Kazimierz Nowak (11 January 1897 in Stryj – 13 October 1937 in

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...

) was a Polish traveler, correspondent, reporter and photographer.

Life

Born in Stryj, Nowak lived in Poznań following

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. From 1931 to 1936, he traveled alone, by bicycle, on foot, on horse, by boat and on camel across

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, covering a distance of 40,000 km from

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

Cape Agulhas Cape Agulhas (; pt, Cabo das Agulhas , "Cape of the Needles") is a rocky headland in Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of the African continent and the beginning of the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

and back to

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

. He died in Poznań from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...

as a consequence of emaciation of the body due to travel,

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. ...

, and leg surgery. Photographs from his African travel were published in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

in 1962 on the album ''Przez Czarny Ląd'' (Across the Black Land). The book was edited by Nowak's daughter Elżbieta Nowak-Gliszewska and photographs were selected after consultation with professors Jan Czekanowski and Jerzy Loth. Kazimierz Nowak's accounts of the travel were first published jointly only as late as 2000, in a book entitled ''Rowerem i pieszo przez Czarny Ląd'' (Across the Dark Continent). The Polish reporter

Ryszard Kapuściński Ryszard Kapuściński (; 4 March 1932 – 23 January 2007) was a Polish journalist, photographer, poet and author. He received many awards and was considered a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Kapuściński's personal journals in bo ...

said in 2006 that it "is an utterly exceptional book", and added that:

Its content and the personality of the writer account for its compelling nature. As such, it should command greater attention and wider recognition. This incredible story unfailingly features in my lectures, discussions and commentaries on international affairs. I ardently hope that it will take place among the classics of Polish reportage.

National Geographic Traveler ''National Geographic Traveler'' is a magazine published by NG Media in Armenia, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Latin America, Israel, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the UK. The US ...

(Polish edition) wrote that "Kazimierz Nowak is without a doubt a master of travel reportage". On 25 November 2006, in the Hall of Poznań Main Railway Station where Nowak began and ended his travel,

unveiled a

commemorative plaque A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...

dedicated to Nowak. Kazimierz Nowak Memorial-003

The 7th extended Polish edition of the book was published in 2013. The book was translated into

Hungarian language Hungarian () is an Uralic language spoken in Hungary and parts of several neighbouring countries. It is the official language of Hungary and one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Outside Hungary, it is also spoken by Hungar ...

in 2014 (''Kerékpárral és gyalog a fekete földrészen át'') and into English in 2017 (''Across The Dark Continent. Bicycle Diaries from Africa, 1931–1936''). In 2011 Jacek Y. Łuczak wrote Nowak's biography ''Polska Kazimierza Nowaka. Przewodnik rowerzysty'' (Kazimierz Nowak's Poland. A Cyclist's Guidebook). The book describes places in Poland Nowak visited during his 4 bicycle travels in the years 1925–1930 (1925–1926: around

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

; 1927–1928: Europe and

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

; 1928: around Poland; 1930: Southern Poland and

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

). In 2014 the first volume of Nowak's letters from African travel to his wife was published in Poland as ''Kochana Maryś! Listy z Afryki''. The second volume was published in 2015 and the third in 2016. The last volume is expected to be published in 2017. Kazimierz Nowak's bicycle 2

References

External links

Polish website dedicated to Kazimierz Nowak, with his biography in English, German, French, Italian and Arabic

The map of Kazimierz Nowak's travel in Africa (1931-36)

''Long-Distance Cyclist Kazimierz Nowak'' (Adventure Journal, 8 January 2016)

Reports of the initiative of groups of young people cycling in turns along the route of his travel, 2009-2012 (in Polish)

Story on Kazimierz Nowak with images

''By bicycle and on foot across the Dark Continent'' - 2013, 7th extended edition (Polish)

Nowak's books and souvenirs

Video

The memorial to Kazimierz Nowak was unveiled in Poznań in November 2006 by Ryszard Kapuściński (Polish TVP3 footage)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nowak, Kazimierz 1897 births 1937 deaths Polish photographers Polish travel writers Polish reporters and correspondents Writers from Poznań