The Wendish Research Exchange - Szewczyk, Grażyna Barbara: Wilhelm Szewczyk’s Sorbian Studies

Lětopis Abstract 2012 1: Szewczyk, Grażyna Barbara: Wilhelm Szewczyk’s Sorbian Studies

I would like this article to serve as a reminder of the achievements of the Upper Silesian writer and journalist, Wilhelm Szewczyk (1916–1991), in the dissemination of Sorbian literature and culture in Poland. Szewczyk’s personal involvement in the language, literature and history of the Sorbs found expression in his numerous Sorbian sketches, book reviews and articles of a popular nature, which he published as editor of cultural periodicals (“Fantana,” “Odra,” “Przemiany,” “Poglądy”) from 1938. It is particularly important to mention the more substantial publications, in which Szewczyk showed himself to be a connoisseur and excellent translator of Sorbian literature, which included his literary portrait of the Sorbian poetess, Mina Witkojc (“Portret Łużyczanki,“ Katowice 1948), with whom he had a longstanding friendship, the anthology of Sorbian poetry, which he edited, (“Antologia poezji łużyckiej”, Katowice 1960), and the richly illustrated anthology (“Podróż na Łużyce” Katowice 1973), which contained travel sketches and impressions from Lusatia. Apart from Mina Witkojc Szewczyk maintained close relations with other famous Sorbian writers and creative artists, (e.g. with Jurij Brězan, Dr. Jan Cyž, Jurij Młynk and Anton Nawka), with whom he conducted a lively correspondence often right up to his death.