Polish Press Research Articles

Suicides of artists and their portrayal in Polish press before WWII

The article presents the ways Polish press of the 1920s and 1930s used to write about suicides of artists. The author analyses the stories of suicidal deaths of five people: theatre actress Alojza Żółkowska, actor and director Józef Poremba-Jaracz, an aspiring painter Helena Niemczewska (the daughter of the watercolourist Julian Fałat), film heartthrob Zbigniew Staniewicz, and theatre actor Sergiusz Niłus (Jerzy Alan). These instances demonstrate that pre-war journalists took a keen interest in the issue, especially the reasons behind the tragedies. Detailed descriptions of the course of events often revealed many details of the stars’ private lives, especially their health-related conditions.

„Ławą przepływać lubimy do sezonowych letnisk” – wędrówki Polaków do pruskich i niemieckich kurortów (1850–1914)

This study examines written sources documenting Polish travels to German resorts from the the mid-19th century until the outbreak of World War I. The topic at hand encompasses multiple disciplines, including literary history and cultural anthropology. Among the resorts popular among Poles in the 19th century, Baden-Baden emerges as the most prominent German spa town which attracted the then elite of Europe. It gained its reputation due to the beneficial climate and hot springs as well as a diverse array of recreational activities. As the political situation deteriorated (the Kulturkampf, Prussian restrictions), Polish trips to German resorts came to be viewed in a political context. As a result, a campaign for boycotting „the baths” was launched in the Polish press. Written sources documenting Polish travels to German and Prussian resorts from the 19th and early 20th centuries provide insight into the historical context of the period, and offer a unique perspective on various political, economic, and social issues.

Reymont to the American Polonia. A Forgotten Proclamation

The article discusses Wladysław Stanisław Reymont’s two trips to the United States in 1919 and1920. Polish press of 1919–1920 sheds light on the purpose of these trips, helps reconstructthe course of the writer’s meetings with the American Polonia as well as the content of his speeches.The article includes a reprint of Reymont’s heretofore unknown proclamation from 1920 entitledReminders (Przypomnienia), addressed to the emigrants and intended to encourage them to supportthe Polish Government Loan (Polska Pożyczka Państwowa).

“A festival with politics in the background” or “A celebration of exclusive freedom”? Perception of Woodstock Station/Pol’and’Rock Festival in opinion-forming Polish press

“A festival with politics in the background” or “A celebration of exclusive freedom”? Perception of Woodstock Station/Pol’and’Rock Festival in opinion-forming Polish press

Russian narratives of the war in Ukraine as reflected in the Serbian and Polish press

Russian narratives of the war in Ukraine as reflected in the Serbian and Polish press

Polish press publishers in Piekary near Bytom in the years 1847-1939

The town Piekary played an important role in the years 1847-1939 as one of the first and thriving centres of Polish press in Upper Silesia.

It Is High Time for Serious Women

Abstract This article aims to highlight aspects of female emancipation in the Kingdom of Poland in the second half of the nineteenth century that gave this movement a specific, national character. The political and economic consequences of the January Uprising (1863–1864) hit the landed gentry particularly hard. As a result, many gentry women faced the necessity of earning a living and this forced a change in their way of life and aspirations. The traditional model for elite women did not match the economic challenges, and with this in mind, the Polish press, especially magazines for female readers, aimed to create a new model of gentry womanhood. Most periodicals agreed that women's emancipation was on a certain level necessary. But to what extent? This question has been a subject of dispute. Some columnists postulated to limit women's professional aspirations to manual occupations in order to preserve the domain of prestigious intellectual labor exclusively for men. This conservative movement succeeded only partially, with some upper-class women devoting themselves to handicrafts while others, against conservatives’ wishes, graduated from universities abroad and obtained qualifications for performing previously male professions. The majority of these educated women combined paid labor with social work. They were strongly influenced by the promoted ideal of a “new Polish woman” who was to be hard working, constantly improving her mental faculties, and engaging in activities that benefitted Polish society and the nation. This model contributed significantly to the formation of a new generation of distinguished female activists.

Issues of the Ancient Near East in Polish Press in the 19th Century – Kłosy [The Ears of Grain Weekly

The Kłosy [The Ears of Grain] Polish weekly magazine (1865–1890) devoted some space to the history of culture, literature, the issues of scientific progress, travels, and descriptions of foreign countries. The paper discusses texts referring to matters of the ancient Near East as published in that journal. It includes a review and analysis of press materials dealing with various themes and includes the following: notes, reviews, announcements, articles, digressive travel reports, fiction, etc. They were presented in the context of the specificity of this kind of press and understanding of 19th-century intellectual needs. The more prominent or characteristic publications are generally discussed, while the summary presents statistical reflections on the distribution and formal transformations.

