Antoni Gąsiorowski – drukarz i wydawca z Johannisburga w Prusach Wschodnich
Antoni Gąsiorowski – a printer and publisher from Johannisburg in East Prussia

Summary/Abstract: In the 19th century, writing underwent a rapid development. Books and magazines were widely available, not only among high society but also among the people who were less wealthy. New printing houses were established, also in Prussia, such as Walenty Stefański’s printing house in Poznań and Ernst Lambeck’s printing house in Toruń. Antoni Gąsiorowski learnt the art of printing and making woodcuts in the above-mentioned places. He set up his own printing house in Brodnica in 1847, but he transferred it to Masuria to Szczytno (Ortelsburg) in 1848, and a year later to Pisz (Johannisburg). In Szczytno he started printing the bilingual weekly Kurek Mazurski – Der Masurische Hahn, which he continued to publish in Johannisburg. Gąsiorowski’s printing house was one of the most active printing houses in East Prussia, in which a number of magazines were published. However, most of them were discontinued after releasing the first issue, for instance, Ewangelicki Tygodnik Gminny or Gospodarz Mazurski. Apart from weeklies, Antoni Gąsiorowski published Polish and German books, particularly religious ones, course books and calendars. In the 1860s, his printing press also released the texts written in Cyrillic intended for the Old Believers. Gąsiorowski’s printing house operated in Johannisburg until 1866. Nevertheless, from 1862 onwards, most publications – including the calendar – were taken over by the library and printing house of Ernst Lambeck in Toruń. The last Polish print published by Antoni Gąsiorowski was the book by B. Schmolke ‘The Gold Jewel Dedicated to God Intended for People Worshipping God the Father and the Holy Spirit’. It was released in 1865.

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