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| Birth Name(s) : Henryk Sienkiewicz |
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Full Henryk Sienkiewicz Biography
Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz (IPA: ], artistic name: “Litwos”, IPA: ]) (May 5, 1846, Wola Okrzejska, Congress Poland, - November 15, 1916, Vevey, Switzerland), Oszyk coat of arms, was a Nobel Prize-winning Polish novelist and publicist. He received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1905 "because of his outstanding merits as an epic writer." One of the most popular Polish writers at the turn of 19th and 20th century.
Born into a wealthy family in Wola Okrzejska, in Russian-ruled Poland, Sienkiewicz wrote historical novels set during the Rzeczpospolita (Polish Republic, or Commonwealth). His works were noted for their negative portrayal of the Teutonic Order in The Teutonic Knights (Krzyżacy), which was remarkable as a significant portion of his readership lived under German rule. Many of his novels were first serialized in newspapers, and even today are still in print. In Poland, he is best known for his historical novels (The Trilogy) set during the 17th-century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and elsewhere he is known for Quo Vadis, set in Nero's Rome. Quo Vadis has been filmed several times, most notably the 1951 version.
His stay in America and his letter-writing published in Polish newspapers resulted in wide recognition and aroused interest. Bolesław Prus in his article entitled “Co p. Sienkiewicz wyrabia z piękniejsza połową Warszawy”, published in Kurier Warszawski in 1880, nicely showed the popularity of the writer. “As he was back from America, almost every lady took tall and handsome men for Sienkiewicz.(...) Finally, when I noticed that every man has got hair like Sienkiewicz and all of the young men, one by one, grow royal beard and try to have statuesque and swarthy face, I realised that I wanted to meet him personally.(...) From the corner where I sit, I can see that the room is almost exclusively crowded with the fair sex. Some men, who were there to amuse ladies or to write reports, spent so much time in the company of women that they started to talk in the feminine.
In 1880 he wrote a historical novella Niewola tatarska ( “Tartar Prison” ) and started working on a historical novel Ogniem i Mieczem ( “With Fire and Sword” ). In his letter written on 1st February 1884 to Stanisław Smolka, an editor of Cracovian newspaper Czas, he wrote, “With regard the great novel, it will probably be entitled Wilcze gniazdo ( “The Wolf’s Nest” ). It takes place in the king Jan Kazimierz times, during the Cossack revolt.” Eventually the novel Wilcze gniazdo that was mentioned in Sienkiewicz’s letter was appearing in installments in Słowo from 2nd May 1883 to 1st March 1884 under the title Ogniem i mieczem ( “With Fire and Sword” ). At the same time it was printed in the Cracovian newspaper Czas.
Ogniem i mieczem (the same as the next two volumes of the Trilogy) was enthusiastically received by his readership and won Henryk Sienkiewicz a great recognition. Many people were sending him letters asking about the next adventures of their favorite characters. In 1879 a street in Zbarazh (one of the setting in Ogniem i mieczem) was named after Sienkiewicz. In 1900 people of Zbarazh did not permit building works on the church ground believing that it is the place were Podbipięta (one of the fictional characters from Ogniem i mieczem) is buried. The novel was also adapted for the stage. In 1884 Jacek Malczewski exhibited so-called living images inspired by Ogniem i mieczem.
He started writing the second volume of his Trilogy – Potop ( “The Deluge” ); according to Sienkiewicz the title was supposed to indicate the deluge of masses of people trying to stop the Swedish invasion. Potop was printed in Słowo (from 23rd December 1884 to 2nd September 1886). The novel quickly became a bestseller and it established Sienkiewicz’s position in society. While Sienkiewicz was writing Potop, his wife, Maria Szetkiewicz, died of tuberculosis. It was a difficult time for the writer. After Maria’s death Sienkiewicz went to Constantinople (through Bucharest and Varna) from where he was writing reports. After his return to Warsaw the third volume of the Trilogy, Pan Wolodyjowski ( “Fire in the Steppe” ) appeared. The novel was published in Słowo from May 1887 to May 1888. The Trilogy made Henryk Sienkiewicz the most widely read and known Polish novelist. Stefan Zeromski wrote in his Diaries: “In Sandomierskiem I witnessed myself that everybody, even those who usually do not read, were asking about The Deluge.” Sienkiewicz was given 15 thousand roubles in recognition of his achievements from unknown fan who signed himself as Michal Wolodyjowski (the name of the character in the Trilogy).Sienkiewicz used this money to open the scholarship found (named after his wife) designed for artists endangered by tuberculosis.
Sienkiewicz involved himself in social matters. In 1901 he made an appeal in a cause of children in Wrzesnia. In 1906 he called on his fellow countrymen in USA to help starving people in the Kingdom of Poland.
He died in Vevey on 15th November 1916 where he was buried. In 1924, when Poland gained its independence, writer’s ashes were placed in St. John’s Cathedral in Warsaw. |
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