Echoes of the Russian Revolutions in 1917 in the Polish Press

The aim of the article is to present the issues of the Russian revolutions, their course and effects in the Polish press published under the partitions, representing various ideological and political trends. Foreign dailies remained the source of information about the revolution. A review of press publications allowed us to determine what information reached the readers of the Polish press. The creators of the Polish press assumed the attitude of observers of political and social life. The influence of revolutionary events on the development of the situation in Poland was discussed. A review of press publications allowed us to determine what information reached the readers of the Polish press. The press content analysis method and qualitative analysis of the presented content were used.

Echoes of the Russian Revolutions in 1917 in the Polish Press

The aim of the article is to present the issues of the Russian revolutions, their course and effects in the Polish press published under the partitions, representing various ideological and political trends. Foreign dailies remained the source of information about the revolution. A review of press publications allowed us to determine what information reached the readers of the Polish press. The creators of the Polish press assumed the attitude of observers of political and social life. The influence of revolutionary events on the development of the situation in Poland was discussed. A review of press publications allowed us to determine what information reached the readers of the Polish press. The press content analysis method and qualitative analysis of the presented content were used.

Advertising occultism in the Jewish press in Poland

ABSTRACT Press advertisements are a key source for the history of Jewish occultism in Eastern Europe. From the late nineteenth century, modern occult currents engaged many Jews in Eastern Europe, who consulted with mediums, attended occult performances and lectures, and consumed occult literature, whether in Hebrew, Yiddish, Polish, or Russian. For these Jews, the hidden realities represented by occultism conveyed practical knowledge, entertainment, assurance, and the possibility of belief in a higher reality. Their occult activities left a paper trail in the form of advertisements placed in Jewish newspapers across Eastern Europe. This article considers occult-related advertisements published in the Jewish press in early-twentieth-century Poland, arguably the centre of Jewish occultism in Eastern Europe. By tracing occult advertisements across four decades of the Hebrew, Yiddish, and Polish press in Poland, a picture emerges of the dynamic occult marketplace that reached Jews across Eastern Europe, the economics of this marketplace, and the social changes that spurred its development. Jewish press advertisements thus not only shed light on the physiognomy of Jewish occultism in Poland in the early-twentieth century, but also tell us a great deal about Jewish experiences of modernity in these years as a whole.

Na afrykańskich i amerykańskich szlakach – vie romancée Aleksandra Marka Jawornickiego

On African and American Routes – Vie Romancee of Aleksander Marek Jawornicki The aim of the article is to present, based on a few materials from the Polish and Polish American press from the end of the 19th century, the figure of a lawyer, journalist and traveler who is now forgotten. Aleksander Marek Jawornicki, born in 1847 in Radom, graduated from law studies, but worked in the profession for a short time. From 1874, he collaborated with, among others, with the “Kaliszanin” daily, publishing novels, pictures, humorous sketches, and reviews. In 1887, he took part in a research trip to West Africa, led by Leopold Janikowski. After his return, he published letters, sketches, short stories and novels based on his impressions from the expedition in the Polish press, and in 1892 he was also the editor of “Kaliszanin”. In 1896 he left for America and settled in Chicago. He was the editor of the Polish diaspora “Katolik”, later ran a pharmacy in Milwaukee, was a doctor in Michigan and a priest of the Polish Catholic Church in Chicago. He died there in 1900.

The Portrayal of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Media

The aim of the paper is to present and discuss the portrayal of the COVID-19 pandemic in the media. Our primary focus is on Polish press articles, supplemented by occasional references to international sources. The analysis reveals that, much like in previous pandemics, the media narrative around COVID-19 is heavily metaphorical, aiming to simplify the understanding of this unfamiliar event. The most common metaphors involve war and battle, which have sparked controversy and significant criticism for their militaristic connotations. Our paper also examines alternative representations of the pandemic, such as natural disasters (with the fire metaphor being particularly apt), sports (including football, mountain climbing, and marathons), and other innovative comparisons (comparing the pandemic to an animal, driving a car, etc.).

