Nicolaus Copernicus' masterpiece "De revolutionibus libri sex"
Documentary heritage submitted by Poland and recommended for inclusion in the Memory of the World Register in 1999.
Mikolaj Kopernik (Nicolaus Copernicus), who studied at the University of Cracow and at several Italian universities, is considered to be one of the fathers of the Renaissance, along with such illustrious names as Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo Buonarotti and Galileo. Being a humanist, philologist, doctor and father of modern economy, he found his place in the pantheon of the world's greatest thinkers thanks to his heliocentric theory of the universe. He also analysed the consequences of the refutation of the geocentric theory for astronomy. His theory revolutionised man's comprehension of the world and became the foundation of many branches of science.
Kopernik’s autography "De revolutionibus libri sex" from ca 1520 is by far the most important treatise to be found in the Jagiellonian Library in Cracow.