Kariera uniwersytecka jako sposób awansu społecznego w dawnej Polsce

What was characteristic of the Cracow Academy in the second half of the 16th century was its being boycotted by the students of nobiliary extraction. As a result the Academy became the place of remarkably plebeian nature. The point was that the townsmen desired learning that would be suitable in their economic and commercial activities. The peasants, in their turn, while sending their sons to the Academy tried to secure social advancement to them, particularly their entrance into the estate of clergy or, sometimes, that of the townsmen. The students of lower social extraction sometimes made a university career. Those who followed that line were for instance Antoni of Napachania (1494–1561) who was the professor of theology and rector of Cracow Academy. The same may be said about Piotr Proboszczowic (c. 1509–1565) who was the professor of astrology, town astrologer of Cracow and, since 1548, astrologer of Sigismund August. Among other individuals who made similar career one may mention Jan Brożek, an outstanding mathematician of the first half of the 17th century and Stanisław Mareniusz (c. 1532–1580) who was Magister Iuris and Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy as well the lecturer on Greek and the defender of the rights and privilegies of the Academy at the Sejm held in Warsaw in 1578. The list might include many other individuals. Being fully aware that the disrespect demonstrated by the nobility toward the Academy was due to the low social extraction of the academicians, King Sigismund I made the decision to confer on the professors the prerogatives of the estate of the nobles. He did it in 1535 in recognition of their merits in educating the youth „for the enlargement of the glory of God, for the benefit of the Church and for the fame of the Kingdom.” Despite its imperious tone, the idea that the nobiliary privilegies should apply to the professors of Cracow Academy had little chance to be implemented in practice. The resistance of the nobles was in the way of such implementation. The problem was eventually solved in favour of the professors at the Sejm held in Grodno in 1793. This was possible thanks to the efforts made by Śniadecki as well as the support of the king and good will shown to the concept by Russian Deputy Sievers. The success was however of a short‐lived nature because Poland soon lost its independence