Szymon Askenazy – szkic do portretu historyka neoromantycznego
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Szymon Askenazy –
sketch to the portrait of a neoromantic historian
Abstract
The article aims to discuss the character of Szymon Askenazy, one of the most read Polish his
torians of the turn of the 20th century, and to show how valuable his achievements are for his
tory. The narrative revolves around the factors which influenced scientific approach of Szymon
Askenazy, the influence of the times he lived in on his work, and the role he played in the histor
ic milieu of his times. In short, one might say that Szymon Askenazy, at the beginning of the 20th
century, indisputably achieved a high position in the academic circles of the Polish elites. First
of all, he was the first historian in Poland who, to an extent unseen before, started research on
the history of Poland before partitions. He was often called “a guide bringing comfort”, and he
made references to the Polish Enlightenment and Romantic periods, opposing at the same time
the dominance of Positivism. Thus, he is considered the main representative of the neo-roman
tic current in the Polish historiography.