It is already the 161st anniversary of Roman Dmowski's birthday. The situation is very different with cognition about the biography of this Polish statesman, but individual life is simply a very seldom discussed subject, and it is worth looking at it, due to the fact that it changes the image of this man completely.
Presentation and everyday life
Roman Dmowski was an elegant individual and presented a advanced individual culture. At the same time, he had a very joyful adoption, which was characterized by fancy jokes that did not always appeal to everyone, but in no case were malicious. All of this made his presence in company positive.
Dmowski was a individual above the active and active in national affairs. He acted according to a developed strategy that changed at the end of his life. He originally went to the coffee store in the morning to review the press, then went for walks, during which he frequently discussed serious topics with his coworkers and only in the evening he wrote articles. It was different in Chludów. He woke up at 6:00 a.m. and made lyrics until noon and then ate breakfast. He then spent time caring for crops or receiving visitors.
The writing strategy had specified that he first devised the content in detail, and then, as he had already sat down to write, he wrote in 1 string, without amendment, in beautiful, clear, rather large writing. To write, he utilized English steels – half-throats; he never wrote alleged eternal pen.
He smoked a lot at work. He utilized rather strong French cigarettes Gitanes, which harmed if they burned besides much. He occasionally quit smoking for a period. His favourite amusement was solitaire arrangement. His assistant Christianist Krystina said that “I prepare my articles in the solitaires, due to the fact that it is just like the rosary: it is said Hail Mary, and it is reasoning of mystery.”
Apples from the dwarves trees of Chludów orchard were sent to their friends in Warsaw. If the road behind the barrier was a agrarian child, and Mr. Roman was in the orchard, calling and giving fruit. Among them were: conical cardinals, rough, golden renets, or highly aromatic cellins filled pockets of small...
Mr. Roman liked to chop wood, paddle and walk in the park a lot. erstwhile many trees in the park died out in 1929 (among another things a beautiful group of chestnuts in front of the house), Mr. Roman with Mieczysław Niklewicz for respective weeks in the summertime they were chopping and dressing frozen trees.
One of the activities that became a tradition in Chludów was fishing all Thursday. rather a large pond of a being is frozen with carp and rope. At night, we all got together on the shore. Mr. Roman sat on a boat and conducted a large network. Then you weren't allowed to talk due to the fact that the fish were moving distant from the noise. Pulling the net was always a sensation. Sometimes there was nothing and it would should be a network to re-enter, sometimes, as the net pulled out, so that you could see the fluttering fish.
For the winter and due to his political work Roman Dmowski brought him to Warsaw, where Niklewiczów hosted him. In their flat on Marszałkowska he occupied the office with a beautiful view of Łazienkowski Park. Already in 1923, he became so close to his household that erstwhile he took over the portfolio of the minister of abroad affairs in the government of Witos, he refused to accept a service flat due to the fact that he did not imagine that he could live without a close household atmosphere in which he was surrounded by the love of all the householders.
Mr. Roman was a gourmet and knew the kitchen. The ropes in nelson, the cassoulet toulousain of mutton or the chops of the rams of the grate were dishes that could be called spécialité de la maison! (the speciality of the house). Dmowski, despite the worship of his fellow workers, was not a troublesome householder. He had low demands. He always took his guests with tea and a pastry lady, and the curly milk with potatoes was a typical dinner. He devoted much time to the Niklewicz children who loved him.
When they arrived in Chludów, he got up very early; before breakfast he took a short walk and then wrote. Around 9 o'clock, he'd go out to the park and he'd say,
– Ha! Ha! – which was the slogan for children.
When they heard this “warry” cry, they answered him and ran to meet him. Then the brother ate on a boat, taught him to row, and if it was warm – swim. He was playing with them. In addition to Bystrek, there were inactive a fewer dogs in Chludów and the full group – children and dogs, surrounded Mr. Roman, who encouraged them to preach.
Heart Affairs
In fresh years, the fight for Maria Juszkiewicz's favours between Dmowski and Piłsudski has been a hot topic. It is actual that at a akin time they met the “Beautiful Lady” in Vilnius, but it was not any "death and life" struggle, as any effort to create. Dmowski felt that a man could sacrifice himself either to his household or to his country. From his student and later times, we know the situations in which he took advantage of the offers of "panieks", as he besides informed Żeromski in a letter from Paris. This shows that he was not looking for love and a permanent relationship. It may have been different with Maria, but it's just a debate. While in Tokyo in 1904, 1 of Japan’s politicians, Gen. Kodam, asked why he remained single, he replied: “If our women were as quiet and obedient as yours, I would have been married long ago. But in our matrimony man must service his wife besides much and that frequently hinders serving another matters.”
Relationships with People
We should mention the touching condition of Dmowski in providing merciful help. As a young publicist, he earned rather well from writing articles and books. He lived on a advanced level due to the fact that he loved himself in a very good wardrobe, which was consistent with the many prices that had to be paid to get them. However, he was celebrated for his large generosity towards the poorest and concern for them – after all he cared for all citizen, and even more so Poles. erstwhile he was late for Lutosławski in Krakow, due to the fact that he gave a watch to a begging parent with children to cash it in, and thus did not know what time it was. However, he said it with large joy on his face – so much joy brought him to aid others. Another example of Mr. Roman's large heart was erstwhile Balicki's niece and the 2 Lutosławskies wanted to get into his house, so they dressed as homeless children. The nationalist, erstwhile he realized they were following him, stopped and began the conversation. What he saw made him invitation the girls to his house, but after a while he recognized the small “pipirins”, as he called them. Isabella Wolikowska, who mentions this, says that Dmowski would surely take good care of homeless children.
