 | |
| Person | |
| Przemysław Mroczowski | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Born | 28 June 1915 |
| Died | 12 July 2002 |
| Education | Henryk Sienkiewicz IV Junior High School and Secondary School, Jagiellonian University, University of Notre Dame |
| Location | Kraków, Poland |
| Gallery | Images of Przemysław Mroczowski |
Przemysław Mroczkowski (28 June 1915 - 12 July 2002) was a Polish philologist, Anglicist, medievalist, and friend of J.R.R. Tolkien.
History
Born in Kraków, Poland, Przemysław Mroczkowski studied at the Henryk Sienkiewicz IV Junior High School and Secondary School, which he graduated from in 1933. He went on to study Romance languages at the Jagiellonian University, graduating in 1938 after defending his thesis. His studies were interrupted by the events of World War II, which would see him in an artillery regiment and eventually a prison camp under the Gestapo.[1]
Planning a move to Oxford after acquiring a master's degree in English Studies from the University of Notre Dame in 1946, he would write to J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis for advice and assistance. However, the legitimacy of his scholarship among other academics at Oxford was a point of contention[2], and he instead studied at Catholic University of Lublin, where he obtained a post-doctoral degree in 1951.[1]
He finally met Tolkien in person during a stay at Oxford in 1957, introducing himself by saying, "I come from Mordor..."[3] Tolkien then acquainted him with the other members of The Inklings, including C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Christopher Tolkien.[1] They would go on to become close friends, with Tolkien at one point supporting him financially with proceedings from The Lord of the Rings.[4]
After his visit to Oxford, Mroczkowski maintained their friendship through frequent letters. Tolkien also corresponded with Mroczkowski's daughter, Maria, writing about his inspirations for The Lord of the Rings, and its critics.[5] Mroczkowski used his influence in Poland to persuade two Polish publishers, Iskry and Czytelnik, to release both The Hobbit in 1960 and The Lord of the Rings from 1961 to 1963. Both were the world’s first translations of the novels into non-Germanic languages.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Łukasz Neubauer, "The "Polish Inkling": Professor Przemyslaw Mroczkowski as J.R.R. Tolkien's Friend and Scholar," Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: Vol. 39: No. 1, Article 8.
- ↑ Letter to Przemyslaw Mroczkowski (2 August 1946)
- ↑ Tygodnik Powszechny, No. 14, 1994
- ↑ Letters to Przemyslaw Mroczkowski (1958)
- ↑ Letter to Maria Mroczkowska