The unique collection of works of the Polish astronomer Jan Hevelius kept in the Gdańsk Library, an auxiliary research unit of the Polish Academy of Sciences, was included on the Polish National List of the UNESCO “Memory of the World” Program. The library is the only place in the world having a set of printed works by the Gdańsk astronomer. 

Five works by Jan Hevelius have been enlisted into the UNESCO list, including unique copies with the author’s dedication and drawings colored by the scientist himself. Earlier the UNESCO accepted the Constitution of May 3, 1791, the oldest Polish chronicle of Gall Anonymus from the 12th century and the autograph of “Pan Tadeusz” by Adam Mickiewicz.

The collection of Hevelius books in the Gdańsk library includes 19 items. Most of them were published in the years 1674–1690 in Gdańsk. The library’s resources also include numerous prints containing reports on-sky observations. Some of them (“Selenographia” and “Machina coelestis”) were given by Hevelius himself, which was evidenced by his handwritten dedications.

More: http://bgpan.gda.pl/aktualnosc/dziela-heweliusza-wpisane-na-liste-unesco/