Leon Kruczkowski (28 June 1900 – 1 August 1962) was a Polish writer, publicist and public figure.Kruczkowski, Leon
The Free Dictionary/The Great Soviet Encyclopedia He wrote books and dramas and was prominent in Polish theatre of the post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

period. His best known work is the drama ''Niemcy'' ('The

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

'), written in 1949. A

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

activist before

, Kruczkowski spent the war in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

camps. After the war, he became active in politics of communist-ruled Poland. He was a deputy minister of culture and art in 1945–1948, member of Polish parliament (''

Sejm The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of ...

'') from 1947 to 1962, and member of the

Polish Council of State The Council of State of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Rada Państwa) was introduced by the Small Constitution of 1947 as an organ of executive power. The Council of State consisted of the President of the Republic of Poland as chairman, the Marsha ...

from 1957. He had significant influence on Polish cultural policies of the period.

Biography

Kruczkowski was born on 28 June 1900 in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

. While completing his higher education in chemistry and technology, he published his first poems around 1918 and 1919. He moved to the

Dąbrowa Basin The Dąbrowa Basin (also, Dąbrowa Coal Basin) or Zagłębie Dąbrowskie () is a geographical and historical region in southern Poland. It forms western part of Lesser Poland, though it shares some cultural and historical features with the neighbo ...

, where in 1928 he published his first poetry anthology, ''Młoty nad światem'' ('Hammers over the World'), and in 1932 his first novel, a "peasant response to

Juliusz Słowacki Juliusz Słowacki (; french: Jules Slowacki; 4 September 1809 – 3 April 1849) was a Polish Romantic poet. He is considered one of the " Three Bards" of Polish literature — a major figure in the Polish Romantic period, and the father of m ...

's '' Kordian''", entitled ''Kordian i cham'' ('Kordian and the Boor').

Czesław Miłosz Czesław Miłosz (, also , ; 30 June 1911 – 14 August 2004) was a Polish-American poet, prose writer, translator, and diplomat. Regarded as one of the great poets of the 20th century, he won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature. In its citation, ...

, ''The History of Polish Literature'', University of California Press, 1983,
Google Print, p.428-429
/ref> He became a full-time writer, moved back to Kraków and in 1935 wrote the first of his dramas, ''Bohater naszych czasów'' ('Hero of our Times'). It was rewritten three years later as ''Przygoda z Vaterlandem'' ('An Adventure with Vaterland'), both versions notable for their strong critique of

Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) i ...

. He also wrote essays published in leftist magazines and newspapers, and political brochures: ''Człowiek i powszedność'' ('Man and Daily Reality', 1936), ''W klimacie dyktatury'' ('In the Climate of Dictatorship', 1938), ''Dlaczego jestem socjalistą?'' ('Why am I a Socialist?', 1938).Kruczkowski Leon
WIEM Encyklopedia He wrote two more novels, ''Pawie pióra'' ('Peacock Feathers', 1935) and ''Sidła'' ('A Trap', 1937). Kruczkowski powazki Barry Kent

After the German

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...

, in which Kruczkowski fought in the Polish army as an officer, he was arrested and spent the war in a

prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...

, where he was an educational and cultural activist (organized a theatre). Two of his novels, not finished before the invasion, were lost during the war. After the war, he returned to his literary career, writing more dramas for the theater. His 1948 ''Odwety'' ('Retributions') was well received, but it was his 1949 ''Niemcy'' ('The Germans'), a drama addressing the issue of Germany's moral responsibility for World War II, that gained him international recognition. It was translated into 14 languages. Kruczkowski also became a political activist and politician. He was a deputy minister of culture and art during 1945–1948 and chairman of the Main Council of the

Polish Writers' Union The Polish Writers' Union or the Union of Polish Writers ( pl, Związek Literatów Polskich, ZLP) was established at a meeting of Polish writers and activists in Lublin behind the Soviet front line, during the liberation of Poland by the Red Arm ...

in 1949–1956. Member of the

State National Council Krajowa Rada Narodowa in Polish (translated as State National Council or Homeland National Council, abbreviated to KRN) was a parliament-like political body created during the later stages of World War II in German-occupied Warsaw, Poland. It wa ...

from 1945 to 1947, member of the ''Sejm'' from 1947 to 1962, and from 1957 also a member of the

. He was an active and vocal supporter of the new communist order in Poland, involved in politicizing the culture and in introducing the style and doctrine of

socialist realism Socialist realism is a style of idealized realistic art that was developed in the Soviet Union and was the official style in that country between 1932 and 1988, as well as in other socialist countries after World War II. Socialist realism is c ...

. Recognized as a major literary figure, Kruczkowski also exerted significant influence on cultural policy of post-war Poland.

Awards

He received several Polish state prizes, including the

Order of the Builders of People's Poland Order of the Builders of People's Poland ( pl, Order Budowniczych Polski Ludowej) was the highest

, and the

Lenin Peace Prize The International Lenin Peace Prize (russian: международная Ленинская премия мира, ''mezhdunarodnaya Leninskaya premiya mira)'' was a Soviet Union award named in honor of Vladimir Lenin. It was awarded by a pane ...

(1953).KRUCZKOWSKI Leon (1900–62)
Encyklopedia Internautica

Works

* ''Młoty nad światem'' ('Hammers over the World', 1928), poetry anthology * ''Kordian i cham'' ('Kordian and the Boor', 1932), novel, adapted to theater in 1935 * ''Pawie pióra'' ('Peacock Feathers', 1935), novel * ''Bohater naszych czasów'' ('Hero of our Times', 1935), drama, rewritten as ''Przygoda z Vaterlandem'' ('An Adventure with Vaterland', 1938) * ''Sidła'' ('A Trap', 1937), novel * ''Odwety'' ('Retributions', 1948), drama * ''Niemcy'' ('The Germans', 1949), drama * ''Juliusz i Ethel'' ('Julius and Ethel', 1954), drama * ''Odwiedziny'' ('The Visit', 1955), drama * ''Pierwszy dzień wolności'' ('The First Day of Freedom', 1959), drama * ''Śmierć gubernatora'' ('Death of the Governor', 1961), drama * ''Szkice z piekła uczciwych'' ('Sketches from Hell of the Honest', 1963), short stories anthology

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kruczkowski, Leon 1900 births 1962 deaths Writers from Kraków People from the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria Polish Austro-Hungarians Polish Workers' Party politicians Polish United Workers' Party members Members of the State National Council Members of the Polish Sejm 1947–1952 Members of the Polish Sejm 1952–1956 Members of the Polish Sejm 1957–1961 Members of the Polish Sejm 1961–1965 Polish male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Polish dramatists and playwrights Polish male novelists 20th-century Polish novelists Polish male poets 20th-century Polish poets Polish Army officers Polish military personnel of World War II Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Order of the Builders of People's Poland Recipients of the Order of the Banner of Work Stalin Peace Prize recipients Burials at Powązki Military Cemetery Recipients of the State Award Badge (Poland)