DOCSLIB.ORG

00.- Primeras Paginas Rha4

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
00.- Primeras Paginas Rha4 RHA, Vol. 6, Núm. 6 (2008), 115-126 ISSN 1697-3305 FROM REGULATED REVOLUTION TO THE HISTORICAL WARS. RECONSIDERING POST-SOCIALIST POLAND José M. Faraldo*, Katarzyna Stoklosa** Recibido: 10 Enero 2008 / Revisado: 17 Marzo 2008 / Aceptado: 21 Abril 2008 The “Revolucion from above” (some - regime has persisted until today. However, there is times called “revolution under the empire another stereotype of Poland as a sort of eternally of the law”) that ended communism was- unsatisfied child, a country always claiming being a n’t a euphoric revolution. It was a des-ori- victim. Especially after the 11S, Poland became for ented and confused one, avoiding to look many Europeans a Trojan horse of American poli- each other in the eyes.1 tics in Europe. This perception is, of course, Jadwiga Staniszkis wrong. There are many historical and political rea- sons for Poland’s alliance with the USA, and indeed the country has been often victim of most power- n 1980 the world watched amazed in TV how ful neighbors since the XVIII century. Ithousands of Polish workers praised the Lord in But the mythos of Solidarno as a point of no the middle of a strike and went to protest marches return in the destruction of state socialism in with images of the Pope and of the Black Madonna Europe is still very much alive abroad. The of Cz stochowa in their hands. Lech Wał sa’s mous- “Regulated Revolution” still fascines people in the taches became a graphic icon of the Polish revolt, world.2 This contrasts with the destruction of the Polish worker’s union Solidarno was celebrated Solidarno ’s legacy in its own country. Twenty as a revolution of freedom. A year after this, people years after the fall of the Berlin wall, Poland is all around the globe watched soldiers and tanks in questioning its own fight for freedom; even Lech the streets of Warsaw, gloomy urban landscapes Wał sa has been accused of being a Communist under grey snow, the figure of a general with black agent.3 However, the “historical wars” between glasses, sinister images of a self-coup de etat. The 2000 and 2007, the use of archives and politics of underground fight of the Polish workers brought memory for fighting the adversary are, now, a part them a wave of deep solidarity from very different of current politics. They might be considered a her- sides. This picture of a renitent and heroic Poland, itage of state-socialism, but Poland is now very far of a Catholic and anti-communist country, fight- away from communism. The transition has taken ing against the foreign imposition of a totalitarian * Profesor de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. E-mail: [email protected] ** Directora del Sigmund Neumann Institute for Research on Freedom and Democracy. E-mail: Katarzyna.Stoklosa@mail- box.tu-dresden.de 1 Staniszkis, J., Postkomunizm. Próba opisu. Wydawnictwo słowo/obraz terytoria, Gda sk 2001, 5. 2 Dudek, A., Reglamentowana rewolucja. Rozkład dyktatury komunistycznej w Polsce 1988-1990, Cracow, Arcana, 2004. 3 See Cenckiewicz, S., Gontarczyk, P. SB a Lech Wał sa. Przyczynek do biografii, Instytut Pami ci Narodowej, 2007. © 2008 Revista de Historia Actual 115 RHA , Vol. 6, Núm. 6 (2008), 115-125 José M. Faraldo, Katarzyna Stoklosa place, Poland isn’t anymore a post-socialist country, books and newspapers, the Biuletyn informacyjny or but a normal European state. the cultural newspaper Zapis. Its Nowa Publishing company published the works of well-known authors like Tadeusz Konwicki, Kazimierz Brandys, OPPOSITION AND CHANGE Stanisław Baraczak, Adam Zagajewski and Jerzy Polish historiography usually emphasizes the An dre zejew ski, but the works of other authors also fact that there had been opposition movements in appea red, for example Gunter Grass’s Tin Drum . In Poland since October 1956 and that the country, this way the KOR created an oppositional public therefore, was a constant flashpoint within the sphere, a corrective to the official culture scene. 