Władysław Skierkowski (12 March 1886 – 20 August 1941) was a Polish priest born in the peasant village of Głużek. He was responsible for studying and collecting the folk music of the

Kurpie Kurpie () is one of a number of ethnic regions in Poland, noted for its unique traditional customs, such as its own types of traditional costume, traditional dance and distinctive type of architecture and livelihoods. Kurpie is also the name of ...

region of

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 ...

Ordination

As a youth Skierkowski was determined to become a priest, so he volunteered to serve as organist in the church seminary in

Płock Płock (pronounced ), officially the Ducal Capital City of Płock, is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river, in the Masovian Voivodeship. According to the data provided by Central Statistical Office (Poland), GUS on 31 December 2021, the ...

, which eventually led to his admittance to the seminary. He was later ordained 23 June 1912 and, after serving as vicar in

Dzierzgowo Dzierzgowo is a village in Mława County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Dzierzgowo. It lies approximately east of Mława and north of Warsaw Warsaw, officia ...

, he was reassigned to a church in the town of

Myszyniec Myszyniec is a town in Ostrołęka County, Masovian Voivodeship, northeastern Poland, with 2,950 inhabitants (2010). History Myszyniec was founded in 1654 by the Jesuits, under a royal privilege issued by King John II Casimir Vasa. It was loc ...

. His pastoral travels by foot or horse from Myszyniec to the town of

Chorzele Chorzele is a town in Przasnysz County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, on the Orzyc (river), Orzyc River. As of December 2021, the town has a population of 3,047. The town is crossed by the national road No. 57 Bartoszyce - Pułtusk and provinc ...

, a distance of 30 kilometers, led him through the primeval swamps and the dark forest of the Kurpie wilderness. It was only during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

when he was forced to flee into the Kurpie forest and live with the peasants in their huts and share their customs that he became enthralled with the music, customs, and dialect of the forest dwellers.

Collecting folk songs

From 1913 to his death in 1941, Skierkowski collected thousands of Kurpie folk songs including engagement and wedding songs, love songs, ballads, orphan songs, family songs, comic songs, soldier songs, shepherd songs, the annual song, as well as songs of the harvest. His collection of songs was published in 1928 in his book “The Kurpie Forest in Song“ (''Puszcza Kurpiowska w pieśni'').

Capture by the Nazis

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Skierkowski attempted to avoid capture by the Germans, but was finally caught and arrested during the night of 6 March 1941 and taken to

Soldau concentration camp The Soldau concentration camp established by Nazi Germany during World War II was a concentration camp for Polish and Jewish prisoners. It was located in Działdowo (), a town in north-eastern Poland, which after the Nazi-Soviet invasion of Poland ...

near the town of

Działdowo Działdowo (; , ) is a town in northern Poland with 20,935 inhabitants as of December 2021, the capital of Działdowo County. As part of Masuria, it is situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (since 1999), Działdowo belonged previously to Cie ...

. His death was reported as 20 August 1941, with the cause of death listed as

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

. He was 55 years old.

References

Władysław Skierkowski
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skierkowski, Wladyslaw 1886 births 1941 deaths People from Mława County People from Płock Governorate 20th-century Polish Roman Catholic priests Polish folk music Polish traditions Polish civilians killed in World War II People who died in Soldau concentration camp Deaths from pneumonia in Poland

Ordination

Collecting folk songs

Capture by the Nazis

See also

References