Louis-Christophe Zaleski-Zamenhof
Encyclopedia
Louis-Christophe Zaleski-Zamenhof (born Ludvik Zamenhof, 23 January 1925 in Warsaw
) is a civil
and marine engineer
, specializing in the design of structural steel
and concrete
construction. He is a grandson of L. L. Zamenhof
, the originator of the international auxiliary language Esperanto
. Since the 1960s he has lived in France.
, he and his mother Wanda barely escaped deportation to the Nazi death camp at Treblinka where his aunts Zofia Zamenhof and Lidia Zamenhof
were murdered. The teenager remained in hiding within Poland under the false name of 'Krzysztof Zaleski', a name he maintained afterwards in remembrance of the ordeal.
During that time, he worked in a tomato field together with a Pole who happened to speak Esperanto
; this person once tried to recruit him to the cause, asking him: Ĉu vi konas Esperanton? ("Do you know Esperanto?"). 'Christoph' blurted out: Ho jes, mi konas; ĝin inventis mia avo! ("Oh yes, I know it; my grandfather invented it!") He immediately feared that he had been indiscreet and would be denounced and arrested, but nothing untoward occurred.
and marine engineering
, he began work as a professional engineer
. Beginning in Poland after World War II
and since the 1960s in France, he has designed precast concrete structures and projects ranging from deep-sea oil rig
s, sports complex
es, and the Charles de Gaulle
Memorial, which dominates the village of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises
. He has also taught the theory and techniques of land and sea construction at various academic institutions.
On 14 April 1999 Prof. Hanna Konopka, president of the Zamenhof Foundation of Białystok, announced that Pope John Paul II would be the first recipient of the Foundation's Tolerance Medal (Medalo de Toleremo). As well as the Esperantist
trustees of the Foundation, the award committee included eminent persons such as Archbishop Stanisław Szymecki
; the award met with general approval among the people of Białystok. Zaleski-Zamenhof presented the Tolerance Medal on 10 June 1999, during the Pope's historic visit to Poland
.
Dr. Zaleski-Zamenhof has written a foreword to L'homme qui a défié Babel ("The man who defied Babel", 2003), a French-language
biography, by René Centassi and Henri Masson
, of the originator of Esperanto.
in Zagreb
, Croatia
as not only the first such World Congress in the third millennium of the civil calendar but also the third century of Esperanto, reminding the delegates: "You came to discuss intercultural dialogue
, the pressing need for which inspired the initiation of the international language. In fact, almost all his biographies relate the story of the young Ludwik Łazarz Zamenhof
living in the multicultural city of Białystok, observing the animosity that then governed relations among the varied nationalities, not finding a commonly understandable language, a tool that was, as he said, necessary for dialogue among the respective cultures. Mutual dialogue enables people to understand and respect different cultures; without such an understanding, a foreign culture may appear strange or inimical and inspire disdain, contempt or hatred."
Indeed, he pointed out, the English word strange and the French word étrange both mean 'odd' or 'peculiar', while the related words stranger and étranger mean 'foreigner', and the neutral language used at World Congresses of Esperanto, which implies equality among linguistic communities, can respect other cultures yet strictly avoid imposing any particular mode of thought on them, even if they happen to be non-influential minorities.
The following year, Zaleski-Zamenhof sent a written greeting to the 87th World Congress meeting in Fortaleza
, Brazil
. Declaring that mankind is a species created for diversity, he congratulated the Brazilian hosts for the variegatedness of the nation's natural setting and the diversity of its peoples, customs and cultures and favourably compared Brazilians to the "great family circle" of worldwide Esperantism
, urging people to not to see cultural differences as a threat but as their good fortune.
In 2003 Dr. Zaleski-Zamenhof again addressed a World Congress, this time in Gothenburg
, Sweden
, recalling how, 60 years previous during World War II
, the very name of Gothenburg had for him and his family been emblematic of human rights and freedom: "To us, then in occupied Warsaw
, incarcerated within its infamous walls, Gothenburg was a fabled world from which, like the manna from the skies in Biblical times, a panoply of delicious foods used to come whose very existence we had by then long since forgotten. I will always remember the sender's name written on the packages: Einar Adamson, an Esperanto speaker from Gothenburg. I fondly remember having the chance in 1948 to meet him in person on the occasion of the Malmö
World Congress of Esperanto
, the only Congress I was able to attend during the decade after the war. At that time I also became acquainted with the city of Gothenburg
, and became a friend with Adamson's entire family; moreover, Einar's daughter remains my very dear friend."
