The Kosciuszko Foundation has donated a Władysław Reymont manuscript to the National Library
During a gala commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the Kosciuszko Foundation and the Reymont Year at the Palace of the Commonwealth in Warsaw, the Kosciuszko Foundation donated to the National Library precious items related to Władysław St. Reymont: a manuscript of war memories of the Noble prize winner and his photo portrait.
The manuscript – From horrible years 1914–1918. Recollections comprises several dozens of pages pen-written by Reymont. Single-page, with almost no corrections, in a bind notebook — light weighted and comfortable to travel with. It must have been a background for the writer’s speeches.
– This unique document, until now stored within the collection of the Foundation in New York, returns to its homeland as a symbol of the continuity of culture and national memory. The Foundation is proud to return to the Polish people something that has always belonged to them – said, among others, Mr Marek Skulimowski, the president of the Foundation.
– The Kosciuszko Foundation ranks among organisations close to the National Library. Through a hundred years of activity for the benefit of Polish history, education and culture it has worked its way into the pantheon of most deserving institutions. We are very grateful to the whole Foundation and its president – said dr Tomasz Makowski, the National Library Director General, during the gala.
The notebook, filled with Reymont’s even, characteristic handwriting and a photograph with his dedication commemorate the Polish writer’s trip to the USA in 1919. Reymont was sent there by Jozeph Pilsudski with a diplomatic mission: he was to speak to Polish emigrants about Poland having re-gained independence as well as present the then politico-socio-economic situation of the country which was quite complicated (excerpts were printed by the US press).
The goal of the Polish delegation’s expedition was also to collect money “for Poland”. As Reymont later wrote in his article Poles in America: We have not even dreamt what amount of money will be collected by these simple peasant and labour fellow men in America. An equal billion dollars, which translates into over 30 billion marks!!
The war memories end with the following sentence: Who helps Poland, helps himself and creates his freedom and happiness as well as a call to countrymen, dated 1919, to enjoy the re-gained, independent homeland.
