A New Book on Stanisław Pigoń. A Word from the Author

Abstract

In his book on Stanisław Pigoń, the author outlines the legend of an eminent humanist, literary historian, memoirist, editor, teacher and tutor of many generations of scholars of Polish literature. The narrative is based on his own recollections (as his student) and on extensive correspondence between the professor and Ignacy Chrzanowski, Roman Pollak, Julian Krzyżanowski, Tadeusz Mikulski, Czesław Zgorzelski, Maria Danilewiczowa, and Bishop Ignacy Świrski. This correspondence allows us to take a closer look at the complex problems that the emerging academic milieu of scholars of Polish studies was facing in the difficult postwar times. The volume concludes with a recently uncovered source material – letters of Professor Pigoń to Bishop Świrski – which reveals the secrets of his technique as a literary analyst of Part II of Dziady [Forefathers’ Eve] by Adam Mickiewicz.