Jacek Kajtoch.

NORBERT
BONCZYK
Summary
The principal aim of the work is an attempt to show Norbert Bonczyk
(1837—1893) as a poet with a relatively high level of literary consciousness
considered in the context of time and place, and a social activist aware
of the cares, the struggles and the errors of the generation of his. contemporaries.
In presenting the life of this writer special attention . has
been paid to the development of his nationalistic consciousness. Much
space is devoted to the description of the activities of the young Bonczyk
in connection with the Slavonic Literary Society, and to his later activities
— both social and nationalistic — amongst the Polish population of
Bytom and the neighbourhood. The poet's association with the Catholic
party Centrum has been assessed. The theory is advanced that with the
passing of time, Bonczyk receded ever further from this group, while
the struggle to maintain polishness became nearer. The drama of the
poet's internal life is portrayed, this son of a Silesian village for whom
the choice of the priestly calling provided the only available opportunity,
under contemporary conditions, of advancing himself.
The lyrical works published in the volume entitled: "Eines alten Studenten
Ferien-Geklimper" are considered next. It is ascertained that this
volume appeared between 1875 and 1883, and probably nearer the earlier
than the later date. Some of these lyrics — especially those from the
"Gudrunlieder" cycle — were written after 1862, that is during the time
of his ministry as a parish priest in Piekary and Bytom. The whole volume
shows itself as a memorial of love, it is a reconstruction of the
history of feeling. Its value is shown especially in the portrayal of the truth
of the internal struggle, the interpretation of the crisis of the priestly
vocation, and the secular and rationalistic point of view.
In the last part of this work a critical analysis is given of the epic
poems: "The old church of Miechów" (1879) and "Mount Chełmska" (1868).
In the course of this analysis the bonds linking both these works with
the social realities of Silesia are indicated,, and also the part that they
played in the fight against the germanising policy of Bismarck.