Blaski i cienie kuratorii literackiej Lubomirskich w Zakładzie Narodowym im. Ossolińskich w latach 1827–1944

According to acts by the founder of Ossolineum Józef Maksymilian Ossoliński the tasks of the literary (i.e. scientific) curatorship included managing and supervising the activities of the institution most of all in the scope of administrative-proprietary and personal matters. The position of the literary curators was taken by fee-tail heirs of the Lubomirski family form Przeworsk in years 1827–1944 (Henryk in years 1827–1859, Jerzy – 1847–1851 and 1869–1872 and Andrzej – 1882–1944) or legal guardians of the Przeworsk fee tail (Kazimierz Krasicki in years 1872–1882) except for the years 1851–1869 when the Austrian authorities trusted this position to Maurycy Dzieduszycki for political reasons. The main merit of the literary curatorship was to maintain the character of this institution as it was specified by Ossoliński as a Polish national establishment in the period of the anti-Polish policy realized by the Austrian administration in Galicia in the 1830s. Literary curators also took merit for gaining additional sources of funds for Ossolineum (among others, through obtaining the right to print school textbooks in 1876). In years 1847–1913 literary curators and vicecurators appointed by them took the responsibility of direct management of this institution. Although it caused competence conflicts with consecutive directors of Ossolineum, namely August Bielowski and Wojciech Kętrzyński, but at the same time it allowed them to focus on scientific works and elaborating library resources. Henryk Lubomirski and his son Jerzy also took merit in multiplying museum collections donating their vast collection of paintings, graphics and numismatics being the basis to launch their Museum in Ossolineum in 1869. A negative aspect of the literary curatorship of Andrzej Lubomirski was treating the Ossolineum building as a kind of private seat with harm to the literary and museum needs of the institution and making at times too arbitrary and thoughtless decisions in its matters.