Outstanding Publisher of the 19th Century

March 15 marks the 240th anniversary of the Juzaf Zavadski (1781-1838), publisher, bibliophile, journalist, and bookseller.

He was born on March 15, 1781, in western Poland in the city of Kozmin (now Kozmin Wielkopolski). He studied economics and book publishing in Wroclaw and Leipzig. From 1803, he lived in Vilnia, where he worked in a bookstore owned by Ja.F. Bich. In 1805, he founded his own small printing house. Under an agreement with the administration of the University of Vilnia in August 1805, Juzaf Zavadski acquired the status of a university printer with exclusive rights to publish university works, and also received a grant to improve the university printing house. He provided it with the latest foreign equipment, various fonts, organized a reprinting department. In 1808, he opened a branch of the university printing house in Hrodna, the so-called "New Printing House".

New books and translations, school textbooks, scientific university papers, textbooks, literature catalogues, prayer books and calendars were published in the printing houses of Zavadski. In 1810, he opened a branch of his printing house in Warsaw. The publishing house had its own bookstore in Vilnia, which was considered the best in the province. Publications could also be purchased at school-organized outlets.

In 1816, Ju. Zavadski bought the university printing house and moved its equipment and bookstore from university buildings to his own premises/ Nevertheless, for more than ten years he continued to perform the duties of university printer and bookseller. His printing house published pieces by A. Mitskievich, I. Krasitski, F. Zablotski, works by I. Lelevel, A. Becu, G.-E. Groddeck, I. Strajnousky, translations of works by G. Byron, W. Scott and others.

Juzaf Zavadski was a bibliophile and cared about the quality of books, both in terms of text accuracy (spelling, etc.) and graphic design. The publications of the Vilnia printing house boasted of impeccable printing, rich illustrations. High quality paper was imported from Germany and France. The engravings for the books were first ordered by masters from Paris; later the lithographic workshop of the university took on the job. Periodicals were also published: "Dziennik Wileński", "Tygodnik Wileński", "Wiadomości brukowe", etc. In 1805–1838, the publishing company of Juzaf Zavadski published 851 books. Most of them were in Polish, but they were also published in Russian, Latin, Greek, Lithuanian, Hebrew.

Juzaf Zavadski was engaged in the expansion of the book trade and considered it important to hold book fairs. He sent his publications for sale to Minsk, Warsaw, Kyiv, cities of France and Germany. His bookstore in Vilnia numbered about 20 thousand titles in 1821 and served as a meeting place for the creative community. In 1823–1824, Ju. Zavadski secretly provided the arrested members of the Filaret Association with books. 

Juzaf Zavadski's contributions to the development of the bibliography are also significant. In 1814, he published "The History of Polish Literature" ("Historya literatury polskiey wystawiona w spisie dzieł drukiem ogłoszonych") by F. Biantkouski. It was a bibliographic list of all Polish publications and literary monuments known at that time. He collected information in libraries, monasteries, from writers and bibliophiles for his bibliographic work, but, unfortunately, he did not have time to publish it. 

Juzaf Zavadski also paid attention to social activities. He was a member of the Vilnia Printers' Association, participated in the work of the Vilnia charitable partnership. He donated his personal book collection, including works by A. Mitskievich, A. Sniadzetski, presented to him by the authors, to the Radziwills' library in Mankovichy, Pinsk region.

Juzaf Zavadski made a significant contribution to the development of publishing in Belarus in the first half of the 19th century and occupied a worthy place in the galaxy of outstanding masters of printing.

The publications of the printing house of Juzaf Zavadski and materials about him can be found in the collections of the National Library of Belarus (via E-Catalogue). Bibliographic information is also contained in the consolidated electronic information resource "The National Bibliography of Belarus", information about his life and work in the online encyclopaedia "Belarus in Persons and Events" (in Belarusian).