Tadeusz Rozewicz

Tadeusz Różewicz was one of the most influential Polish writers of the 20th century. He belonged to the generation of writers who witnessed the horrors of World War II and the Nazi occupation of Poland. He served in the Polish underground Home Army and lost his elder brother, Janusz, who was executed by the Gestapo. His younger brother, Stanisław, became a famous film director and screenwriter. Różewicz began his literary career as a poet, publishing his first collection in 1944. His poetry was marked by a radical rejection of traditional forms and themes, and a search for a new language and ethics in the post-war reality. He was influenced by surrealism, existentialism, and the absurd. He also wrote plays, novels, short stories, and essays, exploring the topics of human condition, morality, history, and culture. He was a prolific and versatile writer, who experimented with different genres and styles. He received many awards and honors, both in Poland and abroad, such as the Austrian State Prize for European Literature, the Struga Poetry Evenings Golden Wreath, the Nike Award, and the European Prize for Literature. He died in 2014 at the age of 92.