Melchior Wankowicz
Encyclopedia
Melchior Wańkowicz was a Polish
writer
, journalist
and publisher. He is most famous for his reporting for the Polish Armed Forces in the West
during World War II
and writing a book about the battle of Monte Cassino
.
near Minsk
. He attended school in Warsaw
, then the Jagiellonian University
in Kraków
, which he graduated from in 1922. An activist in the Polish independence movement, he was an officer in the Riflemen Union (Związek Strzelecki). During the First World War he fought in the Polish I Corps in Russia
under General Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki
.
After the war he worked as a journalist, for a time working as a chief of the press department in the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 1926 he founded a publishing agency, "Rój". He also worked in the advertising business, coining a popular slogan for the advertisement of sugar - "cukier krzepi" (sugar strengthens). He wrote three books during the interwar period, all of them gaining him increasing fame and popularity. A few decades later he coined another famous slogan - "LOTem bliżej" ("closer with LOT"), advertising the Polish LOT airlines.
After the German invasion of Poland he lived for a while in Romania
, where he wrote about the events of the Polish September. Later, from 1943 to 1946 he undertook what would be perhaps his most famous endeavour - he become a war correspondent for the Polish Armed Forces in the West
. Later he wrote an account of the battle of Monte Cassino
, his most famous book. One of his daughters, Krystyna, died as a member of Polish resistance Armia Krajowa
during the Warsaw Uprising
in 1944.
From 1949 to 1958 he lived in the United States
, afterwards returning to communist Poland
. He opposed the communist regime, writing and lecturing about the Polish Forces in the West (whose participation was minimized by the government, which tried to emphasize the role of the Soviet-aligned Berling Army). His most known work is a three tome book about the battle of Monte Cassino
, a tribute to the soldiers of the Anders Army
- a book that was published in Poland only in a shortened, censored form (until the fall of communism in 1990).
After he cosigned the letter of 34 in 1964, protesting against the censorship
, he was repressed by the government - the publication of his works was prohibited, and he was himself arrested, charged with slander of Poland and "spreading anti-Polish propaganda abroad" (partially due to the publication of some of his works by Radio Free Europe
, but the chief evidence was a private letter to his daughter living in the USA) and sentenced to three years of imprisonment. However the sentence was never executed, and he was rehabilitated in 1990, after the fall of communism in Poland.
Wańkowicz died on 10 September 1974.
Aleksandra Ziolkowska-Boehm has written introductions, footnotes, etc., to:
in Warsaw
, the Higher School of Journalism, founded in 1995, is named after Wańkowicz.http://www.wsd.edu.pl/
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...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and publisher. He is most famous for his reporting for the Polish Armed Forces in the West
Polish Armed Forces in the West
Polish Armed Forces in the West refers to the Polish military formations formed to fight alongside the Western Allies against Nazi Germany and its allies...
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...
and writing a book about the battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
.
Biography
Melchior Wańkowicz was born on 10 January 1892 in KalużyceBerazino Raion
Berazino Raion is a second-level administrative subdivision of Minsk Voblast, Belarus. Its capital is the town of Berazino.-External links:...
near Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
. He attended school in Warsaw
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...
, then the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, which he graduated from in 1922. An activist in the Polish independence movement, he was an officer in the Riflemen Union (Związek Strzelecki). During the First World War he fought in the Polish I Corps in Russia
Polish I Corps in Russia
Polish I Corps in Russia was a Polish military formation formed in Belarus, in August 1917 in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917, from soldiers of Polish origin serving in the Russian Army...
under General Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki
Józef Dowbor-Musnicki
Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki was a Polish military officer and commander, serving with the Imperial Russian and then Polish armies...
.
After the war he worked as a journalist, for a time working as a chief of the press department in the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 1926 he founded a publishing agency, "Rój". He also worked in the advertising business, coining a popular slogan for the advertisement of sugar - "cukier krzepi" (sugar strengthens). He wrote three books during the interwar period, all of them gaining him increasing fame and popularity. A few decades later he coined another famous slogan - "LOTem bliżej" ("closer with LOT"), advertising the Polish LOT airlines.
After the German invasion of Poland he lived for a while in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, where he wrote about the events of the Polish September. Later, from 1943 to 1946 he undertook what would be perhaps his most famous endeavour - he become a war correspondent for the Polish Armed Forces in the West
Polish Armed Forces in the West
Polish Armed Forces in the West refers to the Polish military formations formed to fight alongside the Western Allies against Nazi Germany and its allies...
. Later he wrote an account of the battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
, his most famous book. One of his daughters, Krystyna, died as a member of Polish resistance Armia Krajowa
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
during the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
in 1944.
From 1949 to 1958 he lived in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, afterwards returning to communist Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
. He opposed the communist regime, writing and lecturing about the Polish Forces in the West (whose participation was minimized by the government, which tried to emphasize the role of the Soviet-aligned Berling Army). His most known work is a three tome book about the battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
, a tribute to the soldiers of the Anders Army
Anders Army
The Anders Army was the informal yet common name of the Polish Armed Forces in the East in the period 1941-1942, in recognition of its commander Władysław Anders...
