Sławomir Mrożek (29 June 1930 – 15 August 2013) was a Polish dramatist, writer and

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...

. Mrożek joined the Polish United Workers' Party during the reign of

Stalinism Stalinism (, ) is the Totalitarianism, totalitarian means of governing and Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from History of the Soviet Union (1927–1953), 1927 to 1953 by dictator Jose ...

in the

People's Republic of Poland The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...

, and made a living as a political journalist. He began writing plays in the late 1950s. His theatrical works belong to the genre of

absurdist fiction Absurdist fiction is a genre of novels, Play (theatre), plays, poems, films, or other media that focuses on the experiences of characters in situations where they cannot find any inherent Meaning of life, purpose in life, most often represented b ...

, intended to shock the audience with non-realistic elements, political and historic references, distortion, and

parody A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...

. In 1963 he emigrated to Italy and France, then further to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. In 1996 he returned to

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and settled in

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

. In 2008 he moved back to France.Krystyna Dąbrowska
Sławomir Mrożek.
Culture.pl, September 2009. He died in

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million

Postwar period

Mrożek's family lived in

during World War II. He finished high school in 1949 and in 1950 debuted as a political hack-writer on '' Przekrój''. In 1952 he moved into the government-run Writer's House ( ZLP headquarters with the restricted canteen). In 1953, during the Stalinist terror in postwar Poland, Mrożek was one of several signatories of an

open letter An open letter is a Letter (message), letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally. Open letters usually take the form of a letter (mess ...

from ZLP to Polish authorities supporting the persecution of Polish religious leaders imprisoned by the

Ministry of Public Security Ministry of Public Security can refer to: * Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil) * Ministry of Public Security of Burundi * Ministry of Public Security (Chile) * Ministry of Public Security (China) * Ministry of Public Security of Co ...

. He participated in the defamation of Catholic priests from Kraków, three of whom were condemned to death by the Communist government in February 1953 after being groundlessly accused of treason (see the Stalinist show trial of the Kraków Curia). Their death sentences were not enforced, although Father Józef Fudali died in unexplained circumstances while in prison.. ''

Institute of National Remembrance The Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation (, abbreviated IPN) is a Polish state research institute in charge of education and archives which also includes two public prosecutio ...

''. Retrieved 11 October 2011.David Dastych
"Devil's Choice. High-ranking Communist Agents in the Polish Catholic Church."
''Canada Free Press'' (CFP), 10 January 2007.Dr Stanisław Krajski

''Katolicka Gazeta Internetowa'', 2001-12-01.Damian Nogajski
WINY MAŁE I DUŻE – CZYLI KTO JEST PASZKWILANTEM.
''Polskiejutro.com'', No. 227; 11 September 2006.Katarzyna Kubisiowska (interview with Sławomir Mrożek)

' Rzeczpospolita'', archiwum. Mrożek wrote a full-page article for the leading newspaper in support of the verdict, entitled "Zbrodnia główna i inne" (The Capital Crime and Others), comparing death-row priests to degenerate SS-men and Ku-Klux-Klan killers.. ''

'' (IPN). Retrieved 1 November 2011. He married Maria Obremba living in

Katowice Katowice (, ) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. K ...

and relocated to

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

in 1959. In 1963 Mrożek travelled to Italy with his wife and decided to defect together. After five years in Italy, he moved to France and in 1978 received French citizenship. After his defection, Mrożek turned critical of the Polish communist regime. Later, from the safety of his residence in France, he also protested publicly against the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. Long after the collapse of the Soviet empire, he commented thus on his fascination with Communism: His first wife, Maria Obremba, died in 1969. In 1987 he married Susana Osorio-Mrozek, a Mexican woman. In 1996, he relocated back to Poland and settled in Kraków. He had a stroke in 2002, resulting in

aphasia Aphasia, also known as dysphasia, is an impairment in a person's ability to comprehend or formulate language because of dysfunction in specific brain regions. The major causes are stroke and head trauma; prevalence is hard to determine, but aph ...

, which took several years to cure. He left Poland again in 2008, and moved to Nice in southern France. Sławomir Mrożek died in Nice on 15 August 2013. Not a religious person by any means, on 17 September 2013 he was buried at the St. Peter and Paul Church in Kraków. The funeral mass was conducted by the Archbishop of Kraków, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz.Monika Scislowska (17 September 2013)
Polish playwright Slawomir Mrozek buried in Krakow.
Associated Press.

Literary career

Mrożek's first play, ''

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussi ...

'', was published in 1958. His first full-length play, '' Tango'' (1965) written about

totalitarianism Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public s ...

in the style of Theatre of the Absurd, made him, according to Krystyna Dąbrowska, one of the most recognizable Polish contemporary dramatists in the world. It became also Mrożek's most successful play, according to Britannica, produced in many Western countries. In 1975 his second popular play ''Emigranci'' (The Émigrés),August Grodzicki
"Bardzo polska tragikomedia."
''Życie Warszawy'' nr 5; 7 Jan 1976 a bitter and ironic portrait of two Polish emigrants in Paris, was produced by director

Andrzej Wajda Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the "P ...

at the ''Teatr Stary'' in Kraków. Mrożek traveled to France, England, Italy, Yugoslavia and other European countries. After the military crackdown of 1981 Mrożek wrote the only play he ever regretted writing, called ''Alfa'', about the imprisoned

Solidarity Solidarity or solidarism is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. True solidarity means moving beyond individual identities and single issue politics ...

leader

Lech Wałęsa Lech Wałęsa (; ; born 29 September 1943) is a Polish statesman, dissident, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as the president of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 Polish presidential election, 1990 election, Wałę ...

who became

President of Poland The president of Poland ( ), officially the president of the Republic of Poland (), is the head of state of Poland. His or her prerogatives and duties are determined in the Constitution of Poland. The president jointly exercises the executive ...

after the collapse of the Soviet empire. ''See also'' " fałszywka". After the introduction of

martial law in Poland Martial law in Poland () existed between 13 December 1981 and 22 July 1983. The Polish United Workers' Party, government of the Polish People's Republic drastically restricted everyday life by introducing martial law and a military junta in an a ...

, productions of Alfa were banned, along with two of Mrożek's other plays, The Ambassador and Vatzlav. The later play, in

Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...

, in the city known as the birth and home to Solidarity (Polish trade union) and its leader Lech Walesa, Theater Wybrzeze courageously premiered " Vatzlav". These were the times that the country had food shortages, curfews and a police hour. Many actors were interned including actor Jerzy Kiszkis who played the title role of " Vatzlav". A

born actress, activist and

''Solidarność'' (Solidarity)supporter Beata Pozniak, was asked to play Justine, a character that symbolized

justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

Censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governmen ...

in theaters were enforced. It was noted that in this 1982 Gdańsk production, the censor stopped Mrozek's play not allowing many gestures made by actors on stage, including Justine's father wearing a beard, because he reminded her too much of

Karl Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...

List of works

List of plays by Mrożek (below) is based on Małgorzata Sugiera's "Dramaturgia Sławomira Mrożka" (Dramatic works of Sławomir Mrożek): *Professor / The professor''Source:'' Jerzy Afanasjew, ''Sezon kolorowych chmur. Z życia Gdańskich teatrzyków 1954–1964'' (The season of colorful clouds – from the life of Gdańsk's small theatres 1954–1964), Gdynia 1968. *Policja / ''

'', "Dialog" 1958, nr 6 *Męczeństwo Piotra Oheya / The Martyrdom of Peter Ohey, "Dialog" 1959, nr 6 *Indyk / The Turkey, "Dialog" 1960, nr 10 *Na pełnym morzu / At Sea, "Dialog" 1961, nr 2 *Karol / Charlie, "Dialog" 1961, nr 3 *Strip-tease, "Dialog" 1961, nr 6 *Zabawa / The Party, "Dialog" 1962, nr 10 *Kynolog w rozterce / Dilemmas of a dog breeder, "Dialog" 1962, nr 11 *Czarowna noc / The magical night, "Dialog" 1963, nr 2 *Śmierć porucznika / The death of the lieutenant, "Dialog" 1963, nr 5 *Der Hirsch, trans. Ludwik Zimmerer (in:) STÜCKE I, Berlin (West), 1965 (no Polish version) *'' Tango'', "Dialog" 1965, nr 11 *Racket baby, trans. Ludwik Zimmerer (in:) STÜCKE I, Berlin (West), 1965 (no Polish version) *Poczwórka / The quarter, "Dialog" 1967, nr 1 *Dom na granicy / The house on the border, "Dialog" 1967, nr 1 *Testarium, "Dialog" 1967, nr 11 *Drugie danie / The main course, "Dialog" 1968, nr 5 *Szczęśliwe wydarzenie / The fortunate event, "Kultura" 1971, nr 5 *Rzeźnia / The slaughterhouse, "Kultura" 1971, nr 5 *Emigranci / The Émigrés, "Dialog" 1974, nr 8 *Garbus / The Hunchback, "Dialog" 1975, nr 9 *Serenada / The Serenade, "Dialog" 1977, nr 2 *Lis filozof / The philosopher fox, "Dialog" 1977, nr 3 *Polowanie na lisa / Fox hunting, "Dialog" 1977, nr 5 *Krawiec / The Tailor (written in 1964) "Dialog" 1977, nr 11 *Lis aspirant / The trainee fox, "Dialog" 1978, nr 7 *Pieszo / On foot, "Dialog" 1980, nr 8 *'' Vatzlav'' (written in 1968), published by the Instytut Literacki (Literary Institute in Paris) *Ambassador / The Ambassador, Paris 1982 *Letni dzień / A summer day, "Dialog" 1983, nr 6 *Alfa / Alpha, Paryz, 1984 *Kontrakt / The contract, "Dialog" 1986, nr 1 *Portret / The portrait, "Dialog" 1987, nr 9 *Wdowy / Widows (written in 1992) *Milość na Krymie / Love in the Crimea, "Dialog" 1993, nr 12 *Wielebni / The reverends, "Dialog" 2000, nr 11 *Piękny widok / A beautiful sight, "Dialog" 2000, nr 5

English translations

*''Tango''. New York: Grove Press, 1968. *''The Ugupu Bird'' (selected stories from: ''Wesele w Atomicach'', ''Deszcz'' and an excerpt from ''Ucieczka na południe''). London: Macdonald & Co., 1968. *''Striptease'', ''Repeat Performance'', and ''The Prophets''. New York: Grove Press, 1972. *''Vatzlav''. London: Cape, 1972. *''The Elephant'' (Słoń). Westport: Greenwood Press, 1972.

Notes

External links