Further, he called for harmony among peoples, for recognition of all people's right to speak their chosen language, including the neutral language of Esperanto, and for the ending of world hunger through support for an effective and measured campaign of action at UNESCO
and the United Nations
.
on behalf of the Zamenhof family, Louis-Christophe Zaleski-Zamenhof has nevertheless been disinclined to assume a leading role in the Esperanto movement. Though he had no plans to write an autobiography, Polish journalist Roman Dobrzyński persuaded him to participate in a series of conversations over a ten-year period, which resulted in La Zamenhof-strato ("Zamenhof Street", 2003), a book detailing his life during the Nazi occupation of Poland, including his experiences in the Warsaw Ghetto
and the Polish Resistance. Beyond an account of his own life, the book also relates the philosophy, history and tribulations of the Esperanto movement pioneered by his grandfather, and speculates as to the planned language
's future prospects. The book has now been published in Polish, Esperanto, Lithuanian, Czech, Japanese, Portuguese, Slovakian, French and Korean.
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
) is a civil
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
and marine engineer
Naval architecture
Naval architecture is an engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction, maintenance and operation of marine vessels and structures. Naval architecture involves basic and applied research, design, development, design evaluation and calculations during all stages of the life of a...
, specializing in the design of structural steel
Structural steel
Structural steel is steel construction material, a profile, formed with a specific shape or cross section and certain standards of chemical composition and mechanical properties...
and concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
construction. He is a grandson of L. L. Zamenhof
L. L. Zamenhof
Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof December 15, 1859 – April 14, 1917) was the inventor of Esperanto, the most successful constructed language designed for international communication.-Cultural background:...
, the originator of the international auxiliary language Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
. Since the 1960s he has lived in France.
Early years
After his father Adam Zamenhof was arrested and shot to death by the Nazis occupying PolandGeneral Government
The General Government was an area of Second Republic of Poland under Nazi German rule during World War II; designated as a separate region of the Third Reich between 1939–1945...
, he and his mother Wanda barely escaped deportation to the Nazi death camp at Treblinka where his aunts Zofia Zamenhof and Lidia Zamenhof
Lidia Zamenhof
Lidia Zamenhof was the youngest daughter of Ludwig Zamenhof, the creator of the international auxiliary language, Esperanto. She was born 29 January 1904 in Warsaw, then in the Russian Empire...
were murdered. The teenager remained in hiding within Poland under the false name of 'Krzysztof Zaleski', a name he maintained afterwards in remembrance of the ordeal.
During that time, he worked in a tomato field together with a Pole who happened to speak Esperanto
Esperantist
An Esperantist is a person who speaks or uses Esperanto. Etymologically, an Esperantist is someone who hopes...
; this person once tried to recruit him to the cause, asking him: Ĉu vi konas Esperanton? ("Do you know Esperanto?"). 'Christoph' blurted out: Ho jes, mi konas; ĝin inventis mia avo! ("Oh yes, I know it; my grandfather invented it!") He immediately feared that he had been indiscreet and would be denounced and arrested, but nothing untoward occurred.
Career
After earning a doctorate in civilCivil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
and marine engineering
Naval architecture
Naval architecture is an engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction, maintenance and operation of marine vessels and structures. Naval architecture involves basic and applied research, design, development, design evaluation and calculations during all stages of the life of a...
, he began work as a professional engineer
Professional Engineer
Regulation of the engineering profession is established by various jurisdictions of the world to protect the safety, well-being and other interests of the general public, and to define the licensure process through which an engineer becomes authorized to provide professional services to the...
