Bandtke, Jerzy Samuel

Place: Lublin

Born: 1768

Death: 1835

Biography:

Jerzy Samuel Bandtkie (also spelled Bandtke; 1768–1835) was a Polish linguist, philologist, historian, bibliographer and lexicographer. He was born into a German-Polish family and embarked on his academic journey at the universities of Halle and Jena. His passion for knowledge led him back to Poland in 1790. Bandtkie dedicated himself to lexicography, publishing influential works such as 'New Pocket Polish-German-French Dictionary' (1805), 'Explanatory Dictionary of Polish and German' (1806), and 'Polish Grammar for Germans' (1808). He was invited to the prestigious Jagiellonian University's library in 1811, where he meticulously organized its vast collection. Bandtkie earned his doctorate with a dissertation on early printing in Kraków and was appointed professor. As professor at Jagiellonian University, Bandtkie made significant contributions, including being elected Dean of the Faculty of Philology (1814-1817). He also published 'History of the Polish Nation' (1820) and collaborated with Ambrozy Grabowsky on informative guidebooks on Kraków.