6 The Eastern Bloc. 4 The time between 1956 and 1989 cultural monopoly of the state was broken. Now, can be divided into two periods: There were with support from Krakow Bishop Karol Wojtyła, numerous spontaneous protests between 1956 and Catholic magazines included the thoughts of both 1976, which, however, never led to a long-range reformers within the church and those outside of it. mobilization of the masses. The protest movements New opposition movements arose everywhere that arose between 1976 and 1989, in contrast, which no longer could be suppressed, even though essentially contributed through their mass mobi - the state again and again arrested opposition mem - 5 lization effects to the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. bers for forty-eight hours and thereby sustained a After the unrest in March 1968 and De cem ber credible threat of force. The security service also did 1970 the announcement of radical price increases not hesitate to murder members of the opposition for meat, sugar and other foods in June 1976 led to and make those acts of violence look like accidents. countrywide strikes. The workers of the Ursus trac - The spark that would eventually ignite uncoordinat - tor production company in Warsaw blocked a rail - ed, isolated fires into an inferno was the election of road line and threatened to paralyze transit between Wojtyła to pope in the fall of 1978. An overwhelm - Moscow and Berlin. The militia arrested hundreds ing majority of the Polish state identified with this of the strike’s leaders. They were given lengthy choice and saw him as a symbol and characterization prison sentences in quick trials. However, after only of “another Poland” to which they also belonged. a few weeks Gierek’s government capitulated, John Paul II gave the signal for departure as well as revoked the price increases and granted some of the determined the mood of societal conflict with his imprisoned amnesty. It was from this protest move - first pilgrimage to Poland: revolts were carried out in ment that the first openly operating opposition a peaceful, controlled and restrained manner. organization emerged, which stood up for persecut - Violent strikes virtually mutated into masses. ed workers and their families using legal means. “Workers’ Defense Committee” (KOR) represented many different groups in Polish society –leftists and SOLIDARNO AND THE PROMULGATION conservatives, priests and So cia lists. It unified well- TO A STATE OF WAR known authorities such as Jerzy Andrzejewski, Jan In October 1979 Edward Gierek, first secre - Józef Lipski, Jan Zieja, Jacek Kuro and others. The tary of the PVAP, was forced to concede his help - organization would become an important compo - lessness before the Plenum of the Central Commi - nent of cultural and political life in Poland; it pro - ttee in light of the radical deterioration of the eco - vided not only concrete help but also published nomic situation. 7 The early 1980 replacement of 4 See, as examples, Eisler, J. Polskie miesice czyli kryzysy w PRL, IPN - komisja cigania zbrodni przeciwko narodowi polskiemu , Warsaw, 2008; Andrzej Friszke, Przystosowanie i opór. Studia z dziejów PRL . Biblioteka, Varsovia, Wiezi, 2007; Andrzej Paczkowski, Strajki Bunty Manifest acje jako “polska droga” przez socjalizm, Poznaskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk, Pozna 2003. 5 Cf. Sonntag, S., “Poland”, in: Detlef Pollack/Jan Wielgohs (eds.), Dissent and Opposition in Communist Eastern Europe. Origins of Civil Society and Democratic Transition . Aldershot 2004, 3-29, here 3f. 6 Lipski, J. J., KOR: a history of the Workers’ Defense Committee in Poland , 1976-1981 . Berkeley: University of California Press. 1985. 7 Rolicki, J., Gierek, E., Przerwana dekada . Wydawnictwo, Varsovia, Fakt, 1990; Rolicki, J. Edward Gierek . Replika, Warszawa, Polska Oficyna Wydawnicza BGW, 1990. 116 From Regulated Revolution to the Historical Wars, Reconsidering Post-Socialist Poland DOSSIER Premier Piotr Jaroszewicz, who was responsible for rejected any military action against the workers. the desolate economy, and the announcement of The representatives of the Wojewodschaft party reforms came too late. When waves of strikes were committee were ready to negotiate with the leaders unleashed in summer of 1980, they caught the of the strike. Under the advisement of critical intel - administration unaware, even though they had lectuals like Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Bronisław been announced by various omens for a long time. 8 Geremek, the strike demands went even further a Makeshift independent unions had long since few days later: they demanded the founding of free developed among workers on the coast; the hec - unions, the abolition of censorship and the release tographed Robotnik newspaper reached a circula - of all political prisoners. The shipyard became a tion of 20,000 copies. In August 1979, a “Charter virtual Polish metropolis. Within a few weeks, an of Workers’ Rights” was already in circulation that entire subculture arose in the area –a combination included many of the demands that formed the of political demonstrations, religious masses, par - basis of the negotiations