Association of Law Students’ Library of the Jagiellonian University (pol. ''Towarzystwo Biblioteki Słuchaczów Prawa Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego'' – ''TBSP UJ'') is the oldest and one of the biggest student scientific associations in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

History

TBSP was established on 23 June 1851, the aim of the association was to organize and equip an independent law library for Polish law students at the

Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...

, which was Germanised at that time as the

Galician autonomy With the arrival of the Hungarians into the heart of the Central European Plain around 899, Slavic tribes of Vistulans, White Croats, and Lendians found themselves under Hungary, Hungarian rule. In 955 those areas north of the Carpathian Mountains c ...

has not been introduced yet. The activities of the association could be performed thanks to multiple donations made by professors and students. The book collection was growing systematically as well as TBSP's activities – as early as in 1890s scientific and oratorical competitions, congresses and lectures were organised. The association was actively participating in patriotic initiatives in Galicia. During the years 1914–1915, when the

was closed, TBSP moved to

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

to continue its activities there and came back to

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

after the re-opening of the university. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the association joined the

underground education Underground education or clandestine education refers to various practices of teaching carried out at times and places where such educational activities were deemed illegal. Examples of places where widespread clandestine education practices took ...

and made its library (i.e. the part which has not been requisitioned yet) fully available to students. In 1950, when

found itself in the Soviet zone of influence, the association was formally liquidated, its headquarters taken over by the university and its book collection – by the

Jagiellonian Library The Jagiellonian Library (, popular nickname ''Jagiellonka'') is the library of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and with almost 6.7 million volumes, one of the largest libraries in Poland, serving as a public library, university library an ...

; the scripts duplicating centre was suppressed. However TBSP's traditions were continued by informal circles of penal law students and historians of law. In 1957 TBSP was officially reactivated, efforts have been made to recover the book collection. Since that time, the association has not been an independent entity but a unit of the

Activities

At present, TBSP unites about 1500 students and runs various educational and cultural activities. In the framework of 23 sections, additional classes are organised for younger students to help them prepare for participating in faculty competitions and final examinations. More advanced students participate in discussions and specialist workshops organised in cooperation with partner institutions and law firms. The association runs intensive publishing activities, just to mention regular Scientific Books of the TBSP UJ or repetitive courses for students. Traditionally, respective sections organise study trips to the Constitutional Tribunal, the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

etc., to help students to get to know the most important Polish institutions. Each year various scientific congresses are organized, many of them of international dimension, while permanent evening meetings with the most prominent professors and law practitioners allow students to get some less formal contact with the legal profession.

Notable ancient members

* Prof. Fryderyk Zoll (senior) (1834-1917) - vice-president of

Academy of Learning Academy of Learning (; AU) was a primary Polish scientific institution during the annexation of Poland established in 1871. It was founded in Kraków as a continuation of the ''Kraków Scientific Society'' (''Towarzystwo Naukowe Krakowskie''). Th ...

, rector of

* Prof. Edmund Krzymuski (1852-1928) - member of

, vice-president of the Penal Law Codification Commission * Prof.

Władysław Wolter Władysław is a Polish given male name, cognate with Vladislav. The feminine form is Władysława, archaic forms are Włodzisław (male) and Włodzisława (female), and Wladislaw is a variation. These names may refer to: People Mononym *Włodzis� ...

(1897-1986) - member of

and

Polish Academy of Sciences The Polish Academy of Sciences (, PAN) is a Polish state-sponsored institution of higher learning. Headquartered in Warsaw, it is responsible for spearheading the development of science across the country by a society of distinguished scholars a ...

* Prof. Stanisław Grodziski - vice-president of

, member of PEN-Club and Société d'Histoire du Droit * Prof. Andrzej Zoll -

Polish Ombudsman The Commissioner for Human Rights (, RPO) is a Polish ombudsman, an official appointed for a five year term by the Sejm with an approval of the Senate of Poland, Senate (respectively lower and upper houses of Parliament of Poland, Polish legisla ...

, president of the Constitutional Tribunal, member of

European Academy of Sciences and Arts The European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA, ) is a transnational and interdisciplinary network, connecting about 2,000 recommended scientists and artists worldwide, including 38 Nobel Prize laureates. The European Academy of Sciences and ...

* Prof. Andrzej Mączyński - member of

and

, judge of Constitutional Tribunal, member of the Civil Law Codification Commission

External links

TBSP UJ website
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Student societies A student society, student association, university society, student club, university club, or student organization is a society or an organization, operated by students at a university, college, or other educational institution, whose membership t ...

Student organisations in Poland Legal education