Kromer,
MARTIN, a distinguished Polish bishop and historian; b. at Biecz
in Galicia in 1512; d. at Heilsberg, Ermland
(now East Prussia), on 23 March, 1589. He was the son of a
substantial citizen who, desirous of a public career for his son,
sent him to the University of Cracow where he obtained his degree
in philosophy. Afterwards he studied theology at Bologna and at
Rome. When he returned to Poland he was appointed secretary to
Gamrat, Bishop of Cracow, and shortly afterwards he was made
secretary to Prince Sigismund August. The latter was so pleased
with him that, when he afterwards ascended the Polish throne, he
entrusted Kromer with many high official duties, and in order to
enable him to receive promotion to even higher dignities the king
elevated him in 1552 to the rank of a nobleman. Kromer was charged
with diplomatic missions to Vienna, Rome, and to the Council of
Trent. In Poland he had complete charge of the national archives,
arranged the various documents and materials in systematic form,
and in doing so devoted himself especially to the history of his
country. At the suggestion of the king he utilized the studies
made in arranging these archives by writing his great historical
work, "De origine et rebus gestis Polonorum" in thirty
books, which was published at Basle in 1555, and treated of the
history of Poland from the earliest times down to the year 1506.
It was translated into German by Heinrich Pantaleon and also
published at Basle in 1562, and was likewise translated on two
different occasions into Polish and published at Cologne in 1589
and at Cracow in 1611. In this history Kromer showed himself a
keen critic, with a graceful style and polished Latinity, and he
was particularly successful in setting forth clearly and lucidly
the intricate political relations of Poland with the neighbouring
states. It is to be regretted, however, that his history ended
without describing the events of the very epoch which he knew so
well from his own participation therein. Following this, he
published at Cologne in 1577 his great geographical and
descriptive work, "Polonia, sive de situ, populis, moribus,
magistratibus et republica regni Polonici," in two books,
which still remains an important source of information about
contemporary Poland. It was translated into Polish by Kondratowicz
and published at Wilna in 1853. He had even turned his attention
to music, for in 1534 he had published a volume at Cracow entitled
"De musica figurata." He took a very active part in
opposing the spread of Protestantism in Poland. His various
polemical writings, his sermons, and his catechism were all
written in Polish and in a simple style devoted to the
enlightenment of the people; they formed an energetic protest
against the introduction of the new Lutheran and Calvinistic
doctrines. In 1570 he was appointed by Cardinal (then Bishop)
Stanislaus Hosius as coadjutor in the Diocese of Ermland, where
together with the latter he wrote popular works in explanation and
defence of the Catholic Faith. After the death of Hosius in 1579
Kromer was made Bishop of Ermland, and held that see until he died
in 1589.
EICHHORN, Der
ermländische Bischof Martin Kromer (Braunsberg, 1868);
WALEWSKI, Martin Kromer (Warsaw, 1874); HIPLER, Die deutschen
Predigten und Katechesen der ermländischen Bischöfe
Hosius und Kromer (Cologne, 1885).
ANDREW
J. SHIPMAN
