Paweł Jasienica

Paweł Jasienica was the pen-name of Leon Lech Beynar (November 10, 1909 – August 19, 1970), a Polish amateur historian, journalist, writer, and soldier.

Biography

He was born in Simbirsk, Russia, to Polish parents, Mikołaj and Helena Maliszewski. His father, worked as a Russian official. Jasienica and his family lived in Russia and Ukraine, until the Russian Revolution of 1917, after which the family returned to Poland in 1920. He graduated in history from Stefan Batory University in Wilno.

He a was soldier in the Polish army during World War II, and fought in the Invasion of Poland when Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany. After the fall of Poland, he joined the Polish underground forces Armia Krajowa (AK) and continued the fight against the Germans.

Following the war he a was member of Wolność i Niezawisłość (WiN, "Freedom and Independence") and fought against the Soviets and Polish communists in the unit of Major Zygmunt Szendzielarz "("Łupaszka")", and was wounded.

He took his pen-name from the name of the place where he had received treatment for his injuries. As a civilian, he worked as a journalist and writer, and became famous for his popular historical books about Piast Poland, Jagiellon Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was known for condemning nationalism, and for his personal courage. There are numerous anecdotes about how he was commended for his out-spokeness by the censors. These acts led to his being labelled a political dissident, for which he suffered government persecution.

Many of his books have been translated into the English language by Alexander Jordan and published by American Institute for Polish Culture.

He is buried in Warsaw's, Powazki Cemetery.

Bibliography

*"Polska Piastów" (1960) (ISBN 83-06-01092-2), translated as "Piast Poland" (ISBN 1-881284-00-X)
*"Polska Jagiellonów" (1963) (ISBN 83-06-01092-2), translated as "Jagiellonian Poland"
*"Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów" (1967-1972) ISBN 83-06-01093-0, three tomes:
**"The Commonwealth of Both Nations: The Silver Age" (ISBN 0870523945)
**"Calamity of the Realm: The Commonwealth of Both Nations II" (ISBN 1-881284-03-4)
**"A Tale of Agony: The Commonwealth of Both Nations III" (ISBN 1-881284-04-2)
*"Rozważania o wojnie domowej" (1978), (ISBN 83-08-01350-3), "Thought on Civil War" - theoretically about Civil War in France, Bretony
*"Pamiętnik" (1986) (ISBN 83-07-02336-X), translated as "Diary" - started shortly before his death, not finished.
*"Tylko o historii" (ISBN 83-07-02208-8)
*"Polska anarchia" (ISBN 83-08-01970-6)
*"Ostatnia z rodu"
*"Myśli o dawnej Polsce"

Quotes

:"My home is not my castle. I am not master of my own drawer."

:"I once knew a man, former Armia Krajowa "cichociemny", who wrote a diary. (...) Last time I heard of him he was mining for coal in places not far away from the North Pole."

:"A man is defenseless against privileges."

References

* "Jasienica i inni ", Marian Brandys, (ISBN 83-207-1492-3)
* "Paweł Jasienica: Fragment biografii, wrzesien 1939-brygada Łupaszki 1945", Bernard Wiaderny, (ISBN B0000EBLEJ)