Szymon Askenazy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Szymon Askenazy
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Szymon Askenazy
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| Born | December 24, 1865 Zawichost, Poland
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| Died | June 22, 1935 (aged 69) |
| Nationality | Polish |
| Occupation | Historian, educator, statesman and diplomat. |
| Known for | Founder of the Askenazy school. |
Szymon Askenazy (born December 24, 1865, in Zawichost – died June 22, 1935, in Warsaw) was a very important Polish historian, teacher, and diplomat. He was also a statesman, meaning he was involved in leading the country. He is known for starting the Askenazy school, which was a new way of studying history.
He was the first person to represent Poland at the League of Nations. This was an international group that worked for peace after World War I. His work as a historian helped people understand how the Polish nation was created and how its history unfolded.
Life and Work
Szymon Askenazy first studied law at the Imperial University of Warsaw in the 1880s. His father encouraged him to do this. After finishing his law studies, he worked as a lawyer. But in his free time, he loved to read books in many different languages.
In 1893, he decided to study history in Göttingen, Germany. He was taught by a professor named Max Lehmann. Under Lehmann's guidance, Askenazy wrote his doctoral paper about the last Polish royal election.
From 1902 to 1919, he was a professor at the University of Lwów. In 1909, he became a member of the Polish Academy of Learning, which is a very respected group of scholars. One of his most important books was "Gdańsk a Polska," published in 1919. This book was so important that it was translated into English, French, and German.
Askenazy wanted to become a professor at Warsaw University. However, some people, like Bronisław Dembiński, made it difficult for him. Many famous Polish people, including writers and artists, supported him. They even signed an appeal in a newspaper asking for him to get a position at Warsaw University, but it didn't happen.
Poland's Diplomat
After Poland became an independent country again, Szymon Askenazy was chosen for a very important job. He became the first Polish representative at the League of Nations. He held this position from 1920 to 1923. Józef Piłsudski, a key figure in Polish history, supported his nomination.
He worked with different Polish Foreign Ministers during his time at the League of Nations. In 1923, a new Foreign Minister came into power, and Askenazy decided to resign. He returned to Poland in July 1923. He never joined any political party, preferring to focus on his academic work.
His Impact on History
Szymon Askenazy mostly studied Poland's political and economic history from the 18th and 19th centuries. He helped create the Lwów-Warsaw School of History, also known as the "Askenazy school." This school changed how people studied Polish history.
He was the first historian to really highlight how important the Partitions of Poland were. The Partitions were when other countries divided Poland among themselves. Askenazy showed how this period was crucial for the creation of the modern Polish nation.
His ideas about studying a nation's history are still very important today. He believed in looking at how society and the economy developed, as well as how international relations and diplomacy played a role. William J. Rose, who translated one of Askenazy's books, said that with his death, "Polish learning lost one of its most distinguished ornaments." This means he was a brilliant and valuable person in Polish education.
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Szymon Askenazy