Wokół układu Piłsudski-Petlura. Porozumienie w świetle publikacji wybranych tytułów polskiej prasy codziennej

The present study analyzes the reaction of the subjectively selected titles of the daily Polish press to the signing of the Pilsudski-Petlura agreement. The article examines the consequences of the pact for the concerned parties and the significance of the treaty for the formation of the relations between the Second Polish Republic and Bolshevik Russia, and thus for the Polish government’s Eastern policy. The article also explores the extent of the publicists’ knowledge of the course of the talks between Poland and the Ukrainian People’s Republic.

Aktywność polityczna i kulturalna kobiet w świetle rękopiśmiennej i drukowanej prasy polskiego oświecenia (XVIII w.)

Political and Cultural Activism of Women As Seen in Handwritten and Printed Press in the Polish Enlightenment (Eighteenth Century) The rapid development of the press in the Republic of Poland in the eighteenth century enabled a much more efficient transfer of information. During the Enlightenment, the Polish press market was graced by a number of magazines the editors of which were guided by the goals of reforming, moralizing, and promoting scientific knowledge. At the same time, the old Polish social communication system based on the creation and sending of handwritten newspapers to recipients was still in operation. In various press outlets in the Republic of Poland in the second half of the eighteenth century, one can also find an ever‑growing amount of information devoted to women. In addition to pedagogical issues that were discussed in the Enlightenment, i.e., the upbringing and education of girls, information about women’s activities, which were diverse in their nature, spread more and more widely. Both in printed and handwritten newspapers, one can, above all, read about the achievements of women in the fields of politics and culture. Although Polish women in the eighteenth century had limited opportunities to act in politics and culture, resulting from the specificity of the Polish state system and from the dominance of men, their important role in these areas was often highlighted in the press. Press advertisements also allow us to conclude that literary works written by women could take root in social consciousness thanks to newspaper advertising.

Yurii Lypa’s Black Sea Doctrine and Intermarium According to Bohdan Osadczuk

The paper deals with the historical and typological analysis of integration projects in the journalism of Yurii Lypa (1900– 1944) – a public figure, physician, writer, ideologist of Ukrainian nationalism, and founder of the Ukrainian Chornomorskyi (Black Sea) Institute in Warsaw – and Bohdan Osadczuk (1920– 2011), an émigré, publicist, researcher of the modern history of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), regular contributor to the Parisian monthly Kultura, and supporter of Polish–Ukrainian reconciliation. These activists help us to trace the different geopolitical accents of, respectively, nationalist and liberal Ukrainian political thought. In addition, their journalistic activities took place either in the interwar/war period (Lypa) or after the war (Osadczuk). The debate in the Ukrainian–Polish press in 1947–1948 within the camps for displaced persons in Germany can be considered a conditional distinction between different stages in the understanding of regional integration projects. The current security threats caused by Russia’s aggression have revived discussions in CEE about regional integration, projects of which have both supporters and critics. From a discursive approach to the reactualization of the idea of the Baltic-Black Sea Union and Intermarium, we analyze the conceptualization of ideas relevant to the period of Lypa’s and Osadczuk’s life and work.

Początki przemysłu naftowego w Galicji przed okresem autonomii w świetle wybranych polskich tytułów prasowych

BEGINNINGS OF THE OIL INDUSTRY IN GALICIA BEFORE THE PERIOD OF AUTONOMY IN THE LIGHT OFSELECTED POLISH PRESS TITLESThe publication of newspapers and the extraction and use of crude oil were undoubtedly among the socio-economic areas that significantly affected the lives of people in the 19th century. At the time, newspapers and journals played the role of the most important and popular sources of information about crude oil and its products, especially kerosene, and they shaped their readers’ worldviews on those products’ uses in the economy and everyday life. This paper presents the beginning of the oil industry in Austrian Galicia in pre-autonomy Galicia in the Polish news press (Czas, Gazeta Narodowa, Gazeta Lwowska) and economic magazines (Gazeta Przemysłowa, Korespondent Handlowy, Przemysłowy i Rolniczy, Tygodnik Rolniczo-Przemysłowy). The first mentions in the press on the subject appeared in the 1850s. In the 1860s, oil-related subjects were broadly represented in daily newspapers and in the economic press. In agricultural journals, especially in the Prussian and Russian partitions, oil-related subjects were not present in titles from the 1850s and 60s. The first group of texts consisted of articles about crude oil (chemical properties) and regions which were rich in petroleum. In areas where it was present, crude oil had been known and used for a long time, but to the readership of newspapers and journals it was a new resource. It is no wonder then that the press was explaining what it was and what its uses were. The press did not focus on Galicia’s deposits of crude oil, earthwax and natural gas, but did print detailed information on their sources around the world, especially in the United States (the names of oil fields, the volume and monetary value of extraction and export to Europe). The press saw the American mass production and sale of oil to Europe as the greatest threat to the Galician industry. The press documented the economic situation of the Galician oil industry (petroleum mining, oil refinery, business people) and speculated on its future position in Galicia’s economic system. It speculated that the oil industry would become an important branch of the economy. When writing about the oil industry, the press reported on the first mines (Bóbrka, Borysław), entrepreneurs, the presence of oil products on agricultural and industrial expositions organised in Kraków, Rzeszów and Jasło. Another subject discussed by the press was articles on the trade of paraffin oil. The development of the Galician oil industry had also become a pretext to debate on its role in everyday life. In the opinion of the press, oil lamps would be used as street lighting and at home illuminating the whole room. These newspaper advertisements showed new products connected with the oil industry such as different kinds of paraffin oil and oil lamps.

