HANDELSMAN, MARCELI

HANDELSMAN, MARCELI (1882–1945), Polish historiographer. Born in Warsaw, Handelsman served as professor of general history at Warsaw University from 1915. He was head of the Warsaw Institute for History, and a member of the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques in Paris. Handelsman's historical research covered several fields. His first study dealt with punishment in early Polish law (Kara w najdawniejszymprawie polskim, 1907). His main areas of interest were the history of Poland from the time of its first partition in 1772, the Napoleonic era, and Franco-Polish relations. In these fields he published the following books: Napoléon et la Pologne, 1806–07 (1909); Francja-Polska 1795–1845 (1926); Les Idées françaises et la mentalité politique en Pologne au XIXe siècle (1927). Handelsman also wrote essays of general historiographical importance, on the development of the present-day nationalism, and on methodology and the interpretation of history. He had a progressive-realistic attitude to historical research and opposed the romantic-conservative school. Although he had converted to Christianity Handelsman was sent by the Germans to the Nordhausen concentration camp where he died. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: W. Moszczenska, in: Kwartalnik Historyczny, 63, no. 3 (1956), 111–50; Polska Akademia Nauk, Polski Slownik Biograficzny (1960–61); A.B. Boswell, in: Slavonic and East European Review, 25 (1946), 247–9.