Narcyza Żmichowska

Narcyza Żmichowska

Narcyza Żmichowska (born March 4, 1819 in Warsaw ; † December 25, 1876 ​​there ) was a Polish author , educator and feminist.

Life

She trained as a nanny in the years 1833-1835, then spent the years 1838/39 in Paris. There she was a nanny in a wealthy Polish family and used the national library to get an idea of ​​French politics , history and literature . Back in Poland, her plan to open a girls' school in Poznań failed because of a lack of money and friction with the Prussian authorities. She participated in the publication of illegalized press.

Act

Michowska and her colleagues appeared almost in isolation, in contrast to other groups of authors, such as that of Klementyna Tańska-Hoffmanowa . As soon as they expressed their opinions, they faced a wave of criticism and opposition. The author, who was critical of the higher-ranking male world, was in many ways considered independent and inventive.

family

Neither a mentor, an influential friend, nor a formative family member are known. Only her brother Erazm, a participant in the November Uprising , patriot and socialist , is known as a related person. He supported his sister's interests.

Self-consideration and award

The author considered herself an artist . She knew how to package political demands in an understandable way for readers, despite censorship being able to publish them. She did not want to openly proclaim moral concepts, but instead packed her messages conscientiously.

In the first few years Żmichowska published in apparently any magazines and collections such as the Catholic " Pielgrzym ". Later she brought out her own collected works; for the first time in 1845 " Wolne Chwile Gabryelli ".

Political Resistance

Although cautiously opposed to the methods of insurrection and revolutionary attempts, she participated in conspiratorial meetings aimed at regaining freedom. This resulted in criminal detention and police surveillance.

Works

Her main drive for writing literature was not patriotic. While her greatest work, Poganka , deals with political issues, the majority of what she writes is about personal happiness resulting from emotional and intellectual satisfaction. This also includes topics such as love , eroticism and free choice of female partners. Her claims in narratives painted a freer society for everyone, regardless of gender. It was important to her to illustrate the concrete life of women using examples. She did not make her wives appear superficially as women, but as individuals, as personalities.

swell

• Borkowska, Czermińska, Phillips: Pisarki Polskie. Od Średniowiecza do Współczesności. 2001.