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Abstract

In 1981, the Kórnik library acquired some exceptionally valuable manuscript materials of the Mycielski family living at Wydawy near Poniec, Greater Poland. They included more than 130 letters written by Helena Mycielska to her old friend Maria Harsdorf née Gniewosz. Helena (1857–1937), daughter of Józef and Maria née Turno, came from a family which stamped their virtue in difficult periods of Polish history. Her ancestors and relatives participated in national uprisings, were patriotic and social activists, scholars, and artists. Helena herself was interested in literature and art. She authored small works and reviews. She was also interested in the past of her family living in Wydawy and meticulously collected materials on their history. In about 1886, during a drawing course in Krakow, she met Maria Gniewosz, with whom she soon made friends, although Maria was 12 years younger than herself. The beautiful friendship of the two gentry women survived until Maria’s death in 1910. Helena Mycielska’s letters very interestingly document the life of the Polish landed gentry at the turn of the 20th century on the lands remaining under the rule of foreign powers for several dozen years.

In the first part of the presented letters, the reader may become acquainted with Helena’s daily problems, dreams, and interests, as well as the issues which were important for her mother, her siblings, and her numerous relatives and acquaintances. She devoted a lot of space to house-related issues, in particular the duties which, as the eldest daughter, she was obliged to carry out, including the keeping of books of accounts, the keeping in order of all the bills, the managing of the home finances and the caring for the garden. She wrote about the numerous guests visiting her hospitable home at Wydawy. She gave many accounts of her participation in numerous family events such as christenings, weddings, and funerals. She mentioned her trips to Ignacy Paderewski’s concerts in Poznan and Wrocław. She devoted a lot of space in her correspondence to the books she read. She also confided to Maria on her own writing. She very carefully followed her friend’s developments as the author of reviews and small literary works, and gave her some good advice concerning the manner of writing. She often mentioned religious issues, in particular the retreats in which she participated, and she gave interesting accounts of the teaching of rural children, paying attention to the talents many of them displayed.

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Authors and Affiliations

Maria Hłyń
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Abstract

The author of these letters, Maria Harsdorf, informed Helena Mycielska about her impressive involvement in the activity of various Catholic women’s charity organisations, which – in her opinion – should balance the influences of the charity organisations created by Polish feminists at that time. She was careful to present several forms of activity by Catholic groups in order to avoid protectionism and over-sensibility towards persons entrusted to her care. She definitely aimed to help them restart their “independent life”. The passages of these letters are somehow similar to the thoughts of Pope John Paul II on Christian charity (cf. Novo millenio ineunte). She also publicised economic scandals in Galicia and mentioned the fact that she kept writing reviews of the works submitted to her by Jerzy Mycielski (Helena Mycielska’s cousin). She often described the everyday life in Świstelniki- Dąbrowa in Eastern Galicia as well as shared her impressions from various trips, e.g. from the expected trip to Italy.

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Authors and Affiliations

Maria Hłyń
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Abstract

The fifth part of letters by Maria Harsdorf nee Gniewosz covers the very sad, last period of her friendship with Helena Mycielska from the region of Wielkopolska. It was in this period that the letters’ authors father died, soon and rather unexpectedly followed by her husband, Tadeusz Harsdorf. In about 1910, Maria’s short life also came to an end. In her last letters, Maria devoted a lot of space to her family, expressing concern about the condition of her parents, and in particular her seriously ill father. She often told her friend about the great loneliness she experienced after her husband’s death. As a deeply religious person, she believed that everything in her life happened out of God’s will and she consented to it. Despite the tragic experience, she was vividly interested in the congregation for the local female land owners, which was established in 1902, and she even agreed to become their president. As a result, she was in close contact with Józef Teodorowicz, a Lvov archbishop of Armenian rite. She remained interested in the activity of Polish “feminists”, although she was always critical about it. She described difficult moments connected with the agricultural strikes in 1906. She recalled the books she had read: mainly religious and philosophical ones. She shared her thoughts concerning her trips undertaken in order to repair her constantly deteriorating health. She dreamed of going to Italy together with Helena - a trip which subsequently never happened. The two friends never met again either, although Maria very often wrote how much she wanted their encounter and referred to it.

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Authors and Affiliations

Maria Hłyń

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