Abstract: | The recent studies conducted on crime in pre-partition Poland significantly widened our
knowledge in this field. The very studies concerned almost exclusively the crime issues in village
and small town environments typical of the former Poland. The article presents the life and actions of Tomasz Piotrowski, one of professional criminals
living in a village, accused and sentenced in 1792 in Kraków. He started his criminal activity from
small thefts, however, specialized in church breaking and entering. During almost 10 years he
committed at least 60 such crimes. He broke into its inside in many different ways (e.g. by means
of crypts or through the window). He mainly stole the money from church box, and took gates or
even lithurgic vessels from time to time. His neighbours did not realize that Piotrowski was a
perpetrator of a sacrilege, but suspected him of committing petty thefts. They tolerated his
behaviour because he did not commit any crimes in his place of living.
The text discusses only one example, however, it points out to the necessity of further
studies on the history of crime in Poland. |