NARONOWICZ-NAROŃSKI, Józef
* 1610, Lithuania
† 0. 4. 1678, Szczytno, Poland
civil engineer, cartographer
Between 1655 and 1659, N. published a Polish textbook entitled Books of Mathematical Science (Bücher der mathematischen Wissenschaften), in three tomes, which served as a handbook for Polish engineers. It contained mathematics, the science of measurement, perspectives, the science of fortification, civil engineering, and cartography, which were for the first time comprehensively treated in Polish. Even though it referred to works by Adam Freytag, Samuel Marolois, Macie Dögen and Mikołaj Goldman, it employed Polish examples. Of special value are the descriptions of the significance of the science of fortification in Polish conditions, information on Polish forts and on the duties of a military engineer, and the introduction of Polish terminology. After the banishment of the Aryans from the Polish mediaeval state (Rzeczpospolita), N. left for Prussia, where he entered the service of the prince-electors of Brandenburg as a civil engineer and cartographer. Together with his son, Jan Józef, and Andrzej Woydowski and Samuel Suchodolecki, by the order of the prince-elector, he made tens of precise maps of large territories in the east ends of Prussia, in a scale of 1 : 50.000 and 1 : 100.000. These maps are one of the first Polish cartographic works that included historical sights. N. noted down old Polish castles and marked them with a special symbol. He also drew some of the more important monumental buildings, for instance: castles in Lochstädt, Rybaki, Rastemborg, Piława, Klaipeda, Gąbin, and Labiaw. He adapted Dohn's Palace in Wilkuny near Kaliningrad, created a model of the Kaliningrad Castle, and drew a plan of the town of Kaliningrad, as well as plans of the Kieydany court, of the town of Kieydany, and of the red court's building.
