Jan Lam (16 January 1838 in

Stanyslaviv Ivano-Frankivsk (, ), formerly Stanyslaviv, Stanislav and Stanisławów, is a city in western Ukraine. It serves as the administrative centre of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast as well as Ivano-Frankivsk Raion within the oblast. Ivano-Frankivsk also host ...

– 3 August 1886 in

Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

) was a Polish journalist, writer and comic, as well as a teacher in numerous schools of Galicia. He is probably best remembered as the author of a poem ''Marsz Sokołów'', the anthem of the

Sokół Sokol, Sokół or SOKOL may refer to: Sports * Sokol movement, a Pan-Slavic physical education movement, and its various incarnations: ** Czech Sokol movement, the original one ** Polish Sokół movement ** Russian Sokol movement ** Sokol mov ...

, as well as a long-time journalist of the

Dziennik Polski ''Dziennik Polski'' is a Polish newspaper. It was established in 1945 as a regional newspaper for Lesser Poland Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name ''Małopolska'' (; ), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eas ...

daily. Jan Lam was born Johann Lam on January 16, 1838, in the town of Stanisławów,

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

(in partitioned Poland under Austrian occupation) (now

Ivano-Frankivsk Ivano-Frankivsk (, ), formerly Stanyslaviv, Stanislav and Stanisławów, is a city in western Ukraine. It serves as the administrative centre of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast as well as Ivano-Frankivsk Raion within the oblast. Ivano-Frankivsk also host ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

). Born to a German family, he chose to be a Pole much like most of his colleagues and took part in the

January Uprising The January Uprising was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at putting an end to Russian occupation of part of Poland and regaining independence. It began on 22 January 1863 and continued until the last i ...

against

Imperial Russia Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * ...

. Upon his return to Austria in 1864 he was arrested and sentenced to one year in prison for his part in the struggle against Russia. In 1866 he moved to Lwów, where he briefly appeared as a journalist of the ''Gazeta Narodowa'' daily. In 1868 he started publishing a weekly ''Lwów chronicles'' column, a largely popular satirical rubric. Its popularity made him change the newspaper and the following year he was hired by the ''Dziennik Polski'', the most popular Polish language newspaper of Galicia. He also published a number of novels, most of which were also satirical to some extent. In his works he mocked the short-mindedness of some nobles and the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, as well as the absurdities of

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

rule and

red-tape Red tape is a concept employed to denounce excessive or redundant regulation and adherence to formal rules for creating unnecessary constraints on action and decision-making. The occurrence of red tape is usually associated with governments but a ...

in Galicia. Such topics made Lam one of the most popular journalist of Lwów, a town primarily inhabited by burghers rather than gentry. He died August 3, 1886, in

Lwów Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

(then

Galicia, modern Lviv in Ukraine).

Works

* ''Wielki świat Capowic'' (''Fashionables of Buckville''; 1869) * ''Koroniarz w Galicji'' (''A Crown-man in Galicia''; 1870) * ''Głowy do pozłoty'' (''Heads to be Gilt''; 1873) * ''Idealiści'' (''Idealists''; 1876) * ''Dziwne kariery'' (''Strange Careers''; 1881) * ''Dzieła'' (Selected works in 4 volumes; 1956–1957)

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lam, Jan 1838 births 1886 deaths Journalists from the Russian Empire Novelists from the Russian Empire 19th-century Polish journalists 19th-century Polish male writers 19th-century Polish novelists Polish male novelists Polish participants of the January Uprising Polish male journalists Writers from Ivano-Frankivsk