Several another accounts be about the reaction of the leader of the national camp to the poor. Maria Niklewiczova mentioned:
Mr. Roman was merciful to beggars. He gave alms generously. I remember the joyous amazement of any mediocre man on the street to whom Mr. Roman gave a bill! And it was a time erstwhile he didn't have besides many in his pocket. He claimed that the mercy shown to the mediocre through charity becomes mechanical erstwhile the direct presence of beggars enables us to do good from the heart.
However, in the book entitled “The Holy Spirit, ” At Dmowski School Dr. Tadeusz Bielecki, who was his secretary and later long-term president of the National organization in Poland and on emigration, wrote:
Once, Mr. Roman and I marched across the Poniatowski Bridge; it was cold, it cut the rain with snow. Then a woman, trembling from the cold, dressed in rags, with a kid on her hands, leaned out from behind the coal, and asked for help. Mr. Roman reached into his pocket, took out his wallet, and everything he had in him, gave to a woman. This reminded me of talks with the president about human misery and the importance of mercy. Despite the most excellent strategy of social safety and state aid, they will always be homeless and hungry and must always be present Christian Charitas.
Dmowski was very sympathetic to the home service and talked to her, joked with employees. all year, under Christmas tree, an employer receives a gift. In addition, he erstwhile paid his housewife a wage in advance and extra money for the journey. besides in a situation where 1 of the servants wanted to decision from Orthodox religion to the womb of the Catholic Church, Mr Roman himself took joint preparations for conversion with her and took part in the celebrations. Charity was shown erstwhile a young man with the same surname (but not related to him) wrote a letter to him, describing the hard material situation of the family, for which he could not pass his matriculation. The writing was very emotional, which moved Dmowski, so he decided to aid him in a concrete way. He was incapable at the time to pay for his education, but invited him to his property in Chludów so that the boy could surrender himself to science. He spent the year with the “biggest man in Poland”, as Prime Minister Wincenty Witos said, and fulfilled his dream.
Konrad Chmielewski, brother-in-law of Żeromski and later known literist and writer not connected with the national movement spoke very interestingly about the charity, cordiality of Dmowski:
‘In Rapperswil, my brother-in-law Stefan Żeromski (married to my half-sister Octavia Radziwiłowicza) erstwhile spoke to me in summer.
Come with me to the station due to the fact that my friend Roman Dmowski is coming to us. He's on his way from Paris to Lviv to be editor there.
We went. A young, thin man, with a warm, sincere grin and a warm embrace – even for me a 20-year-old student, unknown to him by that day, stepped out of the car of the “blatza” of Paris. I took the suitcase upstairs to Żeromski's flat and on the way I heard Stefan talking to Mr Roman.
Look, Roman, your shoes are holed;
– I have 2 pairs, you gotta take 1 pair from me, due to the fact that it is not appropriate for the editor of “The All Poland Review” to have hollow shoes as a symbol.
Mr. Roman laughed at the full voice and said something there, that he might not have shoes, due to the fact that there is no fleet (it was then called "money" today).
At dinner, erstwhile Mr. Roman began to examine me slightly, which I am one, Stefan recommended me to him with any bitterness:
– Imagine Romanie he is the boy and grandson of insurgents, executioners, nephew of Sigismund Sierakowski, his grandpa was the insurgent voivode of Kaunas – and he is simply a socialist.
For this I, a young loop from Grabski's ellipse from the 5th mediate school in Warsaw:
– Everyone has the convictions that life gives him!
Mr. Roman stole the laughter with a hot but not offensive laugh.
After dinner (Stefan went to the Museum, and the sister was washing dishes in the kitchen), Mr. Roman took me for a walk under my armpit and for 3 hours we walked on terraces and paths around the castle, talking warmly to each other.
There was much of Plato in this conversation, but even more of Christ, of specified a Polish tortured Christ, who at the ends is called “Sadtyalis” and who, however, says that there is “God, earth and good man”
Later, in a fewer months I returned to the country and had to drive on my way to Lviv to Mr Roman's manuscript "The crows and crows will rip us apart" I do not know to correct or print us.
Mr. Roman lived on Pottery in Lviv – at the editorial office in 1 room.
He slept on the sofa with no shoes erstwhile I went in.
And this is you, Konrasie – how are you, dear boy, or have you had dinner already, socialist? I burned myself hard due to the fact that I did not eat dinner and I had in my pocket, but for the railway ticket to Belica – 2 crowns. He did not look at Stefan's manuscript at all, but took me under his arm again, led me to a restaurant and fed me solidly for an hr and a half; I was fed healthyly, until Rawa Ruska or Tomaszów Lub.
For all my life I have been reminded of His noble, simple and so Polish warmth and His wise smile, with which he foresaw all resurrection in his land.
Let us decision on to the issue of Christmas gifts from the "President". Again, Marja Niklewiczov says: "As a gift for the first Christmas after my wedding, I received a plate from Mr. Roman from Copenhagen porcelain, with a spruce in the snow – so that you would have a Christmas tree." He was highly generous to everyone. He was giving gifts, not at all cost. Their measurement was not the price, but the pleasance it gave the talented one.” In addition, knowing about the love for women's flowers, he gave her a basket of valleys all Christmas. The children of Niklewicz always received the most beautiful dolls, cars or books. However, it was not limited to just Christmas, but to all day. Maria erstwhile received an first specimen of orchids and despite the protests Dmowski was relentless – she had to accept. On the another hand, children always received the best apples grown in Chludów by the Hetman of large Poland itself.
Roman Dmowski was an unusual, outstanding individual who became a statesman. He led to the empowerment of the Polish Nation and to independence. Nevertheless, he remained an average man who did not carry his position or influence. He did not start his own family, yet he was a very household man.
