Maria Dąbrowska | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Maria Szumska (1889-10-06)6 October 1889 |
| Died | 19 May 1965(1965-05-19) (aged 75) Warsaw, Poland |
| Resting place | Powązki Cemetery |
| Occupation |
|
| Language | Polish |
| Nationality | Polish |
| Notable works | Noce i dnie (Nights and Days) |
Maria Dąbrowska ([dɔmˈbrɔfska]; bornMaria Szumska; 6 October 1889 – 19 May 1965) was a Polish writer, novelist, essayist, journalist and playwright,[1] author of the popular Polish historical novelNoce i dnie (Nights and Days) written between 1932 and 1934 in four separate volumes. The novel was made into afilm by the same title in 1975 byJerzy Antczak.[2] Besides her own work, she was also known for translatingSamuel Pepys'Diary into Polish. In addition, Dąbrowska was awarded the prestigious Golden Laurel of thePolish Academy of Literature in 1935, and she was nominated for theNobel Prize in Literature eleven times between 1939 and 1965.[3]
.JPG)
Dąbrowska was born Maria Szumska inRussów nearKalisz,Congress Poland, underTsarist military control.[2] Her parents belonged to the impoverishedlanded gentry (ziemiaństwo). Maria suffered fromesotropia, giving her a "cross-eyed" appearance. She studied sociology, philosophy, and natural sciences inLausanne andBrussels, and settled inWarsaw in 1917. Interested in both literature and politics, she devoted herself to help those born into poverty. In theinterwar period, Dąbrowska worked temporarily in the Polish Ministry of Agriculture while venturing more and more into newspaper reporting and public life. In 1927 she became more involved in writing about human rights. In her novels, plays and newspaper articles she analyzed the psychological consequences of hardship and life's traumas in the world of ordinary people.
Maria marriedMarian Dąbrowski, who died suddenly when she was 36. Her second long-term partner was the 19-years-olderStanisław Stempowski, with whom she lived in a common-law marriage until the outbreak ofWorld War II.[2] After these relationships, she started becoming more and more independent, and even once said that Dąbrowski and Stempowski were more like her universities, and less like romantic relationships.[4] During theoccupation of Poland, she stayed in Warsaw and supported the cultural life of the Polish underground. At about that time, she metAnna Kowalska and Jerzy Kowalski, a literary couple. They formed aménage à trois, and Maria had a child by Jerzy in 1946, but he died suddenly in 1948. The two women stayed together in a relationship for the next 20 years, although Maria tried to get Anna married off again. Dąbrowska was awarded theOrder of Polonia Restituta during theStalinist period. In 1964 she was one of the signatories of the so-calledLetter of 34 to Prime MinisterJózef Cyrankiewicz, regarding freedom of culture. She died on 19 May 1965, at the age of 75, at a clinic inWarsaw.[2]
Dąbrowska's parents, Josef Szumski and Ludomira (née Galczynska) wanted her to receive a thorough education, and sent her to private schools for much of her early life. In 1901, she was sent to a boarding school at the private school of Mrs. Sedemani in Kalisz, which she attended in 1904. Then, in 1905, she attended the private boarding school of Miss Havelke in Warsaw. Here is where she received a lot of her education in literature fromIgnacy Chrzanowski. She attended Miss Havelke's school until 1908. Then, from 1908 to 1909, she began studying natural science at a university inLausanne, Switzerland. She later completed her studies at the University of Brussels in 1912, earning a degree ofnatural science, orcandidat ès sciences naturelles.[5]
When Dąbrowska first met her husbandMarian Dąbrowski, he was a political refugee and an active member of thePolish Socialist Party. This, along with rising tensions in Poland during her formative years, launched her into activism herself. One example of this is through two protest articles she wrote forWiadomosci Literackie Nos. 3 & 4 in 1931: "Rozmova z przyjaciolmi" ("A Talk with Friends") & "Na ciezkiej drodze" ("On a Difficult Road"). These articles spoke out against the holding of the leaders of an initiative that opposed Polish government. These leaders were being held in the fortress ofBrzesc underJózef Piłsudski's rule. Dąbrowska thought that this was unjust, and she aimed to contribute to the opposition through her articles.[5] Another example of her activism was in another protest article she wrote in 1936 inDziennik Popularny No. 43. This article was titled "Doroczny wstyd" ("The Yearly Disgrace"), and it spoke out againstantisemitism in Polish universities and against the overpowered government.[5]
Despite her activism, Dąbrowska did not explicitly identify with a political party. She once wrote in her diary, "I have no ideology. The only thing directing me is my love of people and life, and compassion."[4]
Dąbrowska was known for having a very socially aware voice that seemed to be dependent on her surrounding world. This gave her a very mature and extroverted point of view. At the time she first started writing, there was a huge amount of historical events that were happening, since it was around the time ofWorld War I. Historical events shaped her writing to the point that, sometimes, her writing was less about creativity and more about conveying information in a concise way (especially in her diaries).[4] Then, as she continued writing, she also experiencedWorld War II first hand, which was especially dangerous in Poland. Her works reflected these experiences. She would write about the journeys of underprivileged, homeless, and landless protagonists; she would paint the picture of their lives authentically and with compassion.[6]
In addition, Dąbrowska wrote a novel – that was not published until after her death – that used a particular device. InPrzygody człowieka myślącego (Adventures of a Thinking Man), she transposed her own life experiences onto two characters: Ewa Radgoska and Józef Tomyski. Notably, Józef was a male character. This is a technique that many queer female authors of the early twentieth century used; they would transpose their lives onto male characters in a way to make their lives more digestible to readers at the time.[4]
Order of the Banner of Labour, 1st Class (1959)[7]
Commander's Cross with Star ofOrder of Polonia Restituta (15 July 1954)[8]
Cross of Independence (16 March 1963)[9]
Officer's Cross ofOrder of Polonia Restituta (1 October 1952)[10]
GoldenCross of Merit (three times, 11 listopada 1934,[11] 15 czerwca 1946,[12] 17 września 1946[13])
Golden Academic Laurel (5 November 1935)[14]
Medal of the 10th Anniversary of People's Poland (19 January 1955)[15]