Urzędnicza kariera Bonifacego Witkowskiego (1800–1840) – przyczynek do dziejów biurokracji budowlanej w Królestwie Polskim

The Administrative Career of Bonifacy Witkowski (1800–1840) – A Contribution to the History of Building Bureaucracy in the Kingdom of Poland Biographies of architects have a well-established tradition in the Polish historiography of architecture. This also applies to the historiography of Polish architecture at the turn of the 19th c., which predominantly revolves around biographical studies. However, architectural biographies of this period often concentrate on the architects active in big cities, while their colleagues working in provincial areas receive comparatively less research attention. The lack of in-depth exploration of this subject has a detrimental impact on our comprehensive understanding of the Polish architectural culture of that period, particularly its social aspects. Another notable trait of Polish architectural biographies concerning the turn of the 19th c. is the focus on the architects’ creative output (e.g. projects, buildings). Researchers have hitherto paid relatively less attention to tracing the trajectory of individual careers and specific conditions that shaped their development. The inclusion of these aspects in academic discourse offers valuable insights into the social and political backdrop that influenced architectural activity. This holds particular significance in relation to the era of the constitutional Kingdom of Poland (1815–1830), which witnessed a rapid development of modern bureaucracy in the field of building and architecture. This article delves into the well-documented case of Bonifacy Witkowski. Notably, he was among the first graduates of architecture from the University of Warsaw, and within a few years of his graduation, he attained the position of a chief provincial builder in the Province of Mazovia.