History

The Academy was originally established and funded in 1628 by Krzysztof Wilski Ciborowicz, the parish priest of the parish of St Anne. The school originally operated at the former infirmary - a brick and stone building donated for the purpose towards the end of the 16th century by Aleksander Ludwik Radziwiłł. By the mid-17th century, the building received an additional storey which today forms part of the northern wing; it was marked on the map drawn up in 1777 by L. Targoński as “The Academy”. During the second half of the 17th century, the Academy was renovated by Katarzyna Radziwiłł née Sobieski, the sister of King John Sobieski, who also made a generous donation to the educational establishment. Somewhere around 1840, the free-standing southern building was erected; it was subsequently connected to the main building (the northern wing) in years 1866-1878 by a new middle section. Later on, during the alteration works conducted in 1919, the façade of the edifice received its Classicist redesign which survives to this day. The Biała Podlaska Academy enjoyed the status of the so-called academic colony of the Cracow Academy for nearly 150 years. As the era of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was drawing to a close, in years 1777-93 the Academy in Biała Podlaska came under the control of the Vilnius Academy, which was followed by a series of frequent organisational changes during the subsequent period: in 1794, the Academy was transformed into a lower-secondary school (gymnasium), while from 1809 it served as a departmental school. In 1815, it became a divisional school, while in 1837 it was accorded a district school status. In 1865 it became a Russian gymnasium, although in 1916 its status changed to that of a Polish gymnasium once again. It was named after J. I. Kraszewski - a name which it carries to this day despite having changed its status to that of a general secondary school.

Description

The school is located on the eastern side of the Radziwiłł castle, opposite the historic complex of the church of St Anne. It is a two-storey brick structure, its walls covered with plaster. It was designed on a horseshoe-shaped plan, with the northern arm of the structure - the oldest part thereof - being positioned at an obtuse angle. The interior follows a two-bay layout, with a corridor and staircase positioned alongside the second eastern axis. The façades are topped with a profiled cornice, with the corners being accentuated by rusticated quoins; the individual storeys are separated by a string course. The front façade follows a four-axial design, partitioned by rusticated pilasters in giant order, with a triangular pediment positioned above the two middle axes. The windows are rectangular in shape, adorned with decorative surrounds; the front façade also features a number of square-shaped windows. The low hip roof of the building is covered with sheet metal. An access gate with brick posts and lintel and an additional side wicket gate stands alongside the edifice itself, from the direction of Warszawska street. A monument to J. I. Kraszewski, a graduate of the school - stands in the vicinity of the building, alongside the junction with Zamkowa street. It was erected in 1928, marking the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the Biała Podlaska Academy.

The monument is accessible during the school opening hours.

compiled by Jan Niedźwiedź, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Lublin, 04-12-2015.

Bibliography

• Cebulak A., Hapka P., Mras P., Liceum im. Kraszewskiego (dawna Akademia) - karta ewidencyjna zabytku, Biała Podlaska 1981
• Flisiński J., Szkoły bialskie w XVII - XIX wieku. Monografia I Liceum Ogólnokształcącego im. J.I. Kraszewskiego, Biała Podlaska 1998 r.
• Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, t. VIII: Województwo lubelskie, z. 2: Powiat Biała Podlaska, red. i oprac. K. Kolendo-Korczakowa, A. Oleńska, M. Zgliński, Warszawa 2006, s. 37.