Maciej Junkiert - Böcker

Ancient Greek history holds a special place in the works of many 19th-c. writers. The same goes for Cyprian Norwid, one of the most eminent poets in the history of Polish literature, a thinker, and an artist. This book scrutinizes Norwid’s fascination with Greek history and culture, especially his peculiar synthesis of Greek thought and Christianity. It focuses on the key themes of the relationship of Platonism with early Christian writings and their presence in Norwid’s contemporary culture, the opposition of memory and history in 19th-c. literature and social life, and the image of the artist and its influence on social life in modern everyday. The book analyzes Norwid’s oeuvre in a broad comparison with representatives of French, German, and British literature and the humanities.

The book discusses the development of Polish studies on Greek antiquity in the first half of the nineteenth century. Junkiert scrutinizes the relationship of Polish intellectuals with their predecessors in this field in France and the German-speaking culture. The book describes scholarly rivalry between nations in search of their own visions of antiquity. Methodologically, the book develops the vein of classical reception studies. The key figures of this study are Adam Mickiewicz, Joachim Lelewel, and Gottfried Ernst Groddeck.