Wacław Borowy versus Adam Grzymała-Siedlecki. Spór o racje literatury polskiej

Abstract

This book covers the polemic between Adam Grzymała-Siedlecki (1876–1967), historian and literary critic, and Wacław Borowy (1890–1950), literary scholar and historian. The publication unveils six texts from the period 1911–1957, where the polemic takes place over research methods in literature; the question being whether a scholar should accept the historical provenance and context of a work, or indeed also aim to explore a work independent of the external context of its essence. From the comments of the above-mentioned scholars it can be seen that what appears as a disagreement over a technical detail is treated as a fundamental matter on the issue of the very nature of Polish Literature. The introduction to the anthology places this polemic in a historical and political context in the first decade of Modernism and discusses both authors in relation to their biography, research in literature and literary criticism.