The presented publication contains the biography of Oskar Kolberg. It illustrates stages in Kolberg’s life and conditions which shaped his research and publishing work. Numerous illustrations present the research method of this 19th century folklorist. In the middle of the 19th century, Oskar Kolberg came up with the project of extensive field research which laid the foundations for Polish ethnography. The collected material was then published in a series of regional monographs „Lud. Jego zwyczaje, sposób życia, mowa, podania, przysłowia, obrzędy, gusła, zabawy, pieśni, muzyka i tańce” [The People. Their Customs, Way of Life, Speech, Folktales, Proverbs, Rites, Witchcraft, Games, Songs, Music and Dances.] Monographs include ethnographic pictures, songs lyrics, texts of fairy tales, proverbs, and thousands of vocal and instrumental melodies collected by ear during his encounters with folk musicians. No other European country possesses such a large archive of the 19th century folk culture.

This edition includes audiobook read by Krzysztof Kowalewski. The CD includes also melodies from the Kolberg’s archive performed by Karolina Kaiser-Cichocka and Olga Musiał-Kurzawska.