Guarding history. Krakow Town Archives of Former Records 1887–1952

„The pride of the Archives are not only the collections, but also the people who sponsor them"

Historię Archiwum tworzyli przede wszystkim jego pracownicy – ich wiedza, talenty, odkrycia, pasje i zaangażowanie nadawały znaczenie instytucji i przyczyniały się do jej rozwoju. Obok dyrektorów placówki: Stanisława Krzyżanowskiego, Adama Chmiela, Ludwika Strojka i Mariana Friedberga należy tu wymienić również Franciszka Piekosińskiego, który w latach 1887–1889 pełnił funkcję archiwariusza w archiwum miejskim, oraz jego poprzednika, Teofila Żebrawskiego.

Stanisław Krzyżanowski (1865–1917), directed the Archives in the years 1890–1917, from 1897 as the director Historian, lawyer, archivist and publisher. Doctor of history and philosophy, professor of medieval history and auxiliary sciences of history at Jagiellonian University. He created the first statue of the Krakow Town Archives of Former Records. The author of many scientific works, mainly from the field of diplomatics and palaeography.

Adam Chmiel (1865–1934), director in the years 1917–1934 Historian of culture, archivist, expert and lover of Krakow. From 1890, he worked as an assistant professor, then as an archivist in the Krakow Town Archives of Former Records, becoming its director in 1917. He published over 200 works, mainly from the fields of art history, culture and urbanism, sigillography, palaeography and heraldry, as well as archival science and history of the book. A friend of Stanisław Wyspiański, together with Tadeusz Sinka he prepared the Dzieła (Works) of Wyspiański for publication in five volumes (1924–1929).

Ludwik Strojek (1887–1956), director in the years 1934–1939 Historian and legionnaire, initiator and co-organiser of many cultural and patriotic celebrations in Krakow e.g. the funeral of Józef Piłsudski. From 1923, he was employed in the Krakow Town Hall, in the Krakow Town Archives of Former Records in the position of apprentice, and then archivist. In 1932 he became the deputy director of the Archives, and later the director. He co-organised, among others, the first nativity scene competition in Krakow and the first Days of Krakow.

Marian Friedberg (1902–1969), directed the Archives from September 1939, director in the years 1945–1952 Historian, archivist, publisher, associate professor of Jagiellonian University (1954). Based on research conducted in archival resources, he established the herb of the town of Krakow (1937). He worked in the Archives from 1924 and from September 1939 (after Ludwik Strojek had been interned in Romania) he ran the archives as deputy director, and then as director. During the War, he safeguarded and protected Krakow's archival materials. After the merger with the State Archives (1952) he worked as the head of the department of municipal, local-government, school and religious records.