Document Security and Processing in Poland before 1939. Outline of the Problem

Abstract

Throughout the centuries, both the form, types, and appearance of documents, as well as the methods used for their creation and distribution, have undergone significant changes. However, invariably, documents have always served as instruments conveying legal content and as means of evidence. Broadly speaking, documents have regulated – and continue to regulate – relationships among individuals. Given their crucial role, importance, and significance, as well as the desire to acquire them (by legal or illegal means), efforts have always been made to ensure their security and protection by establishing clear rules concerning their creation, accessibility, distribution, and storage. The aim of this paper is to present the evolution of documents and the methods employed for their protection in Poland, from the earliest times up to the outbreak of the war in 1939.