Tadeusz Konwicki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tadeusz Konwicki
Tadeusz Konwicki in 2008
Born	22 June 1926 Nowa Wilejka, Poland (now Naujoji Vilnia, Lithuania)
Died	7 January 2015(2015-01-07) (aged 88) Warsaw, Poland
Occupation	Writer
Language	Polish

Tadeusz Konwicki (born June 22, 1926 – died January 7, 2015) was a famous Polish writer and film director. He was also a member of the Polish Language Council.

Life Story

Tadeusz Konwicki was born in 1926 in Nowa Wilejka. He was the only son of Jadwiga Kieżun and Michał Konwicki. He spent his early childhood there. His father passed away when Tadeusz was young. He then lived with his great-aunt and great-uncle. Later, he wrote about them in his books.

He went to a local school called King Zygmunt August gymnasium. When World War II started, his city was taken over by the Soviet Union and then by Nazi Germany. Because of this, Polish students were not allowed to go to school anymore.

War Years

Tadeusz Konwicki continued his studies secretly, underground. He joined a group called the eighth Oszmiana Brigade of the Home Army. This group was part of a big plan to fight against the invaders. It was called Operation Tempest and Operation Ostra Brama.

After these fights, he put down his weapons and hid from the Soviet Army. In November 1944, he joined another fighting group and stayed with them until April 1945. This was one of the last groups fighting in that area. After the war, his city became part of the Soviet Union. Tadeusz had to leave his home.

New Beginnings

In the spring of 1945, Konwicki moved to Kraków. He started studying at Jagiellonian University. He also began working as a journalist for a weekly magazine called Odrodzenie. In 1947, he moved to Warsaw to keep working for the magazine.

In Warsaw, he became a strong supporter of a writing style called Socialist Realism. This style focused on showing the good side of communist society. In 1948, he finished writing about his time as a fighter. This book, Rojsty, was finally published in 1956. His first published novel was Construction Site (1950). It was followed by Power (1954). His 1956 novel, From a Besieged City, also became very popular.

Later Works and Films

From 1952 to 1966, he was a member of the Polish United Workers' Party. But by the mid-1950s, Konwicki became unhappy with the communist government in Poland. He started to have different ideas from the party.

His later books, starting with A Hole in the Sky (1959), often talked about his childhood. They also explored the magical and romantic land where he grew up.

Around this time, Konwicki became the head of the Kadr Film Studio. He is known as one of the most important people in the Polish Film School. However, his movies were different from others at the time. They had a special, sometimes sad, feeling.

As a filmmaker, he made several important movies. These include The Last Day of Summer (1958), which won a big award. He also directed All Souls' Day (1961), Salto (1962), and How Far Away, How Near (1973). He also turned famous books into films. These include Issa Valley (1982) by Nobel Prize winner Czesław Miłosz, and Lava (1989) based on a play by Adam Mickiewicz.

Underground Novels

Tadeusz Konwicki is also well-known for two novels. These were published by secret presses in Poland. They are The Polish Complex (1977) and A Minor Apocalypse (1979).

A Minor Apocalypse is a funny but serious story. It's about a writer who is asked to set himself on fire in front of the Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw. This book was made into a French movie in 1993. A Minor Apocalypse makes fun of how things were under the communist government. It also talks about real events, like people who protested by setting themselves on fire. These included Ryszard Siwiec in Poland and Jan Palach in Czechoslovakia.

Literary Works

Here are some of Tadeusz Konwicki's books:

• A Dreambook for Our Time (1970)
• The anthropos-spectre-beast (1977)
• The Polish Complex (1982)
• A Minor Apocalypse (1983)
• Moonrise, Moonset (1987)
• Bohin Manor (1990)
• New World Avenue and Vicinity (1991)
• The Calendar and the Hourglass (1994)

Films

As Writer and Director

• The Last Day of Summer (1958)
• All Souls' Day (1961)
• Matura (short film, 1965)
• Salto (1965)
• How Far Away, How Near (1973)
• Issa Valley (1982), based on a novel
• Lava (1989), based on a play

As Writer Only

• Career (1954)
• Winter Twilight (1956)
• Mother Joan of the Angels (1961)
• Pharaoh (1966)
• Jowita (1967)
• Austeria (1982)
• A Chronicle of Amorous Accidents (1985)

See also

In Spanish: Tadeusz Konwicki para niños

• List of Poles