WOŹNIAKOWSKI Jacek

Born on 23 April 1920 in Biórków, near Krakow; son of the landowner and painter Henryk Woźniakowski and Wanda, née Pawlikowska; great-grandson of the painter Henryk Rodakowski and grandson of the prose writer Jan Gwalbert Pawlikowski. From the age of twelve, he attended the French school in Fribourg, Switzerland, followed by the Jan Wieczorkowski Boys' Sanatorium Grammar School in Rabka, completing his advanced secondary education there in 1938. He then did his military service at the Officer Cadets' School of the Cavalry Reserve in Grudziądz. Following the outbreak of World War II, he participated in the September campaign as part of the 8th Ulan Regiment. He was heavily wounded during the retreat towards Romania. He survived the German occupation initially in Warsaw (where he graduated from the comprehensive trade school), Zakopane, Widzów (near Radomsko), and Chorzelów, working in the agricultural industry. He was involved in the resistance movement as a member of the Tarcza (Shield) conspiratorial movement and then as an aide-de-camp to the commander of the Mielec district of the Home Army (AK). He was twice awarded the Cross of Valour. Following the end of the war, he studied Polish philology and the history of art at the Jagiellonian University (UJ) in Krakow, graduating with a master's degree in Polish philology in 1951. During his studies, he started writing journalism and literary pieces. He made his debut in 1945 with the theatre review Refleksje po „Antygonie” (Reflections on "Antigone"), published in the weekly "Dziś i Jutro" (no. 1), continuing to collaborate with the periodical up until 1947. He also published in the Catholic weekly "Tygodnik Powszechny", with his pieces including the cycle of short satirical texts Ucho igielne (Eye of the Needle; 1945, nos 22-36, published under the pen name Kornik). In 1946/47, he was head of a team of translators editing the Krakow-based magazine "Głos Anglii", which was published by the British Foreign Office. In 1947, he became a regular contributor to "Tygodnik Powszechny", where he published his first short story, W nocy jest inaczej (At Night, it's Different; nos 51/52), which won a prize at the congress of Polish philology student circles. From 1948 to 1953, he was secretary of the editorial board of "Tygodnik Powszechny". He returned to the Catholic weekly in 1956, once its previous editorial team had been reinstated. He married Maria Plater-Zyberk, then a biology student, in 1948. From 1953 to 1991, he was a lecturer in aesthetics and the history of modern art at the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL). He joined the Polish Writers' Union (ZLP) in 1956, remaining a member until it was disbanded in 1983, while in 1957 he joined the Polish Journalists Association (SDP), remaining involved until 1982. In 1956, he became a founding member of the Club of Catholic Intelligentsia in Warsaw and Krakow. From 1957 to 1959, he was editor-in-chief of the Catholic monthly "Znak", serving in subsequent years on its editorial board. He remained active in the field of the history of art. He took several trips abroad after 1956, including some that followed invitations from international universities (such as Harvard, Nijmegen, and Carleton) and Catholic organizations (Pax Romana). He was co-founder and then from 1959 to 1990 director of the Znak Social Publish Institute. He was awarded a doctoral degree in humanities from UJ in 1960 for his thesis Dziennik podróży Jana Ossolińskiego (Jan Ossoliński's travel diary), which was supervised by Prof. Stanisław Pigoń. The same year, he became a member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA). He published in the monthly "Znak", with his texts including the regular columns Zapiski na marginesach (Marginalia), written between 1961 and 1966 using the by-line JW and Zapiski z podróży (Travel notes), published in 1970/71. In "Tygodnik Powszechny", his contributions included correspondence in 1964 reporting on the third session of the Second Vatican Council. Between 1966 and 2008, he served on the jury of the prize of the Geneva-based Kościelski Foundation. He was awarded a habilitation degree from the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) for his study of mountain motifs in art and literature, Góry niewzruszone (Unmoved Mountains). He was made a member of the Committee on Art Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences in 1975. The following year, he received the prize of the Alfred Jurzykowski Foundation in New York. Likewise in 1976, he joined the Polish PEN Club and the editorial board of the periodical "Wierchy", where he remained until 1990. He was involved in the cultural and educational activities of the democratic opposition, including serving on the editorial board of the independent Catholic youth periodical "Spotkania. Niezależne pismo młodych katolików" (1977-78), which was published outside the reach of state censorship. He was also co-founder, member of the programme council and independent lecturer at the Society of Scientific Courses from 1978. He published articles in the periodical "Res Publica", which was launched in 1979. He was a corresponding member of the Historical-Philological Section of the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) Scientific Society from 1978, the same year that he joined the Executive Council of the Polish Writers' Union (ZLP). He served on the Praesidium of its Executive Council between 1981 and 1983. He was made associate professor in 1980. He was a lecturer at Toulouse-le-Mirail University in 1981/82 and awarded an honorary doctorate from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, in 1981. That year, he joined the Organizing Committee of the Congress of Polish Culture. From 1982 to 1992, he was a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture, taking part in regular intellectual colloquia that were organized by Pope John Paul II at Castel Gandolfo near Rome. In 1988, he joined the Civic Council of the Leader of the Independent Self-governing Trade Union Solidarity Lech Wałęsa before participating in the Round Table Negotiations the following year. He was awarded the Polish PEN Club's K. Pruszyński Prize in 1989. He was a founding member of the Polish Writers' Association (SPP) that was established in 1989, subsequently joining its Board. In 1993, he was appointed chair of the SPP Foundation. He was a member of the Social Committee for the Restoration of Krakow's Historic Monuments to 2008, the Polish Section of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA), and between 1991 and 2005 deputy chair of the Polish National Commission for UNESCO. He was made full professor in 1990, the same year that he joined the Council of the periodical "NaGłos". He was president of the city of Krakow between 1990 and 1991. In 1991, he chaired the Council of Funders