Goethe's Prize

One of the most prestige distinctions in Europe. It is granted in Frankfurt. Another famous receivers: Zygmunt Freud, Karl Jaspers, Albert Schweizer, Herman Hesse, Tomas Mann, Ingmar Bergman.

.Wincenty Szymborski

Wincenty Szymborski was born on 5.04.1870 in Czartki Wielkie. In years 1904-1922 he worked for count Wladyslaw Zamoyski as a steward in count's property in Zakopane. He was also socially active at this time. He married Anna Maria Rottermund on 17.02.1917.

(in the middle with the officials of Zakopane)

Poems in childhood

Szymborska's father wanted to encourage his daughter to write, so she became 20 groszy ( this is a Polish current ) for every good poem she wrote. When she was 8 or 9 years old she started to write her first novel ( unfinished ).

Husband

He was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Walka". He helped Szymborska to get to know poetry and literature in the beginning of her career as a writer.

PZPR

Sosialistic party in Poland. Szymborska resigned because of the anti-semitic atmosphere sanctioned by State. The second reason was the removal from the party a great Polish thinker Leszek Kolakowski.

"Literary Post" ("Poczta Literacka")

Szymborska corresponded with young writer, Wlodzimierz Mociag. In her letters he gave him advices and witty, inelligent and ironic replys ( always anonymous ).

"Pismo"

"Pismo" was created in 1981 in Cracow. From the beginning she was the member of the editorial staff. Sometimes she wrote essays, but she spent most of her time drawing up a column "Z tekstow odrzuconych". Soon the paper crashed. In the second half of 1982 "Pismo" was allowed to be published once again. Szymborska became the member of the editorial staff. However after few months socialistic government demanded that some of the staff must lose their jobs. In the result all of the workers gave up their jobs and the newspaper was taken over by a new editorial staff.

The end of work in "Literary Life"

She finished after the editor-in-chief declared himself against KOR and "Solidarnosc".

"Letter 59"

It was a protest against the project of putting a clause into the Polish constitution about the leadership of PZPR.

Science Courses Assoociation

It was supposed to protect the organizers and students of independent academic lectures from the police.

"TheAntology of Jewisz Poetry"

Szymborska translated the poems written by a Jewish writer, Icyk Manger in the 60's. They were supposed to be published in 1968, but the party authorities denied permission to do it at that time.

Polish Writers' Union (ZLP)

dissolution of the Polish Writers' Union in 1983 another organization was created in Cracow ( it had the same name as the previous one ). Its activity had social quality. Szymborska was one of the greatest supportest of this organization. After 1989 it became converted into Polish Writers' Association.

.Poems in the underground press

She wrote her works under the pen-name "Stanczykowna". She published her poems in an underground paper "Arka" and a Paris newspaper "The Culture" - among others the poem "Dialectic and art".

. Pen Club

An international organization of writers and dramatists.