Jerzy Borejsza (; born Beniamin Goldberg; 14 July 1905 in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
– 19 January 1952 in Warsaw) was a Polish
communist activist and writer. During the
Stalinist period of
communist Poland
The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million nea ...
, he was chief of a state press and publishing syndicate.
Biography
Borejsza was born as Beniamin Goldberg to a
Polish Jewish
The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the lon ...
family.
[Borejsza Jerzy]
at WIEM Encyklopedia
WIEM Encyklopedia (full name in pl, Wielka Interaktywna Encyklopedia Multimedialna - "Great Interactive Multimedia Encyclopedia"; in Polish, ''wiem'' also means 'I know') is a Polish Internet encyclopedia.
The first printed edition was released ...
He was an older brother of
Józef Różański
Józef Różański (; born Josef Goldberg; 13 July 1907, in Warsaw – 21 August 1981, in Warsaw) was an officer in the Soviet NKVD Secret Police and later, a Colonel in the Polish Ministry of Public Security (UB), a communist secret police. Born ...
– later a member of the Soviet
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
and high-ranking interrogator in the
Ministry of Public Security of Poland.
[Marci Shore, ''Caviar and ashes: a Warsaw generation's life and death in Marxism, 1918–1968'', Yale University Press, 2006, ]
Google Print, p. xvii
/ref> As a youth, Borejsza sympathized with the Zionist
Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...
radical left and anarchic
Anarchy is a society without a government. It may also refer to a society or group of people that entirely rejects a set hierarchy. ''Anarchy'' was first used in English in 1539, meaning "an absence of government". Pierre-Joseph Proudhon adopted ...
political factions.[Jerzy Borejsza]
at Dia-pozytyw After he got in trouble with the Polish authorities, his father sponsored his residence in France.[ Borejsza studied engineering, then ]Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
culture at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne may refer to:
* Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities.
*the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970)
*one of its components or linked institution, ...
, and remained deeply involved with the politics and activism of anarchism.[
After his studies, Borejsza returned home and was briefly enlisted in the ]Polish Army
The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stre ...
in the late 1920s.[ In 1929, he joined the ]Communist Party of Poland
The interwar Communist Party of Poland ( pl, Komunistyczna Partia Polski, KPP) was a communist party active in Poland during the Second Polish Republic. It resulted from a December 1918 merger of the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland a ...
(KPP).[ In the Second Polish Republic, he was imprisoned several times in the years 1933–1935 for agitation and political propaganda.][
After the ]Soviet invasion of Poland
The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military operation by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east, 16 days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the west. Subs ...
of 1939, Borejsza became a vocal supporter of the Soviet communist regime, publishing Polish language
Polish (Polish: ''język polski'', , ''polszczyzna'' or simply ''polski'', ) is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group written in the Latin script. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as the native language of the Poles. In a ...
translations of Soviet propaganda. He served as director of the Ossolineum
Ossoliński National Institute ( pl, Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich, ZNiO), or the Ossolineum is a Polish cultural foundation, publishing house, archival institute and a research centre of national significance founded in 1817 in Lwów (now L ...
Institute in Lwów (Lviv) in 1939–1940.[ After the war, as Lviv was transferred to the ]Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...
, he aided the transport of most of Ossolineum archives to Wrocław
Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...
. He was one of the founders of the Union of Polish Patriots
Union of Polish Patriots (''Society of Polish Patriots'', pl, Związek Patriotów Polskich, ZPP, russian: Союз Польских Патриотов, СПП) was a political body created by Polish communists in the Soviet Union in 1943. The ...
– an organization from which the communist government of post-war Poland in part originated.[ Borejsza served with the rank of major in the ]Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
, and then in the Polish First Army
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
.[
He joined the new pro-Soviet Polish communist party, the ]Polish Workers' Party
The Polish Workers' Party ( pl, Polska Partia Robotnicza, PPR) was a communist party in Poland from 1942 to 1948. It was founded as a reconstitution of the Communist Party of Poland (KPP) and merged with the Polish Socialist Party (PPS) in 194 ...
,[ and became a deputy to the ]State National Council
Krajowa Rada Narodowa in Polish (translated as State National Council or Homeland National Council, abbreviated to KRN) was a parliament-like political body created during the later stages of World War II in German-occupied Warsaw, Poland. It wa ...
.[ He organized much of communist propaganda in post-war Poland and was a leading figure in the implementation of state control and censorship in the area of ]culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...
.[Andrzej Paczkowski, Jane Cave, ''The spring will be ours: Poland and the Poles from occupation to freedom'', Penn State Press, 2003, ]
Google Print, p.193
/ref> He created the giant publishing house ''Czytelnik
The ''Czytelnik'' Publishing House ( pl, Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza „Czytelnik”) is a publishing company in Poland. It was established in 1944 behind the Soviet front line as the ''Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza "Czytelnik"'' ("Czytelnik" Publishin ...
'' ('The Reader').[ Borejsza favored a moderate approach to culture control, which he called a "gentle revolution".][ He supported establishing cultural relations with the ]West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
, and himself traveled to United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.[ In 1948, he was one of the main organizers of the ]World Congress of Intellectuals in Defense of Peace
The World Congress of Intellectuals in Defense of Peace ( pl, Światowy Kongres Intelektualistów w Obronie Pokoju) was an international conference held on 25 to 28 August 1948 at Wrocław University of Technology. It was organized in the afterma ...
in Wrocław.[ He fell out of favor with the Stalinist hardliners who saw him as too independent, too hard to influence, and not radical enough. His political role diminished in the late 1940s, particularly after the disabling injuries he suffered in a car accident in 1949.][
Borejsza received the ]Order of Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievement ...
