 |
| January, 1863 Jozef Chelmonski |
 |
| Aleksander Lesser image that includes Rabbi Meisels, who was active in 1861 (pictured here) and 1863. Source |
Prolific
Amazon reviewer Jan Peczkis wrote in to remind us that today is the 150th
anniversary of the January, 1863 uprising. Mr. Peczkis also recommended "Walka
o wolno w roku 1863," a book about the uprising, which he reviews on
Amazon here.
Polonians alive today who would like to honor their ancestors' heroism and activism could well begin by reading the three-part blog post on the current Crisis in Polonian Leadership, Organization, and Vision.
Polonians alive today who would like to honor their ancestors' heroism and activism could well begin by reading the three-part blog post on the current Crisis in Polonian Leadership, Organization, and Vision.
Thank you for this, Dr. Goska.
ReplyDeleteI am in the process of constructing a Listmania of books that I had reviewed dealing with Polish national development and resistance under the three partitioning powers. (1795-1918). Polish national activity included both violent and nonviolent resistance to the ruling powers, as well as organic work.
Those interested in this subject should click on my name in this specific posting.
Mr. Peczkis, You are amazing :-)
ReplyDeleteMight I suggest a general topic I am kind of interested in, as a woman? I will try to explain what I am thinking about-
Do You happen to know http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Pustow%C3%B3jt%C3%B3wna ?
She was half-Polish, half-Russian, but her heart was 100% Polish-she fought, alongside many, many other women, in the January Uprising.
I have realized that, in Poland, we never had- how to put it, radical feminists burning their bras, ridiculous feminist theories (I am not talking about f.e equal pay, equal chances, the right to serve in the army if whished, of course)- in Poland, it seems women had to be politically active, they had to be strong and versatile ("Matka Polka"), sometimes, they had to fight, like Pustowojtowna, organize, be a vital part of the nation-for this,when Poland became independent again, Polish women were awarded the right to vote, female students were introduced to basic warfare (during university classes), the right to property,working for themselves, having their own bank account-things that had not been reached in Wester Europe partly until the 70s!!!
My point is- Poland is portrayed as Catholic Talibanistan, as backward, anti-feminist, homophobic, racist and what not.
I believe, that Poland is (or until now, at least more or less was) a mentally sane country and not backward at all.
Where as the West is switching from one extreme opinion to the other,of course, I am oversimplying here a little bit, but still-
f.e 1. If you are nice to your children, they might turn out f.e gay. Children must be treated from above and without much love. 2. Anti-authoritarian upbringing-let kids do whatever they want. In Poland: Korczak.
Another example. 1. Foreigners,expecially not from Europe-do not want.If anything than forced assimilation 2. Multiculturalism- we must respect everything foreigners do, its their culture, who are whe to judge them? 3. Poland= it will work out somehow, just give it some time, foreigners need to respect Polish law/tradition.Result: The Polish Tatars, Bambrzy Poznanscy ect.
One last: 1. Homosexuals are sick,haul them away to prison (or concentration camp, like in Nazi Germany)
2. Let them do whatever they want, Gay is fabulous, Pride Parades, if your not pro-gay marriage you are a bigott.
Poland: Homosexuality decriminalized in 1932 (in Turkey around 1850, 1819 Spain!- In Norway and Germany: Around 1970s!)
in Poland there were no such extremes. To me, this is a point of pride.As is the fact that Polish women participated in the stuggles of their nation is an even greater point of pride Perhaps You could help, in Your way, to disperse the myth of Poland being anti-women? Or anti-gay?
I believe what Polonia needs direly is to realize that Poland is a truly modern country, devoided of ultra- liberal follies (which will achieve nothing in the long run).
Thanks for the kind words.
DeleteYour comments partake of such matters as the distinction between gender feminism and equity feminism.
While I have not studied the role of women in Poland in detail, I have noted some items relative to that subject in my reviews. For instance, I learned that Roman Dmowski's view of women was relatively progressive, and that women got the right to vote in Poland before they did in the USA.
As for the January 1863 Insurrection, the very book which I reviewed for the 150th anniversary, and to which Dr. Goska links to in the introduction to this blogspot, contains a painting of a woman involved in the Insurrection.