- a book that was published in Poland only in a shortened, censored form (until the fall of communism in 1990).
After he cosigned the letter of 34 in 1964, protesting against the censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
, he was repressed by the government - the publication of his works was prohibited, and he was himself arrested, charged with slander of Poland and "spreading anti-Polish propaganda abroad" (partially due to the publication of some of his works by Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East "where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed"...
, but the chief evidence was a private letter to his daughter living in the USA) and sentenced to three years of imprisonment. However the sentence was never executed, and he was rehabilitated in 1990, after the fall of communism in Poland.
Wańkowicz died on 10 September 1974.
Works
- Anoda-katoda
- Bitwa o Monte Cassino (t. 1-3 1945-47)
- C.O.P – ognisko siły (1938)
- Czerwień i Amarant
- De profundis
- Drogą do Urzędowa (1955)
- Dwie prawdy (połączone w jednym wydaniu dwie rzeczy: "Hubalczycy" i "Westerplatte")
- Dzieje rodziny Korzeniewskich
- Hubalczycy (1959)
- Karafka La Fontaine'a (t. 1 1972, t. 2 pośm. 1980)
- Kaźń Mikołaja II
- Klub trzeciego miejsca (1949)
- Kundlizm (1947)
- Monte Cassino (skróc. wyd. krajowe Bitwy o Monte Cassino, 1957)
- Na tropach Smętka (1936)
- Od Stołpców po Kair (1969)
- Opierzona rewolucja (1934)
- Polacy i Ameryka
- Prosto od krowy (1965)
- Przez cztery klimaty 1912-1972 (1972)
- Reportaże zagraniczne
- Strzępy epopei
- Szczenięce lata (1934)
- Szkice spod Monte Cassino (1969)
- Szpital w Cichiniczach (1925)
- Sztafeta (1939)
- Tędy i owędy (1961)
- Tworzywo (Nowy Jork 1954, wyd. kraj. 1960)
- W kościołach Meksyku (1927)
- W ślady Kolumba (cz. 1 Atlantyk-Pacyfik 1967, cz. 2 Królik i oceany 1968, cz. 3 W pępku Ameryki 1969)
- Walczący Gryf (1964)
- Westerplatte (1959)
- Wojna i pióro (1974)
- Wrzesień żagwiący (1947)
- Ziele na kraterze (1951, wyd. krajowe 1957)
- Zupa na gwoździu (1967, wyd. 3 pt. Zupa na gwoździu – doprawiona 1972)
Aleksandra Ziolkowska-Boehm has written introductions, footnotes, etc., to:
- Melchior Wankowicz, Reportaze zagraniczne (Reportage from Abroad), Kraków, 1981, ISBN 83-08-00488-1
- Series: Dziela emigracyjne i przedwojenne Melchiora Wankowicza (8 titles), Warsaw, 1989–1995
- Korespondencja Krystyny i Melchiora Wankowiczow (Correspondence between Krystyna and Melchior Wankowicz), Warsaw, 1992, ISBN 83-85443-21-5
- Jerzy Giedroyc and Melchior Wankowicz, Listy 1945-1963 (Series: Archiwum Kultury; correspondence between Jerzy Giedroyc and Melchior Wankowicz), Warsaw, 2000, ISBN 83-07-02779-9
- King i Krolik. Korespondencja Zofii i Melchiora Wankowiczow (correspondence between Zofia and Melchior Wankowicz), Warsaw, 2004, ISBN 83-7163-496-X
Legacy
A private journalism school on ulica Nowy ŚwiatNowy Swiat Street
Ulica Nowy Świat is one of the main historic thoroughfares of Warsaw.It comprises part of the Royal Route that runs from Warsaw's Royal Castle and Old Town, south to King Jan III Sobieski's 17th-century royal residence at Wilanów....
in Warsaw
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...
, the Higher School of Journalism, founded in 1995, is named after Wańkowicz.http://www.wsd.edu.pl/
External links
- Correspondences between Wańkowicz and Jerzy GiedroycJerzy GiedroycJerzy Giedroyc was a Polish writer and political activist....
Sarmatian ReviewSarmatian ReviewSarmatian Review is an English language peer reviewed academic journal on the Slavistics published by Polish Institute of Houston at Rice University three times a year in January, April, and September...
September 1999 - Boguslaw Wlodawiec, Melchior Wankowicz
- MELCHIOR WAŃKOWICZ, culture.pl
- Melchior Wańkowicz (1892-1974), Gazeta WyborczaGazeta WyborczaGazeta Wyborcza is a leading Polish newspaper. It covers the gamut of political, international and general news. Like all the Polish newspapers, it is printed on compact-sized paper, and is published by the multimedia corporation Agora SA...
, 2004-12-22 - Melchior Wańkowicz, biography in "Tworzywo", an online monthly of Wyższa Szkoła Dziennikarska im. Melchiora Wańkowicza
- Melchior Wańkowicz in Encyklopedia WIEM