Wanda K. Roman - Archives of Kazimierz Sabbat


There has been a discussion led for a few years concerning the documentation generated and collected by Polish emigration all around the world. Its main subject has mainly concerned the place of documents storage but it also has touched the problem of proper preservation, analysis and accessibility. Archival heritage constitutes the biggest part of these materials. On one hand one can observe tendency to bring private heritage to the country; on the other hand, in emigrant community there is pressure to leave heritage in places connected with its authors. The vast of private heritage is stored by Polonia institutions all over the world and by foreign archives whereas the substantial part is still in private hands. The condition of collections varies a lot. It is beyond any discussion that present owners of often valuable materials need professional, fair help if the documents are still to serve national wealth.

Kazimierz Sabbat (1913-1989) was the last but one president of the Polish Republic in Exile, earlier longstanding prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of emigration government, political and social activist of Polonia in Great Britain. His archives, which are in private hands, include archival materials of a few decades of his life. These materials had been collected by Sabbat since his student time, during the war, emigration and to his death. All these materials reflect in an excellent way not only different fragments of political and private life but the author's character features as well.

In 2001-2008 this heritage was analysed and the inventory according to "Wytyczne opracowania spuścizn archiwalnych po uczonych" (Guidelines for arrangement and description on scientists private papers), edited by PAN (Polish Academy of Sciences) was produced. Chronological borders of the heritage are from 1922 to 1989. The archives of Kazimierz Sabbat include about 6 meters (linear) of documentation (not taking into account photographic and phonographic materials); together these are 136 archival units, grouped into 8 sections.

Materials collected in the archives of Kazimierz Sabbat include, among others, his published texts, typescripts and manuscripts of articles and speeches; documentation concerning political and social activity of Sabbat; biographic materials, correspondence from 1943 to 1989; materials about the author of archives (including biographies), materials of other people and attachments such as: leaflets, ephemeral prints, magazines, excerpts and reprints from press; books, brochures, magazines concerning scouting; prints, press beyond the scope of censorship and leaflets of underground movement appearing in the Poland before 1989.

The heritage of Kazimierz Sabbat is the most valuable due to Sabbat's position in Polish emigration structure after World War II.