Józef Ondrusz (18 March 1918 – 27 May 1996) was a
Polish Czech teacher, writer and folklorist.
Biography
Ondrusz was born in the village of Darków (now
Lázně Darkov
Lázně Darkov (formerly Darkov; pl, , german: Darkau) is a spa village and administrative part of Karviná in Karviná District, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. Till 1948 it was a separate municipality. It lies on the Olza River in th ...
part of
Karviná) to a
coal miner. He graduated from a Polish grammar school in
Fryštát and later from teachers' seminary in
Ostrava. After
World War II Ondrusz taught at the Polish school in Lázně Darkov and wrote several schoolbooks for Polish schools in the
Trans-Olza
Trans-Olza ( pl, Zaolzie, ; cs, Záolží, ''Záolší''; german: Olsa-Gebiet; Cieszyn Silesian dialect, Cieszyn Silesian: ''Zaolzi''), also known as Trans-Olza Silesia (Polish language, Polish: ''Śląsk Zaolziański''), is a territory in the ...
region. He also co-founded magazines for children, ''Jutrzenka'' and ''Ogniwo''. He was an active member of
PZKO
Polski Związek Kulturalno-Oświatowy (commonly known as PZKO) ( cs, Polský kulturně-osvětový svaz) (meaning "Polish Cultural and Educational Union") is a Polish organization in the Czech Republic. It represents the Polish minority in the C ...
(Polish Cultural and Educational Union) and also became active in the Polish
scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
in
Czechoslovakia. He earned a
doctorate in 1972 for his thesis ''Proza ludowa Śląska Cieszyńskiego 1845-1970'' (''Folk Prose of Cieszyn Silesia 1845-1970'').
Ondrusz was fascinated by the culture and traditions of
Cieszyn Silesia and was a keen collector of everything related to regional culture. He eventually published traditional folk fables, proverbs and stories, often literally adapting them.
He wrote his works in literary
Polish
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 ...
and in the
local dialect
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
* Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administrat ...
. His works focus mostly on regional folklore, culture and fables.
Ondrusz also contributed to the popularization of
bookplate
An ''Ex Libris'' (from ''ex-librīs'', ), also known as a bookplate (or book-plate, as it was commonly styled until the early 20th century), is a printed or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the front endpaper, to indicate ownership. ...
s in Cieszyn Silesia in the 1960s. Many notable Polish and Czech artists made bookplates for him.
Józef Ondrusz died in Lázně Darkov and is buried at the Lutheran cemetery in the nearby municipality of
Stonava
Stonava ( pl, , german: Steinau) is a municipality and village in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,800 inhabitants. The municipality has a significant Polish minority.
Etymology
The name is ...
.
Works
* ''Przysłowia i powiedzenia ludowe ze Śląska Cieszyńskiego'' (1954)
* ''Godki śląskie'' (1956, 1973, 1974, 1977)
* ''Przysłowia i przymówiska ludowe ze Śląska Cieszyńskiego'' (1960)
* ''Śląskie opowieści ludowe'' (1963)
* ''Proza górników karwińskich'' (1974)
* ''Wspominki okupacyjne'' (1981)
* ''Cudowny chleb'' (1984, 1986)
* ''O ptaszku Złotodzióbku i inne bajki'' (1986)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ondrusz, Jozef
1918 births
1996 deaths
Writers from Karviná
People from Austrian Silesia
Polish people from Trans-Olza
Polish male writers
Polish folklorists
Polish schoolteachers