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The first edition of this book (Kraków, 1532), by Hieronim Wietor (Vietor) has been preserved in a single copy kept in the Jagiellonian Library and known as Psałterz krakowski (The Cracow Psalter), an old masterpiece of outstanding importance for Polish culture, literature and language. Its history is fascinating, since it is as valuable as the two other Polish medieval psalters, Psałterz floriański and Psałterz puławski. This translation of the Psalter into Polish dates back to 1470-1480. Unlike the other two, the manuscript of Psałterz krakowski has not survived to the present times. However, it still existed in 1532, when a famous printer and publisher, Hieronim Wietor, modernised it slightly in order to publish it and in this way save, at least partly, that old masterpiece. Wietor's alterations must have been rather insignificant, since even just after publication the text sounded archaic for those times. That is why new translations of that book from the Old Testament appeared soon. However, Wietor's publication was the first printed Polish edition not only of that book, but also the first full printed version of any complete book from the Bible. Its issue was preceded only by some short fragments in Polish of St. John's Gospel, Genesis and Deuteronomy.
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