Polskie gabinety historii naturalnej w Essai sur l'histoire littéraire de Pologne Jean-Baptiste'a Dubois de Jancigny'ego (1769-1808)

Polish cabinets of natural history in Essai sur l'histoire littéraire de Pologne by Jean-Baptiste Dubois de Jancigny (1769-1808). The naturalist and lawyer, Jean-Baptiste Dubois de Jancigny, came to Poland in 1775. An intellectual of the Enlightenment, dealing with natural sciences, literature and politics, as well as publishing and educational activities. He quickly became one of the most important naturalists in the Polish king's entourage. In 1788, Dubois de Jancigny published in Berlin, under the pseudonym M. D., the book Essai sur l'Histoire littéraire de Pologne, a compilation of information from natural science works. The work has become one of the most important sources of information in Europe about the nature of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The last part discusses natural history cabinets. The article presents and analyzes information about Polish nature collections and recalls the circumstances of Dubois de Jancigny's stay in Warsaw.