Karolina Lanckorońska
Those Who Trespass Against Us
Wspomnienia wojenne
“The Times”
“Der Standard Album”
From the preface by Norman Davies
About the author:
Those Who Trespass Against Us
Wspomnienia wojenne
RIGHTS SOLD:
Austria: Boehlau
UK: Random House – Pimlico
USA: Perseus
Brasil: Tessitura
English edition available
Born in Buchberg, Austria, in 1898, Countess Karolina Lanckorońska was an aristocrat and art historian who taught at the University of Lwów, then part of Poland. When the Soviets came to occupy Lwów, Lanckorońska became active in the Polish resistance and moved to Kraków. She was arrested by the Germans in Kołomyja in 1942, imprisoned and later sentenced to death; incarcerated first in Stanisławów, then in Lwów and Berlin before being placed in the notorious Ravensbrück concentration camp.
As a countess, Lanckorońska was subjected to varying treatment, suffering near starvation at times only to receive extra food and medical care at others according to the fluctuating and often conflicting orders from the authorities in Berlin. With the intervention of some influential friends and the honourable actions of one Nazi, she was saved from death on several occasions. Thanks to efforts by the Swiss diplomat, scholar and International Red Cross President Carl J. Burkhardt (whose correspondence with Heinrich Himmler was found among Lanckorońska’s personal belongings) she was finally released in April, 1945.
Throughout her imprisonment, Lanckorońska remained defiantly resilient, loyal to Poland and committed to her fellow prisoners, including women used by Nazi doctors as guinea pigs for shocking medical experiments. Her magnetic personality and superb story-telling makes this a powerful narrative and sustains our interest through harrowing reading. Her ability to view her own horrific situation with objectivity gives us insight into the motives and behaviour of the Soviets and the Germans not simply as oppressors, but as human beings. Hers is an extraordinary story of courage and will.
As a countess, Lanckorońska was subjected to varying treatment, suffering near starvation at times only to receive extra food and medical care at others according to the fluctuating and often conflicting orders from the authorities in Berlin. With the intervention of some influential friends and the honourable actions of one Nazi, she was saved from death on several occasions. Thanks to efforts by the Swiss diplomat, scholar and International Red Cross President Carl J. Burkhardt (whose correspondence with Heinrich Himmler was found among Lanckorońska’s personal belongings) she was finally released in April, 1945.
Throughout her imprisonment, Lanckorońska remained defiantly resilient, loyal to Poland and committed to her fellow prisoners, including women used by Nazi doctors as guinea pigs for shocking medical experiments. Her magnetic personality and superb story-telling makes this a powerful narrative and sustains our interest through harrowing reading. Her ability to view her own horrific situation with objectivity gives us insight into the motives and behaviour of the Soviets and the Germans not simply as oppressors, but as human beings. Hers is an extraordinary story of courage and will.
“The Times”
This is a humbling and heart-rending story of courage and tenacity, told self-effacingly and simply. (...) A testament to our capacity for evil and for transcending it, this is a lesson to us all.
“Der Standard Album”
Es gibt Literatur und es gibt das Leben. Und dann gibt es den Glücksfall. Ein Leben, das sich wie Literatur liest. So einer ist Karolina Lanckorońskas Erinnerungen an den Krieg. Die polnische Gräfin, die kürzlich in Rom verstarb, kann man mit bestem Gewissen unter die legendären Frauen des 20. Jahrhunderts einreihen. (...)
Spätestens seit Imre Kertész in seinem Roman eines Schicksalslosen eine neue Sicht auf den Holocaust zauberte, wurde es klar, dass unter all den Gräueln ein Wunder verschüttet lag, das niemand bislang bemerkte. Das Wunder des Überlebens. In Karolina Lanckorońskas Kriegserinnerungen, die mit der Einnahme Lwows durch die Rote Armee 1939 einsetzen und bis zu Lanckorońskas Befreiung aus dem Konzentrationslager Ravensbrück 1945 reichen, ist dieses Wunder wieder da. (...)
Albert Camus sagte einmal, dass ein Mensch niemals einen anderen töten dürfe, weil es gegen die fundamentalste Regel unserer Existenz verstoße – der Loyalität der Lebenden gegenüber dem Tod. Alber Camus wäre entzückt, eine so stark ausgeprägte Loyalität in der Person Karolina Lanckorońskas zu sehen.
Spätestens seit Imre Kertész in seinem Roman eines Schicksalslosen eine neue Sicht auf den Holocaust zauberte, wurde es klar, dass unter all den Gräueln ein Wunder verschüttet lag, das niemand bislang bemerkte. Das Wunder des Überlebens. In Karolina Lanckorońskas Kriegserinnerungen, die mit der Einnahme Lwows durch die Rote Armee 1939 einsetzen und bis zu Lanckorońskas Befreiung aus dem Konzentrationslager Ravensbrück 1945 reichen, ist dieses Wunder wieder da. (...)
Albert Camus sagte einmal, dass ein Mensch niemals einen anderen töten dürfe, weil es gegen die fundamentalste Regel unserer Existenz verstoße – der Loyalität der Lebenden gegenüber dem Tod. Alber Camus wäre entzückt, eine so stark ausgeprägte Loyalität in der Person Karolina Lanckorońskas zu sehen.
From the preface by Norman Davies
There are many learned tomes analysing the condition of Europe during the Second World War. There are many memoirs relating the triumph of the human spirit over extreme adversity. There is none to equal this memoir in combining such a high degree of learning and insight with such a high degree of decency and compassion.
About the author:
Professor Karolina Lanckorońska was the last member of the famous Lanckoroński family from Brzezie. Born in 1898, she lived through the whole 20th century and witnessed as well as participated in many important historical events. In 1994 she donated the great Lanckoroński family collection of paintings to the Polish nation. The artistic and historical value of the collection is enormous and the gift is one of unprecedented generosity.
After World War II, Karolina Lanckorońska decided to settle in Rome and devoted her time to the study of art history, especially to the work of her beloved artist Michelangelo. Her sense of duty towards Polish culture induced her to the work for the Polish Historical Institute and since 1967 in the Lanckoroński family foundation. She died on 25 August, 2002.
After World War II, Karolina Lanckorońska decided to settle in Rome and devoted her time to the study of art history, especially to the work of her beloved artist Michelangelo. Her sense of duty towards Polish culture induced her to the work for the Polish Historical Institute and since 1967 in the Lanckoroński family foundation. She died on 25 August, 2002.
Copyright © by Społeczny Instytut Wydawniczy Znak 2007, wykonanie serwisu Indecity