that occurred at the ties, and fortification. The regime –ambitious tech - Gdansk shipyard one year later. All of this was only nocrats, not ideological spitfires– conceded to the possible through the close cooperation of intellec - pressure from the streets. Communist functionaries tuals and workers. The strikes at the shipyards were also did not want to return to the early 1950s. On flanked by attacks on the “façade culture” of those August 28 th , the central committee broke away in power. Authors, journalists, and filmmakers from its hardliners and three days later, Lech Wałsa depicted the complete unhappiness of Polish socie - signed the Gdansk Agreement. This laid the ty; emotion and reflection converged. They groundwork for independent and self-administered brought an entire people onto the streets. unions. 9 As was so often the case in the People’s According to the consensus that exists among Republic of Poland, price increases served as the most Polish historians, August 1980 did not end cause for the revolt.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Czechoslovak-Polish Relations 1918-1968: the Prospects for Mutual Support in the Case of Revolt
    University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1977 Czechoslovak-Polish relations 1918-1968: The prospects for mutual support in the case of revolt Stephen Edward Medvec The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Medvec, Stephen Edward, "Czechoslovak-Polish relations 1918-1968: The prospects for mutual support in the case of revolt" (1977). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 5197. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/5197 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CZECHOSLOVAK-POLISH RELATIONS, 191(3-1968: THE PROSPECTS FOR MUTUAL SUPPORT IN THE CASE OF REVOLT By Stephen E. Medvec B. A. , University of Montana,. 1972. Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 1977 Approved by: ^ .'■\4 i Chairman, Board of Examiners raduat'e School Date UMI Number: EP40661 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.
    [Show full text]
  • Gender and Literature
    english edition 2 2017 Gender and Literature issue editor ANNA NASIŁOWSKA SŁAWOMIR BURYŁA Manly Fascism AGNIESZKA DAUKSZA KwieKulik as an Unknown: A Neo-Avant-gardist Laboratory of Experience ARÁNZAZU CALDERÓN PUERTA The Theme of Rape in Ida Fink’s Aryan Papers and Tadeusz Słobodzianek’s Our Class KRYSTYNA KŁOSIŃSKA The Secret of the Dulskis’ Establishment WOJCIECH ŚMIEJA A Piece of Fedora Cake: The Male-Centric Imagination of Jerzy Andrzejewski and the Scholarly Reconnaissance MONIKA ŚWIERKOSZ Arachne and Athena: Towards a Different Poetics of Women’s Writing teksty drugie · Institute of Literary Research Polish Academy of Science index 337412 · pl issn 0867-0633 EDITORIAL BOARD Agata Bielik-Robson (uk), Włodzimierz Bolecki, Maria Delaperrière (France), Ewa Domańska, Grzegorz Grochowski, Zdzisław Łapiński, Michał Paweł Markowski (usa), Maciej Maryl, Jakub Momro, Anna Nasiłowska (Deputy Editor-in-Chief), Leonard Neuger (Sweden), Ryszard Nycz (Editor-in-Chief), Bożena Shallcross (usa), Marta Zielińska, Tul’si Bhambry (English Translator and Language Consultant), Justyna Tabaszewska, Marta Bukowiecka (Managing Editor) ADVISORY BOARD Edward Balcerzan, Stanisław Barańczak (usa) , Małgorzata Czermińska, Paweł Dybel, Knut Andreas Grimstad (Norway), Jerzy Jarzębski, Bożena Karwowska (Canada), Krzysztof Kłosiński, Dorota Krawczyńska, Vladimir Krysinski (Canada), Luigi Marinelli (Italy), Arent van Nieukerken (the Netherlands), Ewa Rewers, German Ritz (Switzerland), Henryk Siewierski (Brasil), Janusz Sławiński , Ewa Thompson (usa), Joanna Tokarska-Bakir,
    [Show full text]
  • POLISH INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING, 1976-1989 a Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate Scho
    MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD: POLISH INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING, 1976-1989 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History. By Siobhan K. Doucette, M.A. Washington, DC April 11, 2013 Copyright 2013 by Siobhan K. Doucette All Rights Reserved ii MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD: POLISH INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING, 1976-1989 Siobhan K. Doucette, M.A. Thesis Advisor: Andrzej S. Kamiński, Ph.D. ABSTRACT This dissertation analyzes the rapid growth of Polish independent publishing between 1976 and 1989, examining the ways in which publications were produced as well as their content. Widespread, long-lasting independent publishing efforts were first produced by