Cracow and its university [antikvár]

Cracow a town of an over millenary history has played a most prominent role in the evolution and culture of the Polish people. Closely associated with a great number of events of national importance, it has more (hat any other Polish town come to reflect both the bright and the dark periods in the history of our State. It has also become a great centre of humanistic, cultural and artistic valúes, radia-ting over the whole extensive area of Polish lands. A moment of particular signi-ficance in the town's history was on 12th May, 1364 when King Casimir the Great founded the "Academy of Cracow", the fírst university in Poland, and one of the oldest in Europe.One of the glorious memories for the city has been that on the very day King Casimir the Great was founding the University of Cracow, an official diploma was issued by the municipal authorities granting the town's support to the newly-foun-ded college.In the course of the twenty years of People's Poland the very aim and meaning of science has changed: now, incomparably more than in any other period of Po-land's history it is aimed at serving the nation, simultaneously reflecting the attitude of the People's Government to science and culture in our country in general and in our oíd city in particular. The great contribution brought by Jagellonian University to the build-up of progressive thought and in the building of People's Poland has been highly estimated by the Polish Government, a fact which found expression in the creation of new institutes and colleges, a kind of a second foundation act to the University which for 600 years has been Cracow's soul and badge the pride of the municipal community, and the support of Polish science and culture.But we, the men and women of to-day must not restrict ourselves to the survey of past glory. While deeply respecting the historical heritage of our city, we build up a future founded upon new principies. Our town is not only a national centre of science and culture, but also a centre of the big industry with metallurgical, chemical, engineering and other works, producing now twice as much iron and steel per annum as all Poland before the second world war. Now the principal sign-posts symbolizing contemporary Cracow are the two great combines the metal-