EN
This article presents the figure of Janusz Korczak: a writer, essayist, editor but above all a Polish pedagogue of Jewish origin, known worldwide for his devotion to the matter of children’s rights and needs. His life and work are discussed here in relation to dilemmas he was forced to face. They involve his origins and social status; professional vocation and work; pedagogical theory and practice; literary work; the relationship between genetics and child’s development; his worldview and religious convictions. The paper is based on Korczak’s own books, articles, essays.