Spring and Wine, or Skamander Otherwise

Spring and Wine, or About Skamander Differently

The history of the best-known Polish poetic group, Skamander, is inseparably bound up with the history of Polish independence. The year 2019 marks a century since the group was founded, as well as the anniversaries of its members: the 125th anniversary of the birth and 50th anniversary of the death of Kazimierz Wierzyński, the 125th anniversary of the birth and 66th anniversary of the death of Julian Tuwim, the 120th anniversary of the birth and 63rd anniversary of the death of Jan Lechoń, the 124th anniversary of the birth and 43rd anniversary of the death of Antoni Słonimski, and the 125th anniversary of the birth and 39th anniversary of the death of Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz. Ninety-five years ago, on 6 January 1924, the first issue appeared of “Wiadomości Literackie”, the flagship literary magazine of interwar Poland. These events inspired the idea of an exhibition devoted to one of the most outstanding Polish poets of the 20th century, Kazimierz Wierzyński, with the poetic group Skamander, to which he belonged and with which he shaped the poetic scene of the interwar years, placed in the background.

The exhibition aims to recall the co-creators of the group's poetic success, but above all to present the life and creative path of the author of Wolność tragiczna (Tragic Freedom). While we easily associate the names of Tuwim, Iwaszkiewicz or Słonimski, Wierzyński, like Lechoń, seems to be fading into oblivion outside a narrow circle of specialists. Few remember that the press success of “Przegląd Sportowy” was due to none other than the author of Laur olimpijski (Olympic Laurel), for which, incidentally, he was awarded a gold Olympic medal at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. As the only member of the group, he sat in the Polish Academy of Literature, elected in 1938 to the seat left vacant by the death of Bolesław Leśmian. After September 1939 he spent the rest of his life in exile, with a “Suitcase on His Back” between America and Europe. He was the author of the first classic biography of Fryderyk Chopin, The life and death of Chopin, published in New York in 1949, and he collaborated with the Paris-based “Kultura” and Radio Free Europe. He died in London, having completed work on his final poetry collection, Sen mara.

The exhibition presents selected poetic and prose texts by Kazimierz Wierzyński, recordings of his radio broadcasts, and personal mementos and photographs.

Muzeum Andrzeja Struga Al. Niepodległości 210 m. 10 00-608 Warszawa tel. 22 633 04 30 muzeum-struga@muzeumliteratury.pl

Museum opening hours: Monday – closed Tuesday 12:00–18:00 Wednesday 10:00–16:00 Thursday 10:00–16:00 Friday 9:00–15:00