On behalf of the authors and editors of the anthology, the award was collected by Prof. Krystyna Radziszewska from the Department of German Studies at the Faculty of Philology of the University of Lodz and representatives of the Lodz University Press, which has published the book.
The two-volume publication includes works about old Lodz written not only in Polish, but also in Yiddish, Hebrew, German and Russian. A significant part of the texts included in the anthology have so far remained unknown and has been published for the first time after many decades or more than a century since its creation. Their recall allows us to learn about the life of the city at that time, its inhabitants, social contrasts, dynamic development and tensions within the Lodz community.
Recalling them makes it possible to fill significant gaps in the panorama of Lodz literature, show its diversity and richness, but also bring out a its specific evolution – from the first descriptions of the city created out of nothing, quickly, through hard work and human harm, initially timid attempts to capture its colour and social specificity, to the most mature prose and poetic achievements, which were constantly accompanied by a rich current of humorous and occasional literature.
The awarded two volumes of "Budzi się Łódź..." were created as part of the grant of the National Programme for the Development of Humanities "Kultura literacka Łodzi do 1939 r." [Literary Culture of Lodz until 1939.] implemented at the Faculty of Philology under the supervision of Krystyna Radziszewska. In addition to philologists, Dr Ewa Wiatr from the Faculty of Philosophy and History also participates in the project. As part of this project, the "Słownik kultury literackiej Łodzi do 1939 r." [Dictionary of the literary culture of Lodz until 1939] was also published. There are three more publications in print, including one extensive monograph “City of Modernity. Lodz” that will be published by the Harrassowitz publishing house in Germany. The anthology "Budzi się Łódź..." started the series " Kultura literacka Łodzi" [Literary Culture of Lodz].
These two volumes of the anthology have shown that the common opinion that Lodz was a city without culture is not true. Lodz did not have such literary and cultural traditions as Warsaw, Krakow or Lviv, but many writers lived and worked here – in Polish, German, Yiddish, Hebrew and Russian. This makes us aware of the fact that the city was home to many nationalities. Unfortunately, these works (with the exception of the Polish-language ones) remained unknown to the inhabitants of Lodz. Publishing these literary texts, as well as press texts from the last 150 years, contributes, hopefully, to the discovery of this forgotten but important cultural heritage of Lodz and – as noted by the reviewers – can be a model for other cities in Poland
– says Prof. Krystyna Radziszewska.
The award was presented during the Poznań Book Fair.
The book includes works by Władysław Reymont, Lucjan Kosciecki, Stefan Żeromski, Andrzej Strug, Antek from Bałuty, Witold Wandurski, Gabriela Zapolska, Julian Tuwim, Mojsze Berszling, Grzegorz Timofiejew, Maria Przedborska, Adolf Kergel, Borys Pasternak, Władysław Broniewski, as well as Józef Piłsudski and many anonymous authors.
The anthology presents a diverse, dynamic image of Lodz and its literature, in all genres and aesthetics, starting from the first texts from the mid-19th century, ending on the eve of the outbreak of World War II – the event that irreversibly destroyed a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual city
– reads a news release from the Lodz University Press.
"Budzi się Łódź… Obrazy miasta w literaturze do 1939 roku. Antologia" [Lodz is waking up… Images of the city in literature until 1939. Anthology]. Edit: Katarzyna Badowska, Tomasz Cieślak, Krystyna Pietrych, Piotr Pietrych, Krystyna Radziszewska
"Budzi się Łódź… Obrazy miasta – między literaturą a publicystyką. Antologia, część II" [Lodz is waking up… Images of the city – between literature and journalism. Anthology, Part II]. Edit: Monika Kucner, Anna Warda, Karolina Kołodziej
Lodz University Press, 2020.
Source and edit: Communications and PR Centre, University of Lodz
Photos: Przemysław Stanula, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań