The Racovian Academy ('' la, Gymnasium Bonarum Artium'') was a

Socinian Socinianism () is a nontrinitarian belief system deemed heretical by the Catholic Church and other Christian traditions. Named after the Italian theologians Lelio Sozzini (Latin: Laelius Socinus) and Fausto Sozzini (Latin: Faustus Socinus), uncle ...

school operated from 1602 to 1638 by the

Polish Brethren The Polish Brethren (Polish: ''Bracia Polscy'') were members of the Minor Reformed Church of Poland, a Nontrinitarian Protestant church that existed in Poland from 1565 to 1658. By those on the outside, they were called "Arians" or "Socinians" (, ' ...

in Raków,

Sandomierz Voivodeship Sandomierz Voivodeship ( pl, Województwo Sandomierskie, la, Palatinatus Sandomirensis) was a unit of administration and local government in Poland from the 14th century to the partitions of Poland in 1772–1795. It was part of the Lesser Poland ...

Lesser Poland Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a s ...

. The

communitarian Communitarianism is a philosophy that emphasizes the connection between the individual and the community. Its overriding philosophy is based upon the belief that a person's social identity and personality are largely molded by community relati ...

Arian Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God t ...

settlement of Raków was founded in 1569 by . The academy was founded in 1602 by his son,

Jakub Sienieński Jakub Sienieński (died 1639) was a Polish nobleman, representative in the Sejm, who in 1602 founded the Racovian Academy. His father Jan Sienieński (d. 1599) founded the town of Raków, Kielce County in 1569. The family name, also written "z Sie ...

. The zenith of the academy was 1616–1630. It was contemporaneous with the

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

Pińczów Academy The Pińczów Academy or Gymnasium was a Calvinist college in Pińczów, Poland from 1550–1565. This coincides with the Calvinist synods of Pińczów 1550–1564. Lord Nicholas Oleśnicki inherited the Pińczów estate in 1546. He was i ...

, which was known "as the Sarmatian Athens". It numbered more than 1,000 students, including many foreigners. At this point it is estimated that ten to twenty percent of Polish intellectuals were Arians. The end of the Academy in 1638 was occasioned by the pretext of the alleged destruction of a roadside cross, by several students of the Academy, while on tour accompanied by a teacher Paludiusa Solomon.

Jakub Zadzik Jakub Zadzik (1582 – 17 March 1642) was a Polish Great Crown Secretary from 1613 to 1627, bishop of Chełmno from 1624, Crown Deputy Chancellor from 1627, Great Crown Chancellor from 1628 to 1635, bishop of Kraków from 1635, diplomat, szlach ...

bishop of Kraków A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Jerzy Ossoliński Prince Jerzy Ossoliński h. Topór (15 December 1595 – 9 August 1650) was a Polish nobleman (''szlachcic''), Crown Court Treasurer from 1632, governor (''voivode'') of Sandomierz from 1636, ''Reichsfürst'' (Imperial Prince) since 1634, Crown ...

voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...

of Sandomierz, and Honorato Visconti,

papal nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...

, forced the closure of the Academy and the destruction of all buildings by sentence of the

Sejm The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of t ...

in April 1638. Most of the teaching staff and students went into exile in

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...

or the Netherlands.

Staff of the Academy

(d. 1639) - founder and administrator. Rectors: * Krzysztof Brockajus - rector 1602-1610 * Paweł Krokier - rector 1610-1616 *

Johannes Crellius Johannes Crellius (Polish: ''Jan Crell'', English: John Crell; 26 July 1590 in Hellmitzheim – 11 June 1633 in Raków) was a Polish and German theologian. Life Johann Crell's father, Johann Crell Sr., was pastor of the church at Hellmitzheim, ...

, German - rector 1616-1621 *

Marcin Ruar Marcin (Polish pronunciation: ) is a male given name or surname. Notable people with the name Marcin include: Given name * Marcin Dorociński (born 1973), Polish actor * Marcin Gortat (born 1984), Polish basketball player * Marcin Held (born 199 ...

, German (Martin Ruarius) - rector 1621-1622 *

Joachim Stegmann Joachim Stegmann Sr.(Potsdam 1595 - Cluj-Napoca 1633) was a German Socinian theologian, Bible translator, mathematician and rector of the Racovian Academy. Stegmann was born in Potsdam, and was a Lutheran pastor in Brandenburg, but from 1626 he be ...

Sr., German, - rector 1627?-1630? * Wawrzyniec Stegmann - rector 1634-1638 Teaching staff, in alphabetical order: * Giovanni Battista de Cetis, Italian. * Adam Gosławski (1577-1642) * Jan Licinius, linguist * Andrzej Lubieniecki Sr. (1521-1623) * Stanisław Lubieniecki Sr. (c.1558-1633) * Krzysztof Morsztyn Jr. (c.1570?-1642), son of Krzysztof Morsztyn Sr. (1522-1600) *

Hieronim Moskorzowski Hieronim Moskorzowski or Moskorzewski, also known as Moscorovius, Jarosz Moskorzowski, pseudonymy: Eusebius, Medicus, Nobilis, Subditus Fidelis (c. 1560 in Moskorzew – 1625 in Raków, Kielce County) was an administrator of the Racovian Academy, ...

