Władysław Jan Grabski was born on 25th October 1901 in Borów, died on 3rd November 1970 in Warsaw. He was a writer and a journalist. When he was fifteen he published the magazine for youth “New forces” in Petersburg. In the age of eighteen he arrived with his parents to Warsaw and continued his education in Adam Mickiewicz Gimnazjum, where he passed his maturity exam in 1920. Then he started studying in Law College at Warsaw University. In 1922 during the trip to Austria and Italy with his parents and brothers he finished his first collection of poetry called “Russia”
After Władysław Jan Grabski had become a Bachelor of Art in November 1924, he left to Paris and continued his studying at Sorbona University. He published his sonnets called ‘Three wreathes’. He became a doctor of law for his work about Charles Fourier. In 1927 he married Zofia Wojciechowska and lived in Grabków (today Ursus). He worked as a clerk in the Economic Office of Polish Bank. Because of the problems with his health he cured from 1929 to 1931 in Zakopane and Wienerwald (Austria). His famous novels from that time are: “The Brothers (1933), “The Lie” (1935). “On the Edge” (1936).
The death of his father Władysław Grabski in 1938 had much influence on his life.
He fought during the Second World War (1939-1945), first as a soldier of Polish Army, then as the soldier of the Country Army (Armia Krajowa), nick-named “Paul”. He saved the lives of more than ten Jews. He was still continuing his novels: “In the Shadow of the Cathedral”, “Saga of Jarl Bronisz”, “Confessional”. During Warsaw Uprising he helped many fugitives.
After the Second World War Władysław Jan Grabski started working in the Ministry of Public Administration and then in the Ministry of the Regained Lands. One of the important tasks, done by him, was compiling the report about 200 towns, which became Polish after the war. He also cooperated with the magazines: “Tygodnik Powszechny” (“Common Magazine Weekly”) and “Tygodnik Warszawski” (“Warsaw Weekly”), where his articles were published in 1945 and 1946.
He took part in the activities of the Polish Writers’ Society, the PEN-club and the Archaeological Society. From 1947 to 1949 he published 8 volumes altogether. Since 1950 the “numerus clausus” had become operative in newspapers, magazines, publishing houses, the radio. During those years of boycott the writer was writing “Świdnik Rhapsody”, which he finished in 1953. The family lived poorly, because Grabski’s wife was the only person, who earned money. She was painting some paintings for the churches and was selling fruit and flowers from their garden. Grabski’s sons suffered persecution, too.
The Polish Writers Society filed a lawsuit against Władysław Jan Grabski and fired him from the Society. The writer couldn’t get over after the trial and he went down with tuberculosis. He suffered from that illness for two years, completely left by his friends. In 1955 his “Świdnik Rhapsody” was published in Poznań. After Stalin’s death in 1956 Władysław Jan Grabski obtained the rights of the member of the Polish Writers’ Society. He also took part actively in the PEN-club. He created the Writers’ Club called “The Circle”. He wrote 3 novels: “Dominik Pol’s Classified Diary”, “Mogunt’s night”, “Blind start” and the poems titled “The world for the gift”. In 1967 he went down with much heavier lungs disease. He spent 3 years in hospital or at home and died in 1970.
Władysław Jan Grabski was not only a writer and a poet but also a book collector and a talented photographer. He was very sociable, open-minded and tolerant. He loved justice. He was highly educated and interested in many aspects of life. He was responsible and optimistic. He got Pietrzak Literary Award twice and the award of the Ministry of Culture and Art.
(Based on the materials, given by the writer’s son prof. Maciej Władysław Grabski)
