The KF Donates a Manuscript of the Nobel Laureate, Wladyslaw Reymont to the National Library in Poland
The Kosciuszko Foundation has donated to the National Library exceptional memorabilia of Władysław Stanisław Reymont – a rare Władysław Stanisław Reymont manuscript of his wartime memoirs and a photographic portrait of the Nobel Prize winner. The handover of these valuable documents is part of the Reymont Year celebrations established by the Senate on the 100th anniversary of the writer’s death.
The Władysław Stanisław Reymont Manuscript: Wartime Memoirs from 1919
The manuscript, originating from the legacy of the Foundation’s founder, Stefan Piotr Mierzwa, includes a travel notebook written in Reymont’s neat, characteristic handwriting and a photograph bearing his handwritten dedication. Several dozen pages are written in ink, on one side only, with almost no corrections, bound in a convenient notebook.
The text was intended to be spoken publicly and likely formed the basis of Reymont’s lectures. The work, titled “From the Terrible Years 1914–1918: Memoirs,” ends with the words:
“Whoever helps Poland—helps himself, building his own freedom and happiness.”
It is accompanied by an appeal to his compatriots, dated 1919, to rejoice in the regained independence of their homeland.
The photographic portrait of the writer, taken in July 1919 at the Chicago studio of Zygmunt Różański, bears the inscription: “A keepsake of sincere goodwill.”
The valuable manuscripts donated by the Kosciuszko Foundation will now be carefully preserved and made available to scholars studying the work of the author of The Peasants (Chłopi) and The Promised Land (Ziemia Obiecana).
As Marek Skulimowski, President of the Kosciuszko Foundation, emphasized:
“The Kosciuszko Foundation is proud to donate to the National Library’s collection the priceless manuscript of Władysław Reymont – a Polish Nobel laureate whose work is a cornerstone of our cultural heritage. This exceptional document, previously held in the Foundation’s collection in New York, returns to its homeland as a symbol of the continuity of culture and national memory. The Foundation proudly places back into the hands of the Polish people what has always rightfully belonged to them.”
Dr. Tomasz Makowski, Director of the National Library, added:
“The Kosciuszko Foundation is one of the organizations closest to the National Library. For the past 100 years, through its activities promoting Polish history, education, and culture, the Foundation has earned its place among the most distinguished institutions. The National Library has now received another proof of its generosity through the donation of Władysław Reymont’s manuscript. We are deeply grateful to the entire Foundation and its President, Marek Skulimowski.”
