Anniversary exhibition

To commemorate the 550th anniversary of the birth of the great Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń has prepared an exhibition of valuable literary and graphic artifacts related to the person of Nicolaus Copernicus.

The exhibition entitled „The most worth reading of all books... Around De revolutionibus by Nicolaus Copernicus”, focused mainly on the presentation of the first three editions (Nuremberg 1543, Basel 1566, Amsterdam 1617) of Copernicus’ masterpiece, On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres, will be displayed in the courtyard and representative halls of the Old Town Hall in Toruń from February 19 for the guests of the World Copernican Congress, and from February 22 to May 7, 2023, for the wider audience.

The organizers aim to present a wide range of artifacts to the audience, which in addition to the essence of Copernicus’ discovery will also indicate the reception of the treatise over several centuries after its publication. This idea will be expressed iconographically in the form of various pieces of evidence of reading interest in specific copies of Copernicus’ work, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it will illustrate its influence on the development of first European, and then global science. The introduction and invitation to the exhibition of artifacts will be a poster presentation designed by the artist and graphic designer, Professor Krzysztof Białowicz, showing fourteen copies of the first edition of De revolutionibus preserved in Polish libraries (from Krakow, Wrocław, Poznań, Toruń, Warsaw, Kórnik and Płock).

The second pillar of the exhibition is the presentation of artifacts located in the Royal Hall and its vestibule, divided into five parts. First, visitors will see works that preceded the famous Toruń astronomer's discovery, including fundamental works of antiquity, the late Middle Ages, and the early Renaissance. The culminating part of the exhibition consists of its most valuable artifacts - the three first editions of De revolutionibus in seven copies (two copies of the first edition (Nuremberg 1543) from the collections of the University Library and the Copernican Library; three copies of the second edition of Copernicus' work (Basel 1566) from both mentioned libraries and the District Museum in Toruń, and finally two copies of the third edition (Amsterdam 1617) from the collections of the Copernican Library and the Museum). The third part of the exhibition shows the intellectual achievements resulting from Copernicus’ discovery, while the fourth is an attempt to answer the question of the reception of the Copernican treatise in the contemporary world by showing a series of editions of De revolutionibus from the time it was removed from the Index of Forbidden Books in the 19th century to the present day. Finally, the fifth and concluding accent of the exhibition is the presentation of nearly one hundred prints from the period from the 16th to the 20th century, depicting various images of the great Astronomer.

The exhibition accompanies the World Copernican Congress and is planned as a nationwide event. The realization of the exhibition’s artistic design (posters, exhibition visualization project) was funded by the „Social Responsibility of Science – Support for Scientific Libraries” program (SONB/SP/546729/2022). In 2023, under this grant, the University Library in Toruń will prepare a digital exhibition devoted to the first edition of De revolutionibus by Nicolaus Copernicus (Digital Exhibition Platform on the website https://www.bu.umk.pl/).

 

Duration of the exhibition: February 22, 2023 – May 7, 2023

Exhibition venue: Old Town Hall in Toruń, Royal Hall, lobby in front of the Royal Hall

Exhibition organizers: University Library in Toruń, Regional Museum in Toruń, Provincial Public Library - Copernicus Library in Toruń, State Archives in Toruń

Cooperation: Jagiellonian Library, National Museum in Krakow / Czartoryski Library, Kórnik Library of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Płock Scientific Society, Raczyński Library, Poznań Society of Friends of Science, National Library, University Library in Warsaw, Ossoliński National Institute, University Library in Wrocław

Substantive preparation of the exhibition: Magdalena Awianowicz (University Library in Toruń), Marta Czyżak (University Library in Toruń), Elżbieta Hudzik (University Library in Toruń), Michał Kłosiński (Regional Museum in Toruń), Liliana Lewandowska (University Library in Toruń), Andrzej Mycio (University Library in Toruń), Krzysztof Nierzwicki (University Library in Toruń), Anna Wronka (Provincial Public Library - Copernicus Library in Toruń)

Conservation supervision: Conservation and Collection Protection Department of the University Library, Collection Protection Workshop of the Copernicus Library, Conservation Department of the Regional Museum in Toruń

Artistic design: Krzysztof Białowicz

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog: „The most worth reading of all books... Around De revolutionibus. Exhibition catalog in the Regional Museum in Toruń”, published by NCU, Toruń 2023