Mechanisms of Generating Emotions in the Polish and German Press

The aim of the article is to try to show the mechanisms of generating emotions that appeared in press publications in Poland and in Germany in the period from March to November 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic.
 The article refers to media studies and linguistics. It tries to show the mechanisms of generating emotions in the Polish press. It was noted that fear was the dominant emotion in the described period. The main channels for distributing emotions were text and photos, lexis and visualization.
 By analysing numerous and diverse press articles in both Polish and German press, this study guarantees a broad and comprehensive perspective of research on the mechanisms of generating emotions in the press determined by the subject of the pandemic.

«Тюрьма народов»: рождение метафоры

The article discusses the emergence of the image of the prison of peoples in the European culture. Most often, this image is traced back to the book by Astolf de Custine “Russia in 1839”. However, de Custine, in essence, talks only about one enslaved people in the Russian Empire, namely the Polish. The idea about the prison of peoples took root only after the “non-historical” peoples of the Central and Eastern Europe entered the political scene. The image of Russia as a prison of peoples dates back to the Polish and even more so to the Ukrainian literature and journalism. In the Ukrainian press, referring to Russia as a prison of peoples becomes common practice in the 1900s. Mikhail Grushevsky in his article “Unity or disintegration?” presents this metaphor in its most extensive form. The image of the prison of peoples played an important role in the program documents of the Austrophile Ukrainian organizations of the First World War era. At the same time, Ukrainian leaders did not forget about Polish nationalism, which “would like to build a new „prison of peoples“” in a revived Poland. In the Polish press in 1900— 1917 the prison of peoples was mentioned less frequently, and not in program documents. Lenin most probably borrowed the formula “prison of peoples” from the Ukrainian or Polish press. From Lenin’s journalism it moved into the Soviet political language. Until the First World War, Russia was referred to almost exclusively as the prison of peoples; then the metaphor began to be applied to other countries, primarily to Austria-Hungary.

Czechoslovakia in the Context of Nestor Makhno’s Exile (1922-1924)

The article introduces two handwritten letters of Nestor Makhno to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czechoslovakia and to President Tomáš G. Masaryk. It also publishes hitherto unknown documents from the Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic that partly charted Makhno’s fate in the years 1922-1924. The article expands and completes the source base of research on Makhno’s exile. For the first time, it puts these sources in the context of the Russian Aid Operation and activities of Makhno in Poland. An analysis of the two letters reveals how Makhno perceived Czechoslovakia; what he expected from it and how he presented himself to T.G. Masaryk. On the basis of archival documents, the attitude of the Czechoslovak authorities towards Makhno can be partially explained.
 Based on his historical experience, Makhno compared the Czech nation to that of the Ukrainians, and he also believed that «Czechoslovak Slavonicity» could indicate potential solidarity with the Ukrainian nation. Initially, in Czechoslovakia, Makhno intended to launch his resistance against Bolshevism. Nevertheless, although the sources are ambiguous, owing to the miserable living conditions experienced in Polish exile, it is likely that he also dreamed of repatriation from Czechoslovakia. Moreover, Makhno was purposely vague in describing his role and the situation in Poland to Masaryk to curry favour. Due to Czechoslovakia’s geopolitical goals, any tendencies towards an uprising against Bolshevism with the goal of Ukrainian independence were perceived rather negatively. The Czechoslovak authorities viewed Makhno unfavourably because of the Polish press. He was described as a «bogeyman» of the landowners, and was seen as a distrustful bandit rather than a principled anarchist.