Metody pracy, zasady i praktyka podziału regionalnego w monografi ach Oskara Kolberga

The article, comprising four sections, presents Oskar Kolberg, a Polish ethnographer and folklorist, and his work. The first section is devoted to the ethnographer’s early work and to the results of his lifelong research, namely a twenty-three-volume monograph entitled Lud, jego zwyczaje, sposób życia, mowa, podania, przysłowia, obrzędy, gusła, zabawy, pieśni muzyka i tańce (Folk: Their Customs, Way of Life, Language, Legends, Proverbs, Rituals, Spells, Games, Songs, Music and Dances) and a nine-volume series entitled Obrazy etnograficzne (Ethnographic Pictures). The second section presents the methodology that Kolberg used to collect his data, including his own research, materials received from other researchers and data gathered as the result of contests organised by various scientific societies around the country. The third section describes the methods used by Kolberg to organise the materials. Kolberg aimed to create an overall ethnographic description of Poland with a division into the so-called provinces. Additionally, Kolberg differentiated and described ethnographic groups, including their ethnonyms, which are still recognised and used today. The fourth section presents the scope of his monographs, which have become the standard for this type of ethnographic work. The article also reflects upon the challenges that Kolberg’s work presents for the contemporary reader.