Merkuriusz Polski Ordynaryjny
The Merkuriusz Polski Ordynaryjny (German Polish Ordinary Mercury ; in 17th century Polish spelling Merkuryusz Polski Ordynaryiny ) was the first regular newspaper in Poland .
history
Merkuriusz was published for the first time on January 3, 1661 in Krakow in the publishing house JA Gorczyn . Inspired by Luisa Maria Gonzaga and the court of her husband, the Polish King John II Casimir , the newspaper appeared biweekly with eight to twelve pages. It was largely devoted to politics, dynastic affairs of Europe and the military campaigns of various monarchs. Domestically, the newspaper promoted political reforms and the strengthening of the regent's power. After the 37th edition, the editorial team moved to Warsaw . Most of the editions also included inserts in which individual topics were discussed or letters and contributions from important personalities were printed.
The texts were written in 17th century Polish , which was heavily influenced by Latin . In some cases, texts were published exclusively in Latin. The Merkuriusz was published by Hieronim Pinocci, an Italian trader who had emigrated to Poland and held numerous posts in the royal administration. Another collaborator was the writer and poet Łukasz Opaliński . A total of 41 issues with an average print run of 100 to 200 copies were printed. The last edition was dated July 22, 1661. The reason for their discontinuation is not known.
Between 1933 and 1939 all editions were reissued by the Polish National Library . Despite the short period of activity, Merkuriusz gave its name to a number of later newspapers; especially for Merkuriusz Polski , which was published in London between 1955 and 1958 .