There are not many book printing houses in Europe with such a rich history as Bookprinting Company Anczyca.
Founded in 1870 by Ludwik Gumplowicz, a professor of sociology and a lawyer, the printing house was located on Starowiślna Street in Kraków and printed the Kraków daily ‘Kraj’.
In 1875, this small printing house was purchased by Władysław Ludwik Anczyc - the current patron of the printing house - and quickly gained a reputation as one of the most prestigious publishing houses in Poland. In those days, print shops were also publishing houses. Initially, it mainly printed patriotic literature and scientific works.
Władysław Ludwik Anczyc's son, Wacław Zygmunt Anczyc (1866-1938), continued the family tradition, managing the printing house after his father's death. Thanks to his passion for printing, which he developed during his studies in Leipzig, the printing house became an even more influential cultural institution in Krakow. In the interwar period, in the reborn Poland, Anczyc's Printing House became an intellectual centre, cooperating with many outstanding writers and scientists.
Wacław's son, Władysław, took over the printing house in 1938. Unfortunately, as a soldier, he was taken prisoner by the Soviets and died in Katyn in 1940. During World War II, the printing house was involved in printing conspiratorial materials, which exposed it to repression by the occupying forces.
After the World War II, it continued its activities, adapting to the new realities of the Polish People's Republic. The Anczyc's Printing House was nationalised, like all printing houses in Poland. It became a large printing house, employing over 1200 employees.
In the 1990s, in the face of economic changes, Anczyc Printing House underwent restructuring. Today, it is a symbol of Krakow's printing and cultural heritage, preserving tradition and combining it with modernity.