Zachód w oczach liberałów. Literatura niemiecka, francuska i angielska na łamach "Wiadomości Literackich" (1924-1939)

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THE WEST IN LIBERALS' EYES. GERMAN, FRENCH AND ENGLISH LITERATURE IN THE WEEKLY „WIADOMOŚCI LITERACKIE" IN THE YEARS 1924–1939

„Wiadomości Literackie" (WL), in English „Literary News", was the best and most influential socio-cultural weekly of the period between the I and II World War. It popu-larised pacifism, liberalism, tolerance towards people of other political views and beliefs as well as racial and sexual minorities. It was also for assimilation of the Jews and wo-men's emancipation. At that time it was unique programme because the most influential then parties were Piłsudski's Supporters and the National Conservatists. WL was also the only then newspaper that constantly propagated foreign literature in Poland.

The paper took especially a liking for the literature of 4 European countries: Soviet Union, Germany, France and Great Britain. Russian and German literature were wat-ched by the prism of totalitarian form of rule of Stalin and Hitler. The writers of the weekly wrote the texts which suggested that the elite of Russian and German nations separated themselves from Fascism and Bolshevism and that it aimed at good contacts with Polish writers. In the newspaper, French literature was presented as worth imitating model of producing Iiterature culture. French simplicity and clarity of style, ease in presenting serious problems and inquisitiveness about the examining human soul were the examples to follow. In English literature WL emphasised rationalism, distance to the world, Iiberalism and pacifism. Thus, foreign literature was used by WL to propagate a new model of an educated Pole. lt not only objectively informed about the most sig-nificant foreign literary works and writers but also paid particular attention to the authors who suited the ideology of Iiberalism.