Leon Kruczkowski
Encyclopedia
A left-wing activist before 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...
, he spent the war in the German POW camps. After the war, he became a communist activist in People's Poland. In the years 1945-1948, he was a Deputy Minister of Culture and Art
Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland
Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland was formed on 31 October 2005, from transformation of Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Poland.The ministry is concerned with various aspects of Polish culture....
. Leon Kruczkowski has also held the following positions: Deputy to Polish parliament (Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
) from 1946 to 1956,and member of the Polish Council of State
Polish Council of State
The Council of State of the Republic of Poland was introduced by the 1947 Small Constitution. It consisted of the President of the Republic of Poland, the Marshal and Vicemarshals of Constituent Sejm, President of the Supreme Chamber of Control and could consist of other members...
from 1957. He is recognized as having a significant influence on post-war Polish cultural policy.
Biography
Leon Kruczkowski was born on 28 March 1900 in KrakówKraków
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...
. While finishing his education in chemistry and technology, he published his first poems in or around 1918 and 1919. He moved to Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
where he published his first poetry anthology, "Młoty nad światem" (Hammers over the world), in 1928 and his first novel, a "peasants response to Kordian
Kordian
Kordian is a drama written in 1833, and published in 1834, by Juliusz Słowacki, one of the "Three Bards" of Polish literature. Kordian is one of the most notable works of Polish Romanticism and drama, , PWN Encyklopedia and is considered one of Słowacki's best works.-History:Słowacki began work on...
of Juliusz Słowacki", entitled "Kordian i cham" (Kordian and the Boor) in 1932.
Afterwards, he became a full time writer, moving back to Kraków and writing the first of his theatrical dramas "Bohater naszych czasów" (Hero of our times) in 1935, rewritten three years later as "Przygoda z Vaterlandem" (An adventure with Vaterland), both notable for their strong critique of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. He also wrote left-wing leaning essays published in magazines, newspapers and brochures. His later novels "Pawie pióra" (Peacock feathers) and "Sidła" (A trap) were less successful.
After the German invasion of Poland, in which he fought in the Polish army as an officer, he was arrested and spent the war in a POW camp where he was an educational and cultural activist, organizing 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, now writing more dramas for the theater. His 1948 "Odwet" (Retribution) was well received, but it was his 1949 "Niemcy" (Germans), a drama addressing the issue of Germany's moral responsibility for WWII, that gained him international recognition, translated into 14 languages.
He also became a political activist and politician. In the years 1945-1948, he was a Deputy Minister of Culture and Art
Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland
Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland was formed on 31 October 2005, from transformation of Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Poland.The ministry is concerned with various aspects of Polish culture....
, Deputy to Polish parliament (Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
) from 1945 to 1956 and from 1957, a member of the Polish Council of State
Polish Council of State
The Council of State of the Republic of Poland was introduced by the 1947 Small Constitution. It consisted of the President of the Republic of Poland, the Marshal and Vicemarshals of Constituent Sejm, President of the Supreme Chamber of Control and could consist of other members...
.
He was an active and vocal supporter of the new communist order in Poland, actively involved in taking over and politicizing the post-war Polish culture, introducing the philosophy of socrealism (see socrealism in Poland). He is recognized as having a significant influence on post-war Polish cultural policy and being a major literary figure.
Awards
He was decorated with the Order of the Builders of People's PolandOrder of the Builders of People's Poland
Order of the Builders of People's Poland was the highest civil decoration of Poland in the times of the People's Republic of Poland.-History:...
(in 1950 or 1955) and the International Stalin Prize for Strengthening Peace Among Peoples
Lenin Peace Prize
The International Lenin Peace Prize was the Soviet Union's equivalent to the Nobel Peace Prize, named in honor of Vladimir Lenin. It was awarded by a panel appointed by the Soviet government, to notable individuals whom the panel indicated had "strengthened peace among peoples"...
.
Works
- Młoty nad światem (1928), poetry anthology
- Kordian i cham (1932), novel, adapted to theater in 1935
- Pawie pióra (1935), novel
- Bohater naszych czasów (1935), drama, rewritten as Przygoda z Vaterlandem in 1938
- Sidła (1937), novel
- Odwety (1948), drama
- Niemcy (1949), drama
- Juliusz i Ethel (1954), drama
- Odwiedziny (1955), drama
- Pierwszy dzień wolności (1959), drama
- Śmierć gubernatora (1961), drama
- Szkice z piekła uczciwych (1963), short stories anthology