Krakowski adwokat Bolesław Rozmarynowicz (1891–1959) – między światopoglądowym oporem a przystosowaniem

Abstract

KRAKÓW SOLICITOR BOLESŁAW ROZMARYNOWICZ (1891–1959) BETWEEN RESISTANCE AND ADAPTATION – A LIFE OF ETHICAL DILEMMAS

The paper discusses the life of a Kraków solicitor Bolesław Rozmarynowicz (1891–1959) spanning over a series of turning points in the history of Poland: from his student years spent at Galician schools that, while still operating under imperialist Austrian rule, retained a great degree of autonomy, to his active participation as a soldier fighting for Poland’s independence in World War One, to his involvement in the socio-political life of the Second Polish Republic, and finally, to his experience of both Nazi German and Soviet totalitarianisms. The figure of this representative of the Kraków intelligentsia epitomizes the experience of an entire generation who lived through a number of significant and dramatic moments both in their personal lives, and in the history of their nation and society. The author attempts to capture the protagonist’s attitude, conduct, opinions and world-view. This task is tackled by presenting his social, economic and political situation against a backdrop of Kraków in the interwar period, including the city’s problems, malfunctions, and the impact of national policy on the policy adopted by the local government which specific individuals would either embrace, or defy. It is within this context that the choices made by Rozmarynowicz are presented here. The author portrays the initial clash, and then the embroilment of society and individual people in the machinery of totalitarian states – specifically focusing on Rozmarynowicz’s experience of staying in prisons and being an inmate at the Auschwitz concentration camp, of finding the way to survive in these terribly harsh conditions. Finally, the paper explores the subject of the confrontation of the Christian outlook on life and the social teaching of the Catholic Church with the existing (and rapidly changing) socio-political and existential situation.