Białowieża Primeval Forest and the European bison in the journal “Łowiec Polski” in 1899–1939

Abstract

The article, based on a detailed query in the archival issues of “Łowiec Polski” from 1899 to 1939, shows the perception of the bison and the Białowieża Primeval Forest among the authors and readers of this periodical. The founder and first editor-in-chief of the magazine was Jan Sztolcman, a naturalist best known for his crucial role in saving the European bison. Among the collaborators of the magazine were the best naturalists of that period, so the subject matter undertaken in its papers was much broader than just strictly hunting. This article discusses issues related to the Białowieża Primeval Forest and its most valuable inhabitant (European bison) presented in the journal from the perspective of nature conservation, old hunting traditions, the search for the last free-living European bison in the Białowieża Primeval Forest, European bison breeding in Pszczyna, international efforts to rescue the European bison, monographs about the species published in the inter-war period, issues of European and American bison hybridisation, and finally, the return of the European bison to the Białowieża Primeval Forest. The journal was examined for the first time from the point of view of the history of natural sciences. Analysis of the content of the journal, often unpublished elsewhere, makes “Łowiec Polski” one of the most important sources of information about the European bison and the Białowieża Primeval Forest during this period.