Kazimiera IÅ‚Å‚akowiczówna (6 August 1892 â€" 16 February 1983) was a
Polish poet, prose writer, playwright and translator. She was one of
the most acclaimed and celebrated poets during Poland's interwar
period.She was born on 6 August 1892, in Vilnius (now in Lithuania,
but then part of the Russian Empire).[1] Her mother was Barbara
Iłłakowiczówna and her father was Klemens Zan (son of Tomasz Zan -
a close friend of Adam Mickiewicz). She was orphaned at an early age
and was brought up in a family of her relatives. Zofia Buyno (née
Zyberk-Plater) became her foster mother. Between 1908-1909 she studied
at University of Oxford and later in the years 1910-1914 at the
Jagiellonian University in Kraków. In 1915-1917, she worked as a
nurse assistant in the Russian Army. Since 1918, she worked at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland and between 1926-1935 she was
Józef Piłsudski's secretary. In the interwar period, her works were
published in literary press, most notably in the literary magazine
Tęcza ("Rainbow") in Poznań. In 1939, when the World War II broke
out, she was evacuated to Romania. She returned to Poland in 1947 and
settled in Poznań.[2]She was widely regarded as one of the most
important literary figures of the interwar period in Warsaw. She
became fascinated with the feminist movement and during her stay in
London she familiarized herself with the works of Emmeline Pankhurst,
which encouraged her to take active part in the distribution of
suffragette brochures. Nonetheless, she remained a deeply religious
person throughout her life, strongly adhering to the Christian values
and spirituality. Iłłakowiczówna had a wide circle of friends, many
of which were well-known intellectuals, prominent poets and artists
including Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Julian Tuwim and Maria
DÄ…browska. She also translated works of European literature by such
writers as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Heinrich
Böll and Leo Tolstoy as well as the American poet Emily Dickinson,
she also worked as a teacher of English. In the last years of her
life, she became blind as a result of unsuccessful glaucoma surgery.
She died on 16 February 1983 and was buried at the PowÄ…zki Cemetery
in Warsaw.[3][4]
Polish poet, prose writer, playwright and translator. She was one of
the most acclaimed and celebrated poets during Poland's interwar
period.She was born on 6 August 1892, in Vilnius (now in Lithuania,
but then part of the Russian Empire).[1] Her mother was Barbara
Iłłakowiczówna and her father was Klemens Zan (son of Tomasz Zan -
a close friend of Adam Mickiewicz). She was orphaned at an early age
and was brought up in a family of her relatives. Zofia Buyno (née
Zyberk-Plater) became her foster mother. Between 1908-1909 she studied
at University of Oxford and later in the years 1910-1914 at the
Jagiellonian University in Kraków. In 1915-1917, she worked as a
nurse assistant in the Russian Army. Since 1918, she worked at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland and between 1926-1935 she was
Józef Piłsudski's secretary. In the interwar period, her works were
published in literary press, most notably in the literary magazine
Tęcza ("Rainbow") in Poznań. In 1939, when the World War II broke
out, she was evacuated to Romania. She returned to Poland in 1947 and
settled in Poznań.[2]She was widely regarded as one of the most
important literary figures of the interwar period in Warsaw. She
became fascinated with the feminist movement and during her stay in
London she familiarized herself with the works of Emmeline Pankhurst,
which encouraged her to take active part in the distribution of
suffragette brochures. Nonetheless, she remained a deeply religious
person throughout her life, strongly adhering to the Christian values
and spirituality. Iłłakowiczówna had a wide circle of friends, many
of which were well-known intellectuals, prominent poets and artists
including Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Julian Tuwim and Maria
DÄ…browska. She also translated works of European literature by such
writers as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Heinrich
Böll and Leo Tolstoy as well as the American poet Emily Dickinson,
she also worked as a teacher of English. In the last years of her
life, she became blind as a result of unsuccessful glaucoma surgery.
She died on 16 February 1983 and was buried at the PowÄ…zki Cemetery
in Warsaw.[3][4]
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