Yearbook of Bibliology and Press Studies

Summary

The research into the life and literary and publicistic output of Maria Konopnica has not been concerned so far himself in the reception of her works and their publishing fate in the period of World War II both in Poland invaded by the Germans and Russians and abroad, in European countries and elsewhere. The author of this article, using different bibliographic sources, has traced the content of numerous titles of the underground press published on the territory of Poland, and in periodicals which appeared in countries with a large concentration of Poles, in war zones, where Polish soldiers fought. The situation on territories invaded by the Germans is presented. German imposed Draconian laws which restricted public cultural life and publishing, which included the ban on the publication, amongst others, of Maria Konopnicka's works. In spite of this ban, the German press in Polish published some poems and fragments of the prose of the author of Rota [Oath] - one of the most famous Polish national songs of the 20th century. Konopnicka's works were frequently published in the underground press (the present author has recorded a dozen or so titles of periodicals with Konopnicka's texts). Similarly, when analysing the content of numerous Polish periodicals appearing in France, Romania, Hungary, and on Polish territories annexed by the Soviet Union, as well as in the Soviet republics, where deported Poles were settled, the present author has also recorded the publication of the poetess's works. Konopnicka's works were also published in the military press of the Polish military forces in the USSR, in the Near and Middle East, in Africa, and first of all in Great Britain. Maria Konopnicka's works printed in textbooks and poetry anthologies was also included. The article shows that the memory of Maria Konopnicka had been vivid, and her poetry strengthened the spiritual force of the oppressed nation.