. Beginning in Poland after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and since the 1960s in France, he has designed precast concrete structures and projects ranging from deep-sea oil rig
Oil platform
An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...
s, sports complex
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
es, and the Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
Memorial, which dominates the village of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises
Colombey-les-Deux-Églises
Colombey-les-Deux-Églises is a commune in the Haute-Marne department in north-eastern France.The municipality Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises was created administratively in 1793, and it became part of the district of Chaumont and the canton Blaise. In 1801, under the name Colombey, it passed to the...
. He has also taught the theory and techniques of land and sea construction at various academic institutions.
On 14 April 1999 Prof. Hanna Konopka, president of the Zamenhof Foundation of Białystok, announced that Pope John Paul II would be the first recipient of the Foundation's Tolerance Medal (Medalo de Toleremo). As well as the Esperantist
Esperantist
An Esperantist is a person who speaks or uses Esperanto. Etymologically, an Esperantist is someone who hopes...
trustees of the Foundation, the award committee included eminent persons such as Archbishop Stanisław Szymecki
Stanisław Szymecki
Stanisław Szymecki is an Polish Prelate of Roman Catholic Church.Stanisław Szymecki was born in Katowice and was ordained a priest on July 3, 1947. Szymecki was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Kielce on March 27, 1981 and ordained April 12, 1981...
; the award met with general approval among the people of Białystok. Zaleski-Zamenhof presented the Tolerance Medal on 10 June 1999, during the Pope's historic visit to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Dr. Zaleski-Zamenhof has written a foreword to L'homme qui a défié Babel ("The man who defied Babel", 2003), a French-language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
biography, by René Centassi and Henri Masson
Henri Masson
Henri Masson was a French fencer who competed in the late 19th century and early 20th century.He participated in Fencing at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and won the silver medal in the foil. He was defeated by fellow French fencer Émile Coste in the final.-References:...
, of the originator of Esperanto.
World Congress addresses
In a 2001 speech, Dr. Zaleski-Zamenhof characterized the 86th World Congress of EsperantoWorld Congress of Esperanto
The World Congress of Esperanto has the longest tradition among international Esperanto conventions, with an almost unbroken run of more than a hundred years. The congresses have been held since 1905 every year, except during World Wars I and II...
in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
as not only the first such World Congress in the third millennium of the civil calendar but also the third century of Esperanto, reminding the delegates: "You came to discuss intercultural dialogue
Intercultural communication principles
Intercultural communication principles guide the process of exchanging meaningful and unambiguous information across cultural boundaries, in a way that preserves mutual respect and minimises antagonism. For these purposes, culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values,...
, the pressing need for which inspired the initiation of the international language. In fact, almost all his biographies relate the story of the young Ludwik Łazarz Zamenhof
L. L. Zamenhof
Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof December 15, 1859 – April 14, 1917) was the inventor of Esperanto, the most successful constructed language designed for international communication.-Cultural background:...
living in the multicultural city of Białystok, observing the animosity that then governed relations among the varied nationalities, not finding a commonly understandable language, a tool that was, as he said, necessary for dialogue among the respective cultures. Mutual dialogue enables people to understand and respect different cultures; without such an understanding, a foreign culture may appear strange or inimical and inspire disdain, contempt or hatred."
Indeed, he pointed out, the English word strange and the French word étrange both mean 'odd' or 'peculiar', while the related words stranger and étranger mean 'foreigner', and the neutral language used at World Congresses of Esperanto, which implies equality among linguistic communities, can respect other cultures yet strictly avoid imposing any particular mode of thought on them, even if they happen to be non-influential minorities.
The following year, Zaleski-Zamenhof sent a written greeting to the 87th World Congress meeting in Fortaleza
Fortaleza
Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. With a population close to 2.5 million , Fortaleza is the 5th largest city in Brazil. It has an area of and one of the highest demographic densities in the country...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Declaring that mankind is a species created for diversity, he congratulated the Brazilian hosts for the variegatedness of the nation's natural setting and the diversity of its peoples, customs and cultures and favourably compared Brazilians to the "great family circle" of worldwide Esperantism
Esperantist
An Esperantist is a person who speaks or uses Esperanto. Etymologically, an Esperantist is someone who hopes...
, urging people to not to see cultural differences as a threat but as their good fortune.
