EN
Baudouin’s ambivalence towards Kruszewski has frequently been noted (Kuryłowicz 1967: ix; Koerner 1986: 55). On the one hand, Baudouin saw in Kruszewski a scholar of great promise, who had made a significant contribution to linguistics. On the other hand, after Kruszewski’s death Baudouin (1888–1889) seems to have derided Kruszewski and his oeuvre. In this paper, I examine the causes of this ambivalence in the psychological and biographical profiles of both men. I also comment on the relevance of such a close examination of their relationship for linguistic historiography. In particular, I focus on the question of centre and periphery, and Baudouin’s sense of remoteness from the West European centres of learning. This sense of isolation is one which Kruszewski did not share, and is a crucial psychological difference between the two men.