(1560-1625) -

Racovian Catechism The Racovian Catechism ('' Pol.'': Katechizm Rakowski) is a nontrinitarian statement of faith from the 16th century. The title ''Racovian'' comes from the publishers, the Polish Brethren, who had founded a sizeable town in Raków, Kielce County, ...

, 1605 * Salomon Paludius *

Piotr Stoiński Jr. Piotr Stoiński Jr. (1565-1605) was a Polish Socinian Unitarianism, Unitarian writer. Piotr was the son of Pierre Statorius (in Polish also Piotr Stoiński) the French Unitarian grammarian who emigrated to Poland wrote the first grammar of Polish. ...

(1565-1605), son of

Pierre Statorius __NOTOC__ Pierre Statorius, pl, Piotr Stoiński, Piotr Stojeński (Tonneville, Seine-Maritime, 1530 – Pińczów, or Kraków 1591) was a French grammarian and theologian, who settled among the Polish Brethren, becoming rector of a Calvinist Acade ...

(known in Poland as Piotr Stoiński Sr. 1530-1591) *

Valentinus Smalcius Valentinus Smalcius (german: Valentin Schmalz or ''Schmaltz''; pl, Walenty Smalc) (Gotha, 1572 – Raków, Kielce county 1622) was a German Socinian theologian. He is known for his German translation of the Racovian Catechism, and Racovian New Test ...

, German (born ''Valentin Schmalz'') (1572-1622) - The Raków New Testament 1606 *

Jonasz Szlichtyng Jonasz Szlichtyng (German: Jonas Schlichting) (1592 in Bukowiec, Lubusz Voivodeship – 1661 in Sulechów) was a Polish nobleman, theologian of the Socinian Polish Brethren and father of Krzysztof Szlichtyng. He studied in Germany, from where he ...

(1592-1661) *

Johannes Völkel Johannes Völkel ( la, Volkelius; c. 1565–1616) was a German Socinian writer. Völkel was probably born around 1565-1570, in Grimma, and probably converted during his studies at the University of Wittenberg, just as Valentin Schmalz had been con ...

, German (?-1618) *

Andrzej Wiszowaty Andrzej Wiszowaty Sr. (Latin ''Andreas Wissowatius'') ( Filipów 1608 - Amsterdam, 1678) was a Socinian theologian who worked with Joachim Stegmann (1595–1633) on the Racovian Catechism of 1605, and taught at the Racovian Academy of the Polish Bre ...

(1608-1678) * Andrzej Wojdowski (1565-1622) Notable students at the academy, who became writers in the exile: * Christopher Crellius (1622-1680), son of

and father of

Samuel Crellius Samuel Crell-Spinowski (25 March 1660 in Kluczbork – 9 June 1747 in Amsterdam) was an Arian philosopher and theologian, pastor of the church of the Polish Brethren. Son of Christopher Crellius and grandson of Johannes Crellius. Samuel's mot ...

and Dr. Christopher Crell of London. * Andrzej Lubieniecki the younger (1590-1667), historian. * Stanisław Lubieniecki the younger (1623-1675), astronomer, nephew of Andrzej Lubieniecki.

Influence

:See also main articles on

and

Socinianism Socinianism () is a nontrinitarian belief system deemed heretical by the Catholic Church and other Christian traditions. Named after the Italian theologians Lelio Sozzini (Latin: Laelius Socinus) and Fausto Sozzini (Latin: Faustus Socinus), uncle ...

The Racovian Academy served as a centre for the propagation of Socinian belief in both western and eastern Europe, in particular the Arian mission to the

University of Altdorf The University of Altdorf () was a university in Altdorf bei Nürnberg, a small town outside the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg. It was founded in 1578 and received university privileges in 1622 and was closed in 1809 by Maximilian I Joseph of Ba ...

near

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

(1615), Dutch

Remonstrants The Remonstrants (or the Remonstrant Brotherhood) is a Protestant movement that had split from the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 17th century. The early Remonstrants supported Jacobus Arminius, and after his death, continued to maintain his ...

, Unitarians in

, even Muscovite sympathizers with Judaism. The publications of the Academy till 1639, and of those of the teachers of the Academy in exile after 1640, are known to have influenced many English Unitarians such as Bartholomew Legatt (1575?-1612), Edward Wightman (1566-1612) and Gilbert Clerke (1626–c.1697) as well as

Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the grea ...

(1643–1727), and

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...

(1694–1778),Voltaire, François Marie Arouet de. ''Letter VII-On the Socinians, or Arians, or Antitrinitarians.''

References

Arianism Unitarianism Education in Poland Protestantism in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1602 establishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth