De ‘reizen’ van Ruusbroec naar Polen: Over de vertalingen van het werk van Jan van Ruusbroec (1293–1381) naar het Pools

Abstract

The treaties of Jan van Ruusbroec have been translated several times into Polish. The first known translation was published in 1874 and the last one in 2006. This article analyses the mediators responsible for the Polish editions — translators and publishing houses. The article seeks to answer the questions of why they chose to bring the thoughts of this medieval Flemish mystic to Poland, what general choices they made (the source text, the presentation) and what the reception of it was. It appears that most of the translations were prepared and published in a conservative catholic environment. This was the probable reason for little interest in the works of Ruusbroec outside this circle. Between 2000 and 2006, the complete works were translated using the modern Dutch edition of the treaties as the source text. This Polish publication consisting of four parts does not only provide the translation of the works of Ruusbroec but it also gives a comprehensive analysis of his life and presence in the world mystic literature. It could be a start to a wave of new interest in those great medieval writings