Ślady zapomnianej tożsamości. O roli źródeł w biografii Janusza Korczaka

• Authors: Sęczek Marlena

Title variants

EN

TRACES OF FORGOTTEN IDENTITY. ON THE ROLE OF SOURCES IN THE BIOGRAPHY OF JANUSZ KORCZAK

• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The figure of Henryk Goldszmit (Janusz Korczak) is the topic of many bibliographical publications. In the face of a lack of strictly scholarly works in this field, texts, in which the boundary between fact and author’s interpretation is very fluid, seem to gain more importance. The aim of the article is to point out the issues stemming from this, and to highlight the importance of bibliographical works based on archival research and reliable criticism of sources. Juxtaposing the first chapters of An Attempt at a Biography by Joanna Olczak-Ronikier with a documentary take on the genealogy of the Old Doctor allows one to state that even those narratives, which are the most suggestive and attractive to the reader, cannot fill the gaps in historical knowledge. Without referring to the archives, verifying arguments regarded as obvious, or without a philological reflection on the texts by Korczak, the chances to correct the errors which build up and shape the contemporary reception of the legacy of Henryk Goldszmit, diminish.

Keywords

PL

Janusz Korczak; biografia; genealogia; badania archiwalne

EN

Janusz Korczak; biography; genealogy; archival research

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Warszawski / Instytut Badań Literackich PAN
• Journal: Napis. Pismo poświęcone literaturze okolicznościowej i użytkowej
• Year: 2020
• Volume: 26: ERRARE HUMANUM EST. BŁĘDY W BADANIACH HUMANISTYCZNYCH, ICH RODZAJE I KONSEKWENCJE
• Pages: 70-95

Contributors

author

Sęczek Marlena

• Instytut Badań Literackich PAN, Warszawa