.[ He was buried at the ]Powązki Cemetery
Powązki Cemetery (; pl, Cmentarz Powązkowski), also known as Stare Powązki ( en, Old Powązki), is a historic necropolis located in Wola district, in the western part of Warsaw, Poland. It is the most famous cemetery in the city and one of t ...
in Warsaw.[
]
Works
* ''Hiszpania 1873–1936'' ('Spain 1873–1936', 1937)
* ''Na rogatkach kultury polskiej'' ('At the Outskirts of Polish Culture', 1947)
Quotes
*Czesław Miłosz
Czesław Miłosz (, also , ; 30 June 1911 – 14 August 2004) was a Polish-American poet, prose writer, translator, and diplomat. Regarded as one of the great poets of the 20th century, he won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature. In its citation, ...
, Polish writer and Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
winner, once wrote in his memoirs about Borejsza: "The most international of Polish communists. ... He built from nothing, starting in 1945, his paper empire of books and press. ''Czytelnik'' and other publishing houses, newspapers, magazines; all was dependent on him – jobs, publications, wages. I was in his stable, we all were."
* Maria Dąbrowska, Polish writer, wrote about him in her memoirs: "He created a large organization, an organization encompassing the publishing – newspapers-books and readers, created with an almost American flare. But the aim of this organization was a slow and deliberate Sovietization
Sovietization (russian: Советизация) is the adoption of a political system based on the model of soviets (workers' councils) or the adoption of a way of life, mentality, and culture modelled after the Soviet Union. This often included ...
and Russification of Polish culture."
*Jan Kott
Jan Kott (October 27, 1914 – December 22, 2001) was a Polish political activist, critic and theoretician of the theatre. A leading proponent of Stalinism in Poland for nearly a decade after the Soviet takeover, Kott renounced his Communist P ...
, Polish writer, wrote about him in his memoirs: "...simply known as the Boss. ... ''Czytelnik'' was a state within a state … especially for writers. "[Jan Kott, ''Still Alive: An Autobiographical Essay'', Yale University Press, 1994, ]
Google Print, p.172-173
/ref>
* Pablo Neruda, Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
an poet and Nobel Prize winner, also wrote in his memoirs about Borejsza: "Borejsza was a tireless down to earth man, who converted dreams into actions. ... Now the great Borejsza, a scrawny, dynamic Quixote
is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of Wester ...
, an admirer of Sancho Panza
Sancho Panza () is a fictional character in the novel ''Don Quixote'' written by Spanish author Don Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in 1605. Sancho acts as squire to Don Quixote and provides comments throughout the novel, known as ''sanchismos'', ...
like the other Quixote, sensitive and wise, builder and dreamer, is resting for the first time" – Pablo Neruda, "Pablo Neruda Memoirs" (Original Spanish Edition: ''Confieso que he vivido: memorias'', 1974), Farrar Straus and Giroux, 1977.
See also
*Culture in the Polish People's Republic
After the end of the Second World War, Polish society and culture were subject to significant changes.
Post-Second World War
With expanding urban industrial opportunities in the early postwar era, agriculture steadily became less popular as occ ...
Notes
Further reading
* E. Krasucki, ''Międzynarodowy komunista. Jerzy Borejsza – biografia polityczna'', Warszawa 2009.
* J. Centkowski, ''Jerzy Borejsza (1905–1952)'', in: ''Materiały Pomocnicze do Historii Dziennikarstwa Polski Ludowej'', J. Centkowski and A. Słomkowska (red.), z. 4, Warszawa 1974.
* B. Fijałkowska, ''Borejsza i Różański. Przyczynek do dziejów stalinizmu w Polsce'', Olsztyn 1995.,
* Z. Gregorczyk, ''Działalność Jerzego Borejszy w okresie lubelskim'', in: ''Prasa lubelska: tradycje i współczesność'', J. Jarowiecki et al. (red.), Lublin 1986.
* K. Koźniewski, ''Rogatywki Jerzego Borejszy'', in: Zostanie mit, Warszawa 1988
* E. Krasucki, ''Ujmując w dłoń skalpel materializmu. Wizja kultury socjalistycznej w publicystyce Jerzego Borejszy z "Lewara" i "Sygnałów" (1934–1939)'', in: ''Społeczeństwo – polityka – kultura. Studia nad dziejami prasy w II Rzeczypospolitej'', T. Sikorski (red.), Szczecin 2006.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Borejsza, Jerzy
1905 births
1952 deaths
Writers from Warsaw
People from Warsaw Governorate
Jews from the Russian Empire
Jewish Polish politicians
Communist Party of Poland politicians
Polish Workers' Party politicians
Polish United Workers' Party members
Members of the State National Council
Jewish socialists
Polish People's Army personnel
Polish military personnel of World War II
Polish male writers
Polish prisoners and detainees
Prisoners and detainees of Poland
Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1944–1989)
Burials at Powązki Cemetery