Jan Wacław Machajski (27.12.1866–19 02.1926)

Jan Wacław Machajski was characterized by a great changeability of moods and ability for going from one extreme to another – opposite to the previous one – from youthful years. Moreover, his attitude was very emotional and he was not deceived by any explanation or polemic. Originally he got involved in illegal activity in Polish national movement. However, having been arrested by Russians and sentenced to three years in prison and five years exile to the Eastern Siberia, he had radically changed his views and was fascinated by the extreme revolutionary idea embed in peculiar realities of the Russian Empire. Criticizing ideas preferred by Marxist and social democrats, he demanded anarchistic and freedom patterns. He created his own, original revolutionary doctrine, whose the central axis was proletariat, which was to cause revolution giving freedom for all the people enslaved in the country of tsars. After the return from the exile, he lived abroad in Switzerland, but his eccentric ideas found many adherents in Russia in the first two decades of the twentieth century. They had stimulated their own activity within the framework of so-called working conspiracy in times of Revolution in 1905 and other anarchistic and radical groups existing in the area of the Russian Empire.

Contribution to a Study of Jan Bobrzyński’s Economic Ideas

In this article the author shows selected economic views of Jan Bobrzyński, conservative statesman and ideologist from the interwar years. In further part of the article some reason of economic crisis, named by Bobrzyński, are being listed (e.g. interventionism, state management, violation of private property). The author shows also economic objectivity, pointed by Bobrzyński as the way to the modernization of Poland. In the conclusion, the author stresses that Jan Bobrzyński’s opinion on II Rzeczpospolitej economic system aren’t good effort of connecting liberalism with catholic church’ social doctrine. Jan Bobrzyński was trying to find the golden mean between hypertrophy of individualism unit and the socialist supremacy of the state. In his opinion, Cracow conservative school created an optimal model, growing the unit’s individualism in the name of common good.

Ideological Fundamentals of Rev. Jan Piwowarczyk’s Economic and Social Thought

Father Jan Piwowarczyk (1889–1959) Philosophy doctor in theology, ethicist, sociologist, academic teacher, catholic feature writer, theoretician of pre-war for the Christian democratic party. In 1907, he graduated from gymnasium in Wadowice, then he studied at the Seminary for the Archdiocese of Krakow. On the 2nd of July 1911, he was ordained a priest at the Wawel Cathedral. He was a cannon of the Krakow chapter, the rector of Krakow Seminary in the years 1939–1945. He was an outstanding catholic feature writer – in the years 1922–1939 he was the chief editor of “Głos Narodu” and a tutor to a whole generation of journalists. He was probably the best expert in the field of social Catholicism in the interwar period. The author of numerous articles and books on this subject In 1945 he was appointed by cardinal Adam Stefan Sapiecha to be the first editor in chief of “Tygodnik Powszechny” (1945–1951).

Social Transformations in Post–1939 Gdynia in the Lives of Polish National Movement Members and Supporters

In 1939 Gdynia was one of the biggest centres gathering supporters of the National Camp (Endecja). After the outbreak of the Second World War, in changed circumstances, the burgher community integrated around the concept of national Catholic identity did not cease to exist in a day. Thanks to the application of the biographical method, it is possible to establish its later history: the community of the National Party activists and supporters was not permanently disintegrated in years 1939–1945 but revived itself after 1945. Final disintegration of Gdynia pre-war burgher community did not take place earlier than in years 1946–1949. Ruling communists employed a wide variety of repressive measures not only against the persons undertaking anti- -government activity, but also against professional and social groups treated as „reactionary” (doctors, lawyers, traders, real property owners). Analysis of the statistical samples revealed that arrests, displacements, discrimination and non-formal actions led to liquidation of the private sector in trade, and disintegration of the community being the base for the Endecja in the pre-war period. From sociological standpoint, described social transformations bore serious consequences: firstly, the continuity of development of the conservative burger community was disrupted; secondly, disintegration of the Endecja burgher community meant the failure in possible symbiosis of local, Kashubian identity with national, collective identity. The ways of two social groups: local Kashubians and new Gdynia inhabitants separated.

Members of Polish University Corporations – a Collective Picture

This article is to present a collective portrait of the members of the pre-war fraternity organisations. These students’ corporations were ideological and educational and they had a hierarchical structures. The author tried to demonstrate that students who actively participated in the university life by joining different associations and ideological and/or educational organisations, were more likely to get involved in political activities, publicity and journalism in the future. Moreover they worked underground in various military formations after 1939.

Bolesław Wojciech Sadaj (1908–1997), Founder of Pedagogical Studies in Szczecin

The article is a biography, showing the life and work of Bolesław Wojciech Sadaj (1908–1997) as a creator of pedagogy in Szczecin in the organizational and scientific terms. Bolesław Sadaj was a teacher, organizer of teacher training in Szczecin, school superintendent, university teacher, researcher, social and educational activist. He was an important person for the education in Szczecin and Western Pomerania in the second half of the twentieth century, examining the work of teacher, the profession of teacher, their need for education, training and improvement as well as the participation of schools and teachers in the integration processes in Western Pomerania after World War II.

Janina Parafiniuk-Soińska (1922–2012), Educator and Academic from Szczecin

The article presents professional and scientific acitivity of professor Janina Parafiniuk-Soiński. The scientist was connected with Szczecin (family and professionally) already since 1949. She actively participated in the construction of the Szczecin academic education because worked at Wyższa Szkoła Nauczycielska and Wyższa Szkoła Pedagogiczna. These institutions, as we rememeber, can be considered as a praforma of University of Szczecin, including Instytut Pedagogiki. The professor also served as a director of the latter institutions in the most difficult period of its operation, which certainly required from the considerable amount of work and effort. The paper also presents the directions of scientific work – research focusing on two fundamental: learning process in teaching and initial preparation of teachers at university level. Also invoked the image of Janina Parafiniuk-Soińska in the memories of her colleagues and students at the same time pointing out its most important qualities as a man and scientist.

Review of Jasienica’s Poland. A Biography of Commentator, by Arkadiusz Kierys, published by Universitas, Kraków 2015, pp. 595

Review of On the Right Side of Polish Literature. Sketches and Portraits, by Maciej Urbanowski, published by LTW, Łomianki 2015, pp. 406

Review of Icar’s Shoes. Edward Stachura – a Biography, by Marian Buchowski, published by Iskry, Warsaw 2014, pp. 664

Review of Maklak. Through the Eyes of his Daughter, by Marta Maklakiewicz, published by Prószyński i S-ka, Warszawa 2015, pp. 240