Gustaw Herling-Grudziński facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gustaw Herling-Grudziński
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| Born | May 20, 1919 Kielce, Poland |
| Died | July 4, 2000 (aged 81) Naples, Italy |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Notable works | A World Apart |
| Notable awards | Order of the White Eagle |
Gustaw Herling-Grudziński (born May 20, 1919 – died July 4, 2000) was a famous Polish writer and journalist. He was also a brave fighter during World War II. After the war, he became a political activist who spoke out against the Soviet Union's control over Poland. He is most known for his book A World Apart. This book shares his personal experiences of being held in a Soviet labor camp called the Gulag. It was first published in London in 1951.
Contents
About Gustaw Herling-Grudziński
Gustaw Herling-Grudziński was born in Kielce, Poland. His family were merchants. He started studying Polish literature at the Warsaw University. However, his studies were stopped when World War II began. Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland in 1939.
Fighting in World War II
In late 1939, Gustaw helped start one of the first underground groups. This group was called PLAN. It worked against the countries that had taken over Poland.
In March 1940, Gustaw was arrested by the NKVD. This was the Soviet secret police. He was trying to cross the border into Lithuania. Like many Polish thinkers, he was accused of being a spy. He was sentenced to five years of hard work.
He was held in two Gulag forced labor camps. These were in Yertsevo and Kargopol in Russia. He spent two years there. In 1942, he was released. This happened because of an agreement between the Polish and Soviet governments.
After his release, he joined the Polish Army. This army was led by General Władysław Anders. Gustaw fought in North Africa and Italy. He took part in the famous Battle of Monte Cassino. For his bravery in fighting, he received the Virtuti Militari. This is Poland's highest award for military courage.
Life After the War
In 1947, Gustaw helped start a magazine called Kultura. It was a political and cultural magazine. It was first published in Rome. Later, the magazine moved to Paris. Gustaw then lived in London for a while. Finally, he settled in Naples, Italy. There, he married Lidia, whose father was a famous philosopher. He also wrote for other Italian newspapers and magazines. He passed away in Naples.
His Famous Book: A World Apart
Gustaw Herling-Grudziński's most famous book is A World Apart. It tells a very difficult personal story. It describes what life was like in the Soviet communist system. The book was translated into English and published in 1951.
This book describes life inside the Gulag labor camps. These were forced labor camps run by the Soviet NKVD. Herling's book gave a deep look into the terrible things that happened under the Soviet system. He wrote it ten years before another famous book about the Gulag. A World Apart brought Gustaw Herling-Grudziński international fame.
The book A World Apart was published in Russia in 1991. It was also published in Italy in 1958 and again in 1994.
His Journal Written at Night
Starting in 1971, Gustaw Herling began writing a literary journal. He continued writing it until he died. This journal included essays, thoughts, stories, and memories. The first three parts were published in Paris and Warsaw. They were called Dziennik pisany nocą, which means Journal Written at Night.
Some parts of this journal were translated into English. They were published as Volcano and Miracle in 1997. A collection of his short stories was also translated. It was published in 2003 as The Noonday Cemetery and Other Stories.
Awards and Recognition
Gustaw Herling-Grudziński won many literary awards. These included prizes from Kultura (1958), Jurzykowski (1964), and Kościelskis (1966). He also received the Italian Premio Viareggio prize. In 1998, he was given the Order of the White Eagle. This is a very high honor in Poland.
In September 2009, a monument was built to honor him. It is in Yertsevo, Russia. This is the place where he was once imprisoned.
Books Available in English
- A World Apart: Imprisonment in a Soviet Labor Camp During World War II, Penguin Books, reprint edition, 1996, pp. 284, ISBN: 0-14-025184-7.
- Volcano and Miracle: A Selection from the Journal Written at Night, Penguin Books, reprint edition, 1997, pp. 288, ISBN: 0-14-023615-5.
- The Island; Three Tales, Penguin Books, reprint edition, 1994, pp. 160, ISBN: 0-14-023279-6.
- The Noonday Cemetery and Other Stories, New Directions Publishing, 2003, pp. 256, ISBN: 0-8112-1529-6.
Images for kids
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Monument to Herling-Grudziński in Yertsevo with Poland's wreaths, 2009
