St. Anne's School in Cracow

In sixteenth-century Western Europe, the first secondary schools began to appear. In Cracow, likewise, it was decided to create a similar school, an intermediary between parish schools and the university to prepare young people for their university studies. In 1588 the authorities of Jagiellonian University passed a resolution bringing into life a secondary school linked with the university (the so-called private classes or private school ). The school got a stable financial base after being endowed by Bartłomiej Nowodworski in 1617 and 1619. The school was linked with the university until 1850 when it was subjected to the State authorities due to educational reforms.

Initially, the professors of the university's philosophical faculty taught at the school. Later, the so-called "extra-mural" professors, that is the university graduates who chose the teaching profession, were appointed.

Throughout the centuries the name of the school has changed, until in the 19th century it was finally called St Anne's School. In the period between the two world wars it was referred to as "the grammar school and lycée in the name of Bartłomiej Nowodworski". During World War II the school did not exist, and after the war it was renamed after B. Nowodworski and referred to as Lycée No 1 (I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. B. Nowodworskiego).

In the beginning, the school was housed at Gołębia Street, later in the building opposite the university church of St Anne's, and towards the end of the 19th century it was moved to its present building on the Na Groblach Square.

The students were not only from Cracow, or the town's immediate vicinity, but also much more distant locations. Among the most distinguished graduates of this oldest Polish secondary school were Jan Sobieski (1629-1696), the future king of Poland, who studied at the school in the years 1641-1643, and who became famous for his victory in the Battle of Vienna (1683) against the Turks. Among the students were also: the Polish poet Wespazjan Kochowski (1633-1700), Wojciech Bogusławski (1757-1829) the creator of the Polish national theatre, the poet and painter Stanisław Wyspiański (1869-1907), the painter Jan Matejko (1838-1893), and General Józef Bem (1794-1850). Among the numerous professors of Jagiellonian University, it is worth mentioning Józef Szujski (1835-1883), Stanisław Tarnowski (1837-1917) and Michał Bobrzyński (1849-1935).

MM

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