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150th anniversary of the birth of Stefan Żeromski
Stefan Żeromski was born on 14 October 1864 in
Strawczyn (currently the province of Świętokrzyskie),
died on 20 November 1925 in Warsaw. Buried at
the Evangelical Reformed Cemetery in Warsaw.
He was one of Poland’s most eminent prose writers
and playwrights; a writer convinced of a special
mission of the man of letters, his responsibility for
shaping the nation’s and fatherland’s fate. He was
writing under various pen names, e.g. Maurycy Zych,
Józef Katerla.
Żeromski was born to a family of impoverished
gentry. He spent his childhood and early youth in
the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. In 1874-1886 he
attended the State Gymnasium for Boys in Kielce;
at present the building seats the Museum of Stefan
Żeromski’s School Years, a branch of the National
Museum in Kielce. Subsequently, he went to Warsaw,
where he started studies at the Veterinary School.
However, difficult material conditions forced him
to give up studies and take up the work of a private
tutor.
The first works by Żeromski put to print were
written at the time of his studies – these were poems.
In 1895 two collections of prose were published:
Stories and Ravens and Crows will Peck us to Pieces…
His best known pieces include The Labours of Sisyphus,
Homeless People, Ashes, The Wages of Sin and The
Faithful River. In his final years he wrote Snoberry
and Progress, a collection of stories Mistakes, a novel
Seedtime and a poem in prose The Fir Forest.
„The last eulogist of Poland’s history”, as Żeromski
was called by Józef Ujejski, the outstanding historian
of Polish Romanticism, apart from literary work
devoted his time to social work. He was founding
schools, universities and libraries. He actively
contributed to the organization of cultural and
literary events. The laureate of numerous prizes, he
was also shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in literature.
His works have been translated into a number
of languages, as well as adapted for the stage and the
screen.
After Żeromski’s death, the most outstanding Polish writers
– J. Lechoń, A. Słonimski, J. Tuwim, L. Staff – paid
him a tribute in their works.
Sylwia Zacharz
Director of the Museum of Stefan Żeromski’s School Years,
Branch of the National Museum in Kielce