. The judiciary. The Prussian annexation (1807-1914). The creation and political separation of the Grand Duchy of Poznań (from 1815). the provincial Sejm. The Poznań Province. Administration. Local government. The judiciary. The organisation of administration in the Polish lands during the First World War. Changes in the administrative and territorial divisions in Polish lands during the Partitions.
The 2nd Republic (1918-1939). Poland under double military occupation (1939-1945).
Political statutes after regaining independence in 1918. The Lawmaking Sejm. The Small Constitution of 1919. The passing of the Basic Law in 1921. The August Novelisation of 1926. The passing of the new Basic Law in 1935. The parliamentary system. The organisation of central administration. Territorial administration (government and local authority administration). The judiciary. Law and criminal and civil proceedings and labour law. The representative organs of the Polish Underground State. Administration of the Polish lands during the German and Soviet occupation to 1941. The territorial shape of the 2nd Republic and changes during the Second World War. (1918-1944/1945).
Peoples’ Poland (1944-1989)
The genesis of Peoples’ Poland (from 1944). Forms of dependence on the Soviet Union. The State National Council. The Polish Committee for National Liberation. The Provisional Government and the Provisional Government of National Unity. The Legislative Sejm. The Small Constitution of 1947. The liquidation of regional authorities (1950). The Constitution of the Peoples’ Republic of Poland of 1952 and its novelisation. The political system and national administration. Central
administration. Changes in the organisation of local administration. Reforms of the administration (1972-1975). The judiciary. The law and criminal and civil proceedings. Labour law and social insurance. The creation and importance of the “Solidarity” Independent Trade Union. The introduction of martial law in 1981. The role of the “Round Table” (1989). The programme of political reform. The return of local government to the municipality (1990). Constitutional practice 1952-1989/1990. The evolution of the administrative and territorial state in the years between 1944-1989/1990.
(in Polish) E-Learning
(in Polish) Grupa przedmiotów ogólnouczenianych
(in Polish) Opis nakładu pracy studenta w ECTS
Subject level
Learning outcome code/codes
Type of subject
Preliminary Requirements
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
PR_W01 the student knows and understands the nature and importance of historical and legal sciences and their relation to other sciences and the way of defining concepts and institutions relevant to the history of law
PR_W02 the student knows and understands the sources and nature of public and private law standards, in the historical aspect and legal institutions in history and world
PR_W03 the student knows and understands the process of shaping legal norms and institutions in history and the world
PR_W09 the student knows and understands the process of changing norms, institutions and legal relations, including the rules in the historical aspect.
DESCRIPTION credits:
Participation in the lecture - 24 h
The reading of literature set - 6h
Exam Preparation - 45h
Number of credits: 75h/25h = 3 ECTS
Assessment criteria
PR_W01: knows and understands the nature and importance of historical and legal sciences and their relation to other sciences and the method of defining concepts and institutions relevant to the history of law - a method of assessment in the form of a written exam
PR_W02: knows and understands the sources and nature of public and private law norms, in the historical aspect - a method of assessment in the form of a written exam
PR_W03: knows and understands the process of shaping norms and legal institutions in the history of Poland - a method of assessment in the form of a written exam
PR_W09: knows and understands the process of changing norms, institutions and legal relations, including the rules governing it, in the historical aspect - a method of assessment in the form of a written exam
Assessment criteria
PR_W01
insufficient (2)
The student does not know and understand the nature and importance of historical and legal sciences and their relationship to other sciences and the way of defining the concepts and institutions relevant to the history of law;
satisfactory (3)
The student knows and understands the nature and importance of historical and legal sciences as well as their relation to other sciences and the way of defining concepts and institutions relevant to the history of law;
good (4)
The student well knows and understands the nature and importance of historical and legal sciences and their relation to other sciences and the way of defining concepts and institutions relevant to the history of law;
very good (5)
The student very well knows and understands the nature and importance of historical and legal sciences and their relation to other sciences and the way of defining concepts and institutions relevant to the history of law;
PR_W02
insufficient (2)
The student does not know and understand the sources and nature of the norms of public and private law in historical terms
sufficient (3)
The student sufficiently knows and understands the sources and nature of the norms of public and private law in the historical aspect;
Good (4)
The student knows and understands the sources and nature of the norms of public and private law in historical terms;
Very good (5)
The student knows and understands the sources and nature of the norms of public and private law in historical terms very well
PR_W03
Insufficient (2)
The student does not know and understand the process of shaping legal norms and institutions in history of Poland
sufficient (3)
The student knows and understands the process of shaping legal norms and institutions in Poland
Good (4)
The student knows and understands the process of shaping norms and legal institutions in Poland
Very good (5)
The student knows and understands the process of shaping legal norms and institutions in Poland
PR_W09
Insufficient (2)
The student does not know and does not understand the process of changing norms, institutions and legal relations, including the rules governing it, in the historical aspect;
sufficient (3)
The student knows and understands the process of changing norms, institutions and legal relations, including the rules governing it, in the historical aspect;
Good (4)
The student knows and understands the process of changing norms, institutions and legal relations, including the rules governing it, in the historical aspect;
Very good (5)
The student fluently knows and understands the process of changing norms, institutions and legal relations, including the rules governing it, in the historical aspect.
Bibliography
Main books: (1. J. Bardach, B. Leśnodorski, M. Pietrzak, Historia ustroju i prawa polskiego, Warszawa 2016; 1. M. Kallas, Historia ustroju Polski, Warszawa 2019; 2. D. Makiłła, Historia prawa w Polsce, Warszawa 2008).
Complementary book: (1. M. Kallas, A. Lityński, Historia ustroju i prawa Polski Ludowej, Warszawa 2000; 4. A. Lityński, Historia prawa Polski Ludowej, Warszawa 2008; 5. T. Maciejewski, Historia ustroju i prawa sądowego Polski, Warszawa 2008; 6. S. Płaza, Historia prawa w Polsce na tle porównawczym, cz. 1: X-XVIII w., Kraków 1997; 7. S. Płaza, Historia prawa w Polsce, cz. 2: Polska pod zaborami, Kraków 1993).
Additional information
Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:
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