Plaque Commemorating Krakus (collection of Jagiellonian Library of the Jagiellonian University)

Prince Stanisław Jabłonowski (1799–1878) commissioned the plaque in 1871 from the Krakow sculptor, stonemason, and monuments conservator Edward Stehlik (1825–1888). He had it mounted in the wall of the Wawel Castle’s tenaille fortifications. The inscription on the plaque reads: KRAKUS, PRINCE OF POLAND / RULED FROM 730 TO 750 / (PETERS METRYKI KORONNE FASC: 2. PAG 40.) / ON THIS SPOT IS THE CAVE / IN WHICH HE KILLED THE TERRIBLE DRAGON / AND SETTLED ON WAWEL HILL AND FOUNDED THE CITY / KRAKOW / THIS PLAQUE IS PLACED HERE BY / PRINCE STANISŁAW PRUS JABŁONOWSKI / ART[ILLERY] CAP[TAIN]: POLISH ARMY. Elżbieta M. Firlet has established that the inscription differs somewhat from the text Jabłonowski composed. Wojnarowski must have painted this watercolor either at the end of 1871, or in the first half of 1872, since it was reproduced in Szymon Dutkiewicz’s Zbiór pomników i napisanych nagrobków w główniejszy kościołach krakowskich printed in June 1872.

Jagiellonian Library of the Jagiellonian University, Krakow; inv. no: BJ Graf. I.R. 861