Paweł Jasienica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paweł Jasienica
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| Born | Leon Lech Beynar 10 November 1909 Simbirsk, Russia |
| Died | 19 August 1970 (aged 60) Warsaw, Poland |
| Resting place | Powązki Cemetery |
| Occupation | writer, historian |
| Language | Polish |
| Alma mater | Stefan Batory University |
| Genre | history |
| Subject | Polish history |
| Notable works | Piast Poland, Jagiellonian Poland, The Commonwealth of Both Nations |
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Paweł Jasienica was the pen name of Leon Lech Beynar (born November 10, 1909 – died August 19, 1970). He was a famous Polish historian, journalist, writer, and soldier.
During World War II, Jasienica fought in the Polish Army. He also joined the Home Army resistance movement. After the war, he fought against the new communist government. To stay safe, he started using the name Paweł Jasienica. He wrote for many newspapers and magazines. He is most famous for his history books from the 1960s. These books were about the early Polish kingdoms. They covered the Piast dynasty, the Jagiellonian dynasty, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. His books are still very popular today. They helped many people learn about Polish history.
Jasienica openly spoke out against government censorship. Because he was a well-known critic, the government watched him closely. For a short time before he died, his books were not allowed to be printed or sold.
Contents
Life of Paweł Jasienica
Early Years and Education
Leon Lech Beynar was born on November 10, 1909. His birthplace was Simbirsk, Russia. His parents, Mikołaj Beynar and Helena Maliszewska, were Polish. His grandfathers had fought in Polish uprisings. They later settled in the Russian Empire. His father worked as an agronomist, which is a farming expert.
His family moved around Russia and Ukraine. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, they moved to independent Poland. They lived briefly in Warsaw and Opatów. In 1924, they settled in Grodno.
Beynar finished secondary school in Wilno (Vilnius). He then studied history at Stefan Batory University in Wilno. His university paper was about the January Uprising. He was active in student clubs. After university, he trained to be an officer cadet in the Polish Army.
From 1928 to 1937, he taught history in Grodno. Later, he worked as an announcer for Polish Radio Wilno. He also started writing for a newspaper called Słowo. In 1934, he married Władysława Adamowicz. Their daughter, Ewa, was born in 1938. In 1935, he published his first history book. It was about King Sigismund II Augustus.
Fighting in World War II
When World War II began in September 1939, Beynar joined the Polish Army. He fought against the German army. He was captured by the Germans near Sandomierz. But he managed to escape from a prisoner camp.
He then joined the Polish underground. This group was called "Związek Walki Zbrojnej." It later became the "Armia Krajowa" (Home Army). He continued to fight against the Germans. He was a lieutenant and edited an underground newspaper. He also helped with secret teaching during the war.
In July 1944, he helped free Wilno from the Germans. After this, his unit was attacked by Soviet forces. He was taken prisoner again but escaped. He then joined other Home Army fighters. He fought against the new Soviet-backed government. He was promoted to captain. In August 1945, he was wounded. He left his unit and found shelter in a village called Jasienica.
Life After the War
After recovering in 1945, Beynar left the resistance. He started writing for an independent Catholic weekly newspaper. This is when he chose his pen-name, Jasienica. He took the name from the village where he recovered. This helped protect his wife, who was still in Soviet-controlled Vilnius.
He soon became an editor at the newspaper. In 1948, the Polish secret police arrested him. But he was released after a few weeks. He then worked with another organization called PAX. He became a director of the Polish Caritas charity in 1950. Jasienica also joined the Crooked Circle Club. This club supported free speech and open discussions.
He wrote for many different magazines and newspapers. From this time until his death, he lived in Warsaw. His first wife, Władysława, passed away in 1965.
Jasienica became more involved in groups that spoke out against the government. In 1959, he became a vice president of the Polish Writers' Union. He also wrote for the magazine Świat. In 1962, he led the Crooked Circle Club. In 1966, he was a vice president of the PEN Club.
In the 1940s and 1950s, he mostly wrote articles. Later, he started writing popular history books. In the 1960s, he wrote his most famous works. These were historical books about Poland. They covered the Piast kings, the Jagiellonian dynasty, and the time of elected kings. His book about Jagiellonian Poland was voted the best book of the year by readers.
Jasienica was very open about his dislike of government censorship. In 1968, he strongly criticized the government at a writers' meeting. He also signed a letter in 1964 against censorship. His involvement in the 1968 protests led to him being seen as a political critic. Because of this, the government treated him badly.
The communist leader, Władysław Gomułka, even claimed that Jasienica had worked with the communist regime in 1948. This caused a lot of trouble for Jasienica. The security services watched him very closely. In December 1969, he remarried. From 1968 until his death, his books were not allowed to be sold or printed.
Jasienica died from cancer on August 19, 1970, in Warsaw. He is buried in Warsaw's Powązki Cemetery. Many people who also disagreed with the government attended his funeral. It became a way for them to show their political views.
Paweł Jasienica's Works
Jasienica's first history book was Zygmunt August na ziemiach dawnego Wielkiego Księstwa (Sigismund Augustus in the lands of the former Grand Duchy) in 1935. He is best known for his popular history books from the 1960s. These include Polska Piastów (Piast Poland, 1960) and Polska Jagiellonów (Jagiellon Poland, 1963). He also wrote a three-part series called Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów (The Commonwealth of Both Nations, 1967–1972). This series made him one of Poland's most popular history writers.
He avoided writing about recent history. This was to avoid the influence of the official communist view of history. This also made his books popular. They offered a different view of history that was hard to find legally. His books became best-sellers after his death. They were reprinted many times.
His book Dwie drogi (Two ways, 1959) was about the January Uprising of the 1860s. This was the most recent historical period he wrote about. Other popular history books include Trzej kronikarze (Three chroniclers; 1964). This book was about three medieval Polish historians. He used their stories to discuss Polish society through the ages. Another book was Ostatnia z rodu (Last of the Family; 1965). It was about Anna Jagiellonka, the last queen of the Jagiellon dynasty.
His book Rozważania o wojnie domowej (1978; Thoughts on Civil War) was his last finished work. It was about a civil war in France. But it contained many ideas that could also apply to Polish history. Jasienica thought the censors would not allow it if it was directly about Poland.
Besides history books, Jasienica wrote essays about archeology. These include Słowiański rodowód (Slavic genealogy; 1961). He also wrote travel reports and books about science and technology. Most of these works were from the 1950s and 1960s.
He started writing his Pamiętnik (Memoirs) shortly before he died. But he never finished it completely.
In 2006, journalist Adam Michnik said that his generation owed a lot to Paweł Jasienica. He said Jasienica "paid with his life for daring to defend us, the youth."
Historian Henryk Samsonowicz said Jasienica did a lot to make Polish history popular. Historian Norman Davies noted that Jasienica was a "historical writer rather than an academic historian." But he had "formidable talents" and was very popular. His works were unique in communist Poland. Samsonowicz called Jasienica "a brave writer." He was willing to challenge the system and offer new ideas about history. Michnik noted that Jasienica was brave enough to write about Polish mistakes.
Awards and Recognition
Paweł Jasienica received several important awards:
- Order of Polonia Restituta, Grand Cross, awarded in 2007 (after his death).
- Order of Polonia Restituta, Knight's Cross, awarded in 1956.
- Cross of Valour, awarded in 1944 and confirmed in 1967.
- Home Army Cross, awarded in 1967 in London.
In 2007, he was given Poland's "Custodian of National Memory" Prize.
See also
In Spanish: Paweł Jasienica para niños