In 2003 Dr. Zaleski-Zamenhof again addressed a World Congress, this time in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, recalling how, 60 years previous during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the very name of Gothenburg had for him and his family been emblematic of human rights and freedom: "To us, then in occupied Warsaw
Warsaw Ghetto
The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of all Jewish Ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. It was established in the Polish capital between October and November 15, 1940, in the territory of General Government of the German-occupied Poland, with over 400,000 Jews from the vicinity...
, incarcerated within its infamous walls, Gothenburg was a fabled world from which, like the manna from the skies in Biblical times, a panoply of delicious foods used to come whose very existence we had by then long since forgotten. I will always remember the sender's name written on the packages: Einar Adamson, an Esperanto speaker from Gothenburg. I fondly remember having the chance in 1948 to meet him in person on the occasion of the Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
World Congress of Esperanto
World Congress of Esperanto
The World Congress of Esperanto has the longest tradition among international Esperanto conventions, with an almost unbroken run of more than a hundred years. The congresses have been held since 1905 every year, except during World Wars I and II...
, the only Congress I was able to attend during the decade after the war. At that time I also became acquainted with the city of Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, and became a friend with Adamson's entire family; moreover, Einar's daughter remains my very dear friend."
Further, he called for harmony among peoples, for recognition of all people's right to speak their chosen language, including the neutral language of Esperanto, and for the ending of world hunger through support for an effective and measured campaign of action at UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
and the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
Zamenhof Street biography
Thoroughly committed to the Esperanto cause, as attested by his customary public greetings to World Congresses of EsperantoWorld Congress of Esperanto
The World Congress of Esperanto has the longest tradition among international Esperanto conventions, with an almost unbroken run of more than a hundred years. The congresses have been held since 1905 every year, except during World Wars I and II...
on behalf of the Zamenhof family, Louis-Christophe Zaleski-Zamenhof has nevertheless been disinclined to assume a leading role in the Esperanto movement. Though he had no plans to write an autobiography, Polish journalist Roman Dobrzyński persuaded him to participate in a series of conversations over a ten-year period, which resulted in La Zamenhof-strato ("Zamenhof Street", 2003), a book detailing his life during the Nazi occupation of Poland, including his experiences in the Warsaw Ghetto
Warsaw Ghetto
The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of all Jewish Ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. It was established in the Polish capital between October and November 15, 1940, in the territory of General Government of the German-occupied Poland, with over 400,000 Jews from the vicinity...
and the Polish Resistance. Beyond an account of his own life, the book also relates the philosophy, history and tribulations of the Esperanto movement pioneered by his grandfather, and speculates as to the planned language
Constructed language
A planned or constructed language—known colloquially as a conlang—is a language whose phonology, grammar, and/or vocabulary has been consciously devised by an individual or group, instead of having evolved naturally...
's future prospects. The book has now been published in Polish, Esperanto, Lithuanian, Czech, Japanese, Portuguese, Slovakian, French and Korean.
Writings
- J. P. Bonin, G. Deleuil and L. C. Zaleski-Zamenhof. "Foundation analysis of marine gravity structures submitted to cyclic loading." Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas (1976). pp. 571–579
External links
- (eo) L. C. Zaleski-Zamenhof, Address to World Congress of Esperanto, 1958 - Audio extract (49 sec.) of speech recorded on the CDCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
Tiel Sonis: Universalaj Kongresoj and available from the Esperanto Association of BritainEsperanto Association of BritainThe Esperanto Association of Britain is a registered educational charity whose objective is to advance the education of the public in the international language Esperanto....
or the World Esperanto AssociationWorld Esperanto AssociationThe World Esperanto Association is the largest international organization of Esperanto speakers, with members in 121 countries and in official relations with the United Nations and UNESCO. In addition to individual members, 70 national Esperanto organizations are affiliated to UEA...
. - (fr) http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/louis-zaleski-zamenhoflunesco/12882143/ Louis Zeleski Zamenhof à l'UNESCO - Video (13 min. 12 sec.) of speech to UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in Paris (15 December 2008) for the 149th anniversary of the birth of L. L. ZamenhofL. L. ZamenhofLudwig Lazarus Zamenhof December 15, 1859 – April 14, 1917) was the inventor of Esperanto, the most successful constructed language designed for international communication.-Cultural background:...
.