Kroniki

Kroniki, in Polish, denote chronicles, a genre of historical writing that records events in roughly chronological order. A kronika (singular) typically presents events year by year or in short dated entries, and glosses on context or sources may appear in later supplements. The term encompasses a wide range of works, from medieval monastic chronicles and royal annals to local city chronicles and regional histories. In Polish, kroniki is also used for modern periodicals and, occasionally, broadcast programs that compile historical notes.

Origins lie in antiquity and the medieval Latin chronica, transmitted and adapted through Christian Europe. Chronicles are characterized by their emphasis on date and sequence rather than systematic analysis; they often record political events, wars, deaths, miracles, and genealogies, and they frequently rely on earlier written sources, oral tradition, and official documents. Many chronicles were produced by clerks and monks, and later by secular authors, which introduces biases and unique perspectives. The genre overlaps with annals, but chronicles may offer narrative elements and thematic organization beyond simple year-by-year entries.

Historically, chronicles were among the primary means of preserving memory and informing rulers about events. They contributed to the construction of national and regional histories and informed later historiography. Today, kroniki are studied as sources for culture, politics, religion, and daily life in past societies, while the term also appears in contemporary Polish media and publishing as titles or genres of local histories.