Stanisław Przybyszewski (; 7 May 1868 – 23 November 1927) was a Polish novelist, dramatist, and poet of the

decadent Decadence was a late-19th-century movement emphasizing the need for sensationalism, egocentricity, and bizarre, artificial, perverse, and exotic sensations and experiences. By extension, it may refer to a decline in art, literature, science, ...

naturalistic school. His

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

is associated with the

Symbolist Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...

movement. He wrote both in Polish and in German.

Life

Stanisław Feliks Przybyszewski was born in Łojewo near

Kruszwica Kruszwica () is a town in central Poland, in the Inowrocław County in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. It has a population of 9,161 (2010). Initially founded in the 6th century, Kruszwica is the oldest town in the region and features a medieva ...

during the partitions of Poland. The son of a local teacher, Józef Przybyszewski, Stanisław attended a German gymnasium in

Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...

, graduating in 1889. He left for

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, where he first studied architecture and then medicine. It was there that he became fascinated by the philosophy of

Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche became the youngest pro ...

, began referring to himself as a Satanist, and immersed himself into the

bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers. * Bohemian style, a ...

life of the city. In Berlin, he lived with—but did not marry—Martha Foerder. They had had three children together: two before he left her to marry Dagny Juel on 18 August 1893 and one during his marriage to Dagny. From 1893 to 1898, he lived with Juel (formerly a model for

Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( ; ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His 1893 work ''The Scream'' has become one of Western art's most acclaimed images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dread of inher ...

), sometimes in Berlin and at others in Juel's hometown of

Kongsvinger Kongsvinger () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger. Other settlements in the municipality include Aust ...

, in Norway. They frequented with other artists Zum schwarzen Ferkel in Berlin. In 1896, he was arrested in Berlin on suspicion of the murder of his common-law wife Martha but released after it was determined that she had died of

carbon monoxide poisoning Carbon monoxide poisoning typically occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) at excessive levels. Symptoms are often described as " flu-like" and commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Large ...

. After Martha's death, the children were sent to different foster homes. In the autumn of 1898, he and Juel moved to

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, where he set himself up as the leader of a group of revolutionary young artists and as editor of their mouthpiece '' Życie'' (Life). He remained a fervent apostle of

industrialism Industrialisation ( UK) or industrialization ( US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive reorganisation of an economy for th ...

and self-expression. He traveled to

Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

and visited the Polish poet and playwright Jan Kasprowicz. Przybyszewski started an affair with Kasprowicz's second wife, Jadwiga Gąsowska. Kasprowicz married Jadwiga in 1893; his first marriage to Teodozja Szymańska in 1886 ended in divorce after a few months. Stachu Dagny

In 1899, Przybyszewski abandoned Juel and set up a house with Jadwiga in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

. Around this time, he was also involved with Aniela Pająkówna, one of whose two daughters was Przybyszewski's. Dagny returned to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and was murdered by a young friend of hers, Władysław Emeryk, in

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

in 1901. In 1905, Przybyszewski and Jadwiga moved to

, where he attempted rehabilitation from his

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

. While there, Jadwiga's divorce was finalized, and they married on 11 April 1905. Przybyszewski's struggle with alcoholism continued till his death. In 1906, the couple moved to

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, thanks to the money obtained through the sale of the manuscript of the play ''Śluby'' (''The Vows''). During the war, they lived for a short time in

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

(

Czech Lands The Czech lands or the Bohemian lands (, ) is a historical-geographical term which denotes the three historical regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia out of which Czechoslovakia, and later the Czech Republic and Slovakia, were formed. ...

) and moved to newly re-established Poland in 1919. In

Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...

, he applied for the position of director of a literary theatre, but his work with German political brochures during the war prevented the appointment. He got a job working as a German translator for the post office. In 1920, he found work in the

Free City of Danzig The Free City of Danzig (; ) was a city-state under the protection and oversight of the League of Nations between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) and nearly 200 other small localities in the surrou ...

(

Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...

) with the railways. He lived in Gdańsk until 1924 and managed a Polish bookshop there. Afterward, he tried to settle in

Zakopane Zakopane (Gorals#Language, Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Voivodeship; since 1999, it has ...

, and

Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...

, all without success. At last, he found work in

, in the offices of the president. He lived in rooms in the old Royal Castle. In 1927, he returned to the Kujawy region and died in Jaronty in November of that year, aged 59. He wrote a number of successful novels, of which ''Homo Sapiens'', the most popular, has been translated into English. Przybyszewski is considered to be the precursor of contemporary 20th-century intellectual Satanism.

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (; ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than 60 pla ...

called him "a brilliant Pole" ("der geniale Pole") and said that he "influenced German literature in the last decade of the nineteenth century like few others".

Works

* ''Zur Psychologie des Individuums'' (1892) * ''De Profundis'' (1895) * ''Vigilien'' (1895) * ''

Homo Sapiens Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...

'' (1896) * ''Die Synagoge des Satan'' (1897); ''Synagoga szatana'' (1899 Polish edition); '' The Synagogue of Satan'' (English edition) * ''Satans Kinder'' (1897); '' Children of Satan'' (2023 English edition) * ''Das große Glück'' (1897) * ''Epipsychidion'' (1900) * ''Androgyne'' (1900) * ''Totentanz der Liebe'' (1902) * ''Synowie ziemi'' (1905) * ''Gelübde'' (1906) * ''Polen und der heilige Krieg'' (1915) * ''Z polskiej duszy. Próba (pisma o zrozumieniu narodu)'' (1917) * ''Krzyk'' (1918) * ''Moi współcześni'' (1928)

Drama

* '' The Eternal Fairy-Tale'' * '' The Golden Fleece'' * '' The Snow'' (''Śnieg'', 1903) * '' For Happiness'' (''Dla szczęścia'')

References

External links

Stanisław Przybyszewski
at Culture.pl * {{DEFAULTSORT:Przybyszewski, Stanislaw 1868 births 1927 deaths People from Inowrocław County Writers from the Province of Posen 19th-century Polish dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Polish dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Polish novelists 20th-century Polish novelists Polish male novelists Symbolist dramatists and playwrights Officers of the Order of Polonia Restituta 19th-century Polish male writers 20th-century Polish male writers Polish male dramatists and playwrights Writers from Bydgoszcz Polish writers in German Writers from the German Empire Polish Satanists

Life

Works

Drama

See also

References

External links