Annales Silesiae (1960–2009): An academic yearbook based in Wrocław

Abstract

Annales Silesiae is an academic journal published as a yearbook in Wrocław from 1960 until 2009 (vols. I– XXXVI) by the Wrocław Scientific Society; subsequent volumes are published irregularly. Its editors‑in‑chief were, in chronological order, Adam Wanke, Stanisław Hubert, Jan Trzynadlowski, Jacek Kolbuszewski, and Jerzy Fabi- szewski. Annales Silesiae present the most significant research work conducted in Silesia, particularly in the field of humanities, engineering, and natural sciences. The early volumes were bilingual, Polish and English; later, the editors decided to admit other languages from the UN top six. In practice, English kept its dominant position against the inroads of German and French. Most recently, however, the Annales have been published exclusively in Polish. The main goal of the journal is to share information about Silesia and the achievements of Polish Silesia‑based scholars after 1945. The article presents a formal description of the journal and a content analysis of all of its thirty‑six volumes. The results suggest that the journal successfully carried on with its mission to promote Polish science, especially that of Wrocław, in spite the restrictive policies of the socialist state towards non‑governmental institu- tions. The good work of the Annales Silesiae needs proper acknowledgment, especially in the form a monograph that would take broad view of this fascinating project.