Gombrowicz
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Witold Marian Gombrowicz (August 4, 1904 – July 24, 1969) was a Polish writer and
playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...
. His works are characterised by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and absurd,
anti-nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, Id ...
flavor. In 1937, he published his first novel, ''
Ferdydurke ''Ferdydurke'' is a novel by the Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz, published in 1937. It was his first and most controversial novel. The book has been described as a "cult novel". Author's comment Gombrowicz himself wrote of his novel that it is ...
'', which presented many of his usual themes: problems of immaturity and youth, creation of
identity Identity may refer to: * Identity document * Identity (philosophy) * Identity (social science) * Identity (mathematics) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film * ''Identity'' (2003 film), an ...
in interactions with others, and an ironic, critical examination of class roles in Polish society and
culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
. He gained fame only during the last years of his life, but is now considered one of the foremost figures of
Polish literature Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. Most Polish literature has been written in the Polish language, though other languages used in Poland over the centuries have also contributed to Polish literary traditions, including Latin, ...
. His diaries were published in 1969 and are, according to the ''
Paris Review ''The Paris Review'' is a quarterly English-language literary magazine established in Paris in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen, and George Plimpton. In its first five years, ''The Paris Review'' published new works by Jack Kerouac, ...
'', "widely considered his masterpiece", while ''
Cosmos The cosmos (, ; ) is an alternative name for the universe or its nature or order. Usage of the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos is studied in cosmologya broad discipline covering ...
'' is considered, according to ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'', "his most accomplished novel". He was nominated for the
Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...
four times, from 1966 to 1969.


Biography


Polish years

Gombrowicz was born in Małoszyce near
Opatów Opatów (; ) is a town in southeastern Poland, within Opatów County in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Holy Cross Province). Historically, it was part of a greater region called Lesser Poland. In 2012 the population was 6,658. Opatów is located ...
, then in
Radom Governorate Radom Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of Congress Poland of the Russian Empire. History It was created in 1844 from the merger of the Sandomierz Governorate with Kielce Governorate. Its capital was in Radom ...
,
Congress Poland Congress Poland or Congress Kingdom of Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It was established w ...
,
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
, to a wealthy gentry family of the Kościesza coat of arms. He was the youngest of four children of Jan Onufry and Antonina (née Ścibor-Kotkowska of the Ostoja coat of arms). In an autobiographical piece, ''A Kind of Testament'', he wrote that his family had lived for 400 years in Lithuania on an estate between
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
and
Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...
but were displaced after his grandfather was accused of participating in the
January Uprising The January Uprising was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at putting an end to Russian occupation of part of Poland and regaining independence. It began on 22 January 1863 and continued until the last i ...
of 1863. He later described his family origins and social status as early instances of a lifelong sense of being "between" (''entre''). In 1911 his family moved to Warsaw. After completing his education at Saint Stanislaus Kostka's Gymnasium in 1922, Gombrowicz studied law at
Warsaw University The University of Warsaw (, ) is a public research university in Warsaw, Poland. Established on November 19, 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country, offering 37 different fields of study as well as 100 specializat ...
, earning a MJur in 1927. He spent a year in Paris, where he studied at the Institute of Higher International Studies (
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
: ''Institut des Hautes Etudes Internationales''). He was less than diligent in his studies, but his time in France brought him in constant contact with other young intellectuals. He also visited the Mediterranean. When Gombrowicz returned to Poland, he began applying for legal positions with little success. In the 1920s he started writing. He soon rejected the legendary novel, whose form and subject matter were supposed to manifest his "worse" and darker side of nature. Similarly, his attempt to write a popular novel in collaboration with Tadeusz Kępiński was a failure. At the turn of the 1920s and 1930s, Gombrowicz began to write short stories, later printed under the title ''Memoirs of a Time of Immaturity'', edited by Gombrowicz and published under the name ''Bacacay'', the street where he lived during his exile in Argentina. From the moment of this literary debut, his reviews and columns began appearing in the press, mainly the ''Kurier Poranny'' (''Morning Courier''). Gombrowicz met with other young writers and intellectuals, forming an artistic café society in Zodiak and Ziemiańska, both in Warsaw. The publication of ''
Ferdydurke ''Ferdydurke'' is a novel by the Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz, published in 1937. It was his first and most controversial novel. The book has been described as a "cult novel". Author's comment Gombrowicz himself wrote of his novel that it is ...
'', his first novel, brought him acclaim in literary circles.


