''The Promised Land'' ( pl, Ziemia obiecana, ) is an 1899 novel by the Polish author and Nobel laureate,

Władysław Reymont Władysław Stanisław Reymont (, born Rejment; 7 May 1867 – 5 December 1925) was a Polish novelist and the 1924 laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature. His best-known work is the award-winning four-volume novel '' Chłopi'' (''The Peasant ...

; first published 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 ...

. It is considered one of his most important works after '' The Peasants''. The novel ''The Promised Land'' was originally published as installments in the industrial city of

Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of cant ...

by the daily ''Kurier Codzienny'' from 1897 to 1898. Set in

, ''The Promised Land'' tells the story of three close friends and ruthless young industrialists: a

Pole Pole may refer to: Astronomy *Celestial pole, the projection of the planet Earth's axis of rotation onto the celestial sphere; also applies to the axis of rotation of other planets *Pole star, a visible star that is approximately aligned with the ...

, a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and a

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...

, struggling to build their own factory in the heartless world of the late 19th century labour exploitation. Reymont's novel vividly paints a portrait of the rapid industrialization of Łódź and its cruel effects on workers and mill owners. Reymont writes: "For that 'promised land' – for that tumor – villages were deserted, forests died out, the land was depleted of its treasures, the rivers dried up, people were born. And it sucked everything into itself. And in its powerful jaws it crushed and chewed up people and things, sky and earth, in return giving useless millions to a handful of people, and hunger and hardship to the whole throng". It was translated into

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

by Michael Henry Dziewicki in 1927.

Plot summary

Karol Borowiecki, a Polish nobleman, is the managing engineer at the Bucholz

textile factory Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...

. With the help of his friends Max Baum, a German who is the heir to an old

handloom A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but t ...

factory, and Moritz Welt, an independent Jewish businessman, they embark on setting up their own brand new textile plant. Borowiecki's affair with Lucy Zucker, the wife of another textile magnate, gives him advance notice of a change in cotton

tariff A tariff is a tax imposed by the government of a country or by a supranational union on imports or exports of goods. Besides being a source of revenue for the government, import duties can also be a form of regulation of foreign trade and pol ...

s and helps Welt to make a killing on the Hamburg

futures market A futures exchange or futures market is a central financial exchange where people can trade standardized futures contracts defined by the exchange. Futures contracts are derivatives contracts to buy or sell specific quantities of a commodity or ...

. However, more money has to be found so all three characters cast aside their pride to raise the necessary capital. On the day of the factory opening, Borowiecki has to deny his affair with Zucker's wife to a jealous husband. But while Borowiecki accompanies Lucy on her exile to

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

, there is a fire in the factory, which leaves Borowiecki bankrupt. The same night his father dies. Subsequently, Borowiecki decides to break up with Anka and marry Mada Mueller the daughter of a wealthy German industrialist.

Adaptations

*''Ziemia obiecana'', The Promised Land (1927 movie) *''Ziemia obiecana'', The Promised Land (1975 movie) *''Ziemia obiecana'', Polish TV serial from 1978

External links

Full text in Polish
(public domain due to age)
Audiobook mp3 at Polskie Radio (complete)
1899 novels Polish novels Novels set in Łódź 19th-century Polish novels Polish novels adapted into films {{1890s-novel-stub

Plot summary

Adaptations

See also

External links