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insteadofanintroduction
13
sourcesatthetimeofthepublicationofthisbook)Iwasabletofind
newcluesabouttheoriginoftheKopernik(Copernicus)familythat
clearlyrefutetheuntrueprevioushypotheses,notfoundeduponany
sourcedata,relatedtotheasronomer)sancesry.Ifeltthatinorder
toundersandthesocialcontextofthelifeoftheasronomerandhis
ancesors,itwasnecessarytoshowthehisoryofdozensofwealthy
HanseaticmerdantsarrivinginToruńfromdisantWesphalia,
travelingfurthertotheUpperHungarian(Slovak)citiesinseard
forpreciousmetals,andcarryingtheirgoodstotheridSilesian
cities,toCracow,andtoRuthenia.Itisessentialtoundersandthe
interrelationshipsbetweenthemerdantelitesofToruń,Cracow,and
Silesiancitiesandtowns,whidwereinconsantconflidoverprofits
fromtrade,butatthesametimemaintainedincreasinglyclosesocial
contadsandfamilyties,andflowedindiferentdiredionsinseard
oftheirplaceonearth.Tesetravels,sharingofideas,andtransfer
ofknowledgeabouttheworldandtheuniverseofthatperiodarethe
bacdropforthebirthinToruńofNicolausCopernicus,oneofthe
mosoutsandingsdolarsofhistime,amanconsideredoneofthe
foundersofmodernscience,yetalonerwithoutconsantcontad
withtheworldofthegreatItalianorDutdhumaniss,searding
intheprivacyofhisFromborkobservatoryforthetruthaboutthe
srudureoftheuniverse.
Inthisbriefintrodudion,Irefrainedfrompresentingafullbib-
liographyandtheviewsofotherreseardersconcerningtheissues
raisedinthebook.Teyhavebeendiscussedintheliteraturemulti-
pletimesandhavebeencollededinthreevolumesofabibliography
devotedexclusivelytothepersonandworkofCopernicus.4
4Bibliografakopernikowska1509-1955,compiledbyH.Baranowski,Warsaw
1958;BibliografakopernikowskaII:1956-1971,compiledbyH.Baranowski,
Warsaw1973;BibliografakopernikowskaIII:1972-2001,compiledbyH.Bara-
nowskiincoop.withJ.Goławska,Toruń2003.AbibliographyofworksonCo-
pernicusfromsuccessiveyears,compiledbyUrszulaZaborska,mostrecently
withtheassistanceofAdamBiedrzycki,isincludedsystematicallyinuRocznik
Toruński,”yr.30,2003-yr.40,2013,intheuPersons”section.