Exile in Argentina

Just before the outbreak of the Second World War, Gombrowicz took part in the maiden voyage of the Polish transatlantic liner
MS Chrobry MS ''Chrobry'' was a transatlantic passenger liner, and was the last pre-war new build for the Polish Merchant Navy. She was built for the ''Gdynia-Ameryka Linie Żeglugowe S.A.'' ( Gdynia-America Line – GAL). Purpose The ship was intended f ...
to
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
. When he learned of the outbreak of war in Europe, he decided to wait in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
until it was over; he reported to the Polish legation in 1941 but was considered unfit for military duties. He stayed in Argentina until 1963—often, especially during the war, in poverty. At the end of the 1940s Gombrowicz was trying to gain a position in Argentine literary circles by publishing articles, giving lectures at the Fray Mocho café, and, finally, by publishing in 1947 a Spanish translation of ''
Ferdydurke ''Ferdydurke'' is a novel by the Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz, published in 1937. It was his first and most controversial novel. The book has been described as a "cult novel". Author's comment Gombrowicz himself wrote of his novel that it is ...
'', with the help of friends including
Virgilio Piñera Virgilio Piñera Llera (August 4, 1912 – October 18, 1979) was a Cuban author, playwright, poet, short story writer, essayist and translator. His best known works are the poem ''La isla en peso'' (1943), the collection of short stories ''Cuento ...
. This version of the novel is now considered a significant event in the history of Argentine literature, but at the time of its publication it did not bring Gombrowicz any great renown, nor did the 1948 publication of his drama ''Ślub'' in Spanish ('' The Marriage'', ''El Casamiento''). From December 1947 to May 1955 Gombrowicz worked as a bank clerk in Banco Polaco, the Argentine branch of
Bank Pekao Bank Polska Kasa Opieki Spółka Akcyjna, commonly using the shorter name Bank Pekao S.A., is a universal bank and currently the second largest bank in Poland with its headquarters in Warsaw. The Italian bank UniCredit used to own 59% of the com ...
, and formed a friendship with Zofia Chądzyńska, who introduced him to Buenos Aires's political and cultural elite. In 1950 he started exchanging letters with
Jerzy Giedroyc Jerzy Władysław Giedroyć (; 27 July 1906 – 14 September 2000) was a Polish writer, lawyer, publicist and political activist. For many years, he worked as editor of the highly influential Paris-based periodical, '' Kultura''. Early life Gi ...
, and in 1951 he began to publish work in the Parisian journal ''Culture'', in which fragments of ''Dziennik'' (''Diaries'') appeared in 1953. In the same year he published a volume of work that included ''Ślub'' and the novel ''Trans-Atlantyk'', in which the subject of national identity on emigration was controversially raised. After October 1956 four of Gombrowicz's books appeared in Poland and brought him great renown, even though the authorities did not allow the publication of ''Dziennik'' (''Diary''). Gombrowicz had affairs with both men and women. In his later serialised ''Diary'' (1953–69) he wrote about his adventures in the homosexual underworld of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
, particularly his experiences with young men from the lower class, a theme he picked up again when interviewed by Dominique de Roux in ''A Kind of Testament'' (1973).


Last years in Europe

In the 1960s Gombrowicz became recognised globally, and many of his works were translated, including ''Pornografia'' (''Pornography'') and ''Kosmos'' (''Cosmos''). His dramas were staged in theatres around the world, especially in France, Germany and Sweden. Having received a scholarship from the
Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford. ...
, Gombrowicz returned to Europe in 1963. In April 1963 he embarked on an Italian ship, landing at Cannes and then taking a train to Paris. A record of the journey can be found in his diary. Gombrowicz stayed for a year in West Berlin, where he endured a slanderous campaign organised by the Polish authorities. His health deteriorated during this stay, and he was unable to return to Argentina. He went back to France in 1964 and spent three months in Royaumont Abbey, near Paris, where he met Rita Labrosse, a Canadian from Montreal who studied contemporary literature. In 1964 he moved to the Côte d'Azur in the south of France with Labrosse, whom he employed as his secretary. He spent the rest of his life in
Vence Vence (; ) is a commune set in the hills of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France, north of Nice and Antibes on the Mediterranean coast. Ecclesiastical history The first known Bishop ...
, near Nice. Gombrowicz's health prevented him from thoroughly benefiting from his late renown. It worsened notably in spring 1964; he became bedridden and was unable to write. In May 1967 he was awarded the Prix International. The following year, on December 28, he married Labrosse. On the initiative of his friend
Dominique de Roux Dominique de Roux (17 September 1935 – 29 March 1977) was a French writer and publisher. Early life Dominique de Roux was born in a Languedoc noble family that was close to monarchist circles (his grandfather, Marie de Roux, was the lawyer o ...
, who hoped to cheer him up, he gave a series of 13 lectures on the history of philosophy to de Roux and Labrosse, ironically titled "Guide to Philosophy in Six Hours and Fifteen Minutes", which de Roux transcribed. The lectures began with Kant and ended with existentialism. The series ended before Gombrowicz could deliver the last part, interrupted by his death on July 24, 1969. He was buried in the cemetery in Vence.