individuals connected to the democratic opposition; particularly those associated with KOR and ROPCiO. Independent publishing expanded dramatically during the Solidarity-era when most publications were linked to Solidarity, Rural Solidarity or NZS. By the mid-1980s, independent publishing obtained new levels of pluralism and diversity as publications were produced through a bevy of independent social milieus across every segment of society. Between 1976 and 1989, thousands of independent titles were produced in Poland. Rather than employing samizdat printing techniques, independent publishers relied on printing machines which allowed for independent publication print-runs in the thousands and even tens of thousands, placing Polish independent publishing on an incomparably greater scale than in any other country in the Communist bloc. By breaking through social atomization and linking up individuals and milieus across class, geographic and political divides, independent publications became the backbone of the opposition; distribution networks provided the organizational structure for the Polish underground.
    [Show full text]
  • MAKING SENSE of CZESLAW MILOSZ: a POET's FORMATIVE DIALOGUE with HIS TRANSNATIONAL AUDIENCES by Joanna Mazurska
    MAKING SENSE OF CZESLAW MILOSZ: A POET’S FORMATIVE DIALOGUE WITH HIS TRANSNATIONAL AUDIENCES By Joanna Mazurska Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Vanderbilt University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in History August, 2013 Nashville, Tennessee Approved: Professor Michael Bess Professor Marci Shore Professor Helmut W. Smith Professor Frank Wcislo Professor Meike Werner To my parents, Grazyna and Piotr Mazurscy II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to the members of my Dissertation Committee: Michael Bess, Marci Shore, Helmut Smith, Frank Wcislo, and Meike Werner. Each of them has contributed enormously to my project through providing professional guidance and encouragement. It is with immense gratitude that I acknowledge the support of my mentor Professor Michael Bess, who has been for me a constant source of intellectual inspiration, and whose generosity and sense of humor has brightened my academic path from the very first day in graduate school. My thesis would have remained a dream had it not been for the institutional and financial support of my academic home - the Vanderbilt Department of History. I am grateful for the support from the Vanderbilt Graduate School Summer Research Fund, the George J. Graham Jr. Fellowship at the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities, the Max Kade Center Graduate Student Research Grant, the National Program for the Development of the Humanities Grant from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the New York University Remarque Institute Visiting Fellowship. I wish to thank to my friends at the Vanderbilt Department of History who have kept me company on this journey with Milosz.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction
    INTRODUCTION Th e vibrant, multicultural mosaic of prewar Polish culture was destroyed during World War II. Poland lost more than six million inhabitants, almost 22 percent of the entire population. Th at number includes about three million Polish Jews, approximately 90 percent of Polish Jewry, who perished during the war in the ghettos and extermination camps built by Nazi Germany in occupied Polish territories.1 In a dispute with several historians who argued that Polish anti-Semitism and the indiff erence of Polish “bystanders” determined the fate of the Jewish population, Lucy S. Dawidowicz declares in her book, Th e Holocaust and the Historians, that “the Germans used Poland as their gigantic laboratory for mass murder, not (as has sometimes been wrongly charged) because the Nazis counted on Polish anti-Semitism, but because that was where most of Europe’s Jews were concentrated and where the Germans expected to settle for a long time.”2 James E. Young perceptively comments in a similar manner in his acclaimed book Th e Texture of Memory: “Th at the death camps were located on Polish soil suggests to the Poles not their national complicity, but their ultimate violation: it was one thing to be ravaged outside one’s land, another to be occupied and enslaved at home. In this view, the killing centers in Poland were to have begun with the Jews and ended with the Poles.”3 Today, there are probably no more than ten thousand Jews living in Poland, compared with 3.3 million before the war. Like other European countries, Poland was subsequently able to rebuild its economy and to redevelop its culture.
    [Show full text]
  • Polish & Polish-American
    OHIO UNIVERSITY PRESS POLISH & POLISH-AMERICAN STUDIES SERIES his series revisits the historical and contemporary experi- Tences of one of America’s largest ethnic groups and the history of a European homeland that has played an important role in twentieth-century world affairs. The Polish and Pol- ish-American Studies Series publishes innovative monographs and more general works that offer new, critical, revisionist, or comparative perspectives in the fi eld. Interdisciplinary and mul- tidisciplinary in profi le, the series recruits manuscripts on Polish immigration and ethnic communities and on their country of origin and its various peoples. FORTHCOMING THE EXILE MISSION The Polish Political Diaspora and THE LAW OF THE Polish Americans, 1939–1956 LOOKING GLASS Anna D. Jaroszy ´nska-Kirchmann Cinema in Poland, 1896–1939 WINNER OF THE 2001 KULCZYCKI PRIZE AWARDED BY Sheila Skaff THE POLISH AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION WINNER OF THE 2004 OSKAR HALECKI PRIZE “The originality of the book lies in its treatment of A groundbreaking look at the interplay Polish cinema prior to World War II, about which between the established Polish-American very little has been written. Moreover, the author community and the refugee community draws on considerable research in Polish-lan- and a compelling analysis of the vigorous debate guage sources, including various fi lm publications, about ethnic identity and immigrant responsibil- which few scholars have examined.” ity toward the homeland. —Charles O’Brien 384 pages, illus. 256 pages, illus. 978-0-8214-1526-9 hc $35.00 978-0-8214-1784-3 hc $34.95 FORTHCOMING TESTAMENTS ROME’S MOST FAITHFUL Two Novellas of Emigration and Exile DAUGHTER Danuta Mostwin The Catholic Church and Independent Testaments presents two novellas until Poland, 1914–1939 now unavailable in English trans lation— Neal Pease The Last Will of Blaise Twardowski and Jocasta—powerful vignettes of life in Based on research carried out in four countries, immigrant America.
    [Show full text]
  • The Relationship Between Politics and the Memorialization of the Second World War in Polish Literature, Cinema, and Museums (1945-Present)
    The College of Wooster Open Works Senior Independent Study Theses 2020 Contested Commemoration: The Relationship Between Politics and the Memorialization of the Second World War in Polish Literature, Cinema, and Museums (1945-Present) Alexandria Joyner The College of Wooster, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy Part of the European History Commons, Holocaust and Genocide Studies Commons, and the Political History Commons Recommended Citation Joyner, Alexandria, "Contested Commemoration: The Relationship Between Politics and the Memorialization of the Second World War in Polish Literature, Cinema, and Museums (1945-Present)" (2020). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 8985. This Senior Independent Study Thesis Exemplar is brought to you by Open Works, a service of The College of Wooster Libraries. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Independent Study Theses by an authorized administrator of Open Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. © Copyright 2020 Alexandria Joyner Contested Commemoration: The Relationship Between Politics and the Memorialization of the Second World War in Polish Literature, Cinema, and Museums (1945-Present) by Alexandria M. Joyner Presented in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements of Senior Independent Study Supervised by Dr. Greg Shaya Department of History Spring 2020 Abstract This study examines the relationship between politics and the memory of the Second World War in Polish literature, cinema, and museums from 1945-Present. I argue that the memory of the Second World War has changed radically over the last seventy- five years as the Polish government, in both the communist and post-communist periods, pursued a politics of memory.
    [Show full text]
  • Karolina Wigura
    Poland, Europe and Forgiveness as a Political Strategy after World War II By Karolina Wigura The July heat of 1946 “Kielce – July 4th, 1946” read the title of an article by Polish historian Krystyna Kersten, published in the 38th issue of Tygodnik Solidarność on December 4th, 19811. Kersten depicted the first few days of July 1946 in post-war Kielce, one of the larger towns in southern Poland. A few days before the events described by her, on June 30th, a referendum was held, in which 10 million Poles, the majority of people entitled to vote, demonstrated their negative attitude towards the newly installed communist authorities in Warsaw. In the tense atmosphere, which after the referendum prevailed all over the country, a bloody pogrom of the Jewish inhabitants of Kielce occurred. The official propaganda spoke of “a provocation by reactionary elements” and claimed that among the angry mob members of the anti-communist (in the wording of the propaganda: fascist) Anders’ Army were to be seen. Historians know today that there was a grain of truth in this statement: it was indeed a provocation, only its authors were the communist authorities. In the morning of July 4th, 1946, a boy came back home after a few days of absence. He told his parents that he had been kidnapped and imprisoned in a basement. At the time rumours circulated in town about ritual murders of children committed by Jewish inhabitants, and thus the parents jumped to the conclusion that their son had miraculously escaped from such a deadly trap. The nearest militia unit was informed.
    [Show full text]
  • Gazeta Vol. 24, No. 1 Fall 2016 \ Winter 2017
    Leonard Cohen September 21, 1934-November 7, 2016 Photo: Photofest Volume 24, No. 1 Gazeta Fall 2016/Winter 2017 A quarterly publication of the American Association for Polish-Jewish Studies and Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture Editorial & Design: Fay Bussgang, Julian Bussgang, Dr. Antony Polonsky, Shana Penn, Vera Hannush, Alice Lawrence, Maayan Stanton, Agnieszka Ilwicka, LaserCom Design. Front Cover: Leonard Cohen. Photo: Photofest. Back Cover: Andrzej Wajda. Photo: Andrzej Zbraniecki/PAP. TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from Irene Pipes ............................................................................................... 2 Message from Tad Taube and Shana Penn ................................................................... 3 FEATURES Interview with Maria Piechotkowa Filip Lech and Mikołaj Gliński .................................................................................................. 4 Notes from a Polish Jewish Feminist Agnieszka Graff ..................................................................................................................... 9 AWARDS Jan Karski Promoted by the President of Poland ......................................................... 14 Professor Moshe Rosman Awarded PhD honoris causa at the University of Wrocław ..................................................................................................... 14 Professor Ewa Geller Receives YIVO’s Karski Award .................................................. 15 Polityka Book Awards ....................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Memory of the Nazi Camps in Poland, 1944-1950
    Arrested Mourning WARSAW STUDIES IN CONTEMPORARY HISTORY Edited by Dariusz Stola / Machteld Venken VOLUME 2 Zofia Wóycicka Arrested Mourning Memory of the Nazi Camps in Poland, 1944-1950 Translated by Jasper Tilbury Bibliographic Information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available in the internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de. This publication is funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland. Editorial assistance by Jessica Taylor-Kucia. Cover image: A Red Army soldier liberating a camp prisoner (Za Wolność i Lud, 1-15 Apr. 1950). Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wóycicka, Zofia, author. [Przerwana żałoba. English] Arrested mourning : memory of the Nazi camps in Poland, 1944-1950 / Zofia Wóycicka. pages cm. -- (Warsaw studies in contemporary history; volume 2) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-3-631-63642-8 1. Collective memory--Poland. 2. World War, 1939-1945--Prisoners and prisons, German. 3. World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--Poland. I. Title. HM1027.P7W6813 2013 940.54'7243--dc23 2013037453 ISSN 2195-1187 ISBN 978-3-631-63642-8 (Print) E-ISBN 978-3-653-03883-5 (E-Book) DOI 10.3726/978-3-653-03883-5 Open Access: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 unported license. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ © Zofia Wóycicka, 2013 Peter Lang – Frankfurt am Main · Bern · Bruxelles · New York · Oxford · Warszawa · Wien This book is part of the Peter Lang Edition list and was peer reviewed prior to publication.
    [Show full text]
  • Note on the Author
    Note on the Author JERZY ANDRZEJEWSKI (1909–83), one of modern Poland’s most versatile prose writers and one of the best known outside Poland, was born in Warsaw. He attended the University of Warsaw from 1927 to 1931, where he majored in Polish literature but left without receiving a degree. His first collection of short stories, Unavoidable Roads (Drogi nieukniknione), appeared in 1936, followed by the widely acclaimed novel Mode of the Heart (Ład serca). During the Second World War, he was active in the literary underground. His first postwar novels were Holy Week, published as part of the volume Night (Noc, 1945), and the much better known Ashes and Diamonds (Popiół i diament, 1948), which dealt with the adjustments Poles had to make following their country’s forced entry into the Soviet sphere of influence. These works established Andrzejewski’s reputation as a writer of moral conflict and dilemma in the tradition of the French existentialists. Before the war, Andrzejewski had been an outspoken opponent of the intrusion of politics into literature. In the early postwar years, however, he increasingly accommodated himself to the political reality of the time, joining the Polish United Workers’ Party (Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza) in 1950. He soon thereafter published an infamous manifesto in which he subjected his previous work to criticism and pledged allegiance to Marxist doctrine. Throughout the early 1950s, he played the role of publicist and ardent spokesman for the party line. The year 1954 found Andrzejewski politically sanitizing a new edition of Ashes and Diamonds, which became required reading in the schools.
    [Show full text]
  • A Novel of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (Wielki Tydzień)
    Holy Week: A Novel of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (Wielki Tydzień) Author: Jerzy Andrzejewski First Published: in Night (Noc, 1945) Translations: Czech (in Noc, 1947); German (Die Karwoche, 1948; new translation Warschauer Karwoche, 1964); Slovak (in Noc, 1950); Chinese (Kunan de yizhou, 1954); Hungarian (Nagyhét Varsóban. Regény, 1966); Swedish (Dödens karusell, 1980), French (Sous le regard des autres, 1985); English (Holy Week: A Novel of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, 2007). Film Adaptation: Wielki Tydzień (The Holy Week), feature film, screenplay and film di- rector Andrzej Wajda, premiered 1st of March, 1996. About the Author: Jerzy Andrzejewski (1909–1983) was a writer and essayist. He was born in Warsaw, where he lived almost all his life. At the University of Warsaw he stu- died Polish philology. Following his literary debut in 1932, Andrzejewski’s first book, Unavoidable Roads, was published in 1936. In the late 1930s, Andrzejewski became increasingly devout, and his novel Mode of the Heart has been considered by critics as representative of “Catholic humanism” (Parnicki, 1938, quoted by Synoradzka- Demadre, 2002, p. XI). In 1938 he made a donation to German Jews fleeing their home- land to seek refuge in Poland. As a result, he was criticised by right-wing circles (p. XII). During the occupation, he took part in the underground cultural life of Warsaw. The stories he wrote during this period deal mainly with the reality of the war – the Nazi occupation, conspiracy, executions, and concentration camps. As Synoradzka- Demadre states, “these works share an interest in human attitudes under extreme con- ditions” (p. XIII). After the war, Andrzejewski’s political views were influenced by Marxism, and starting in the mid-1950s, he actively took part in democratic opposi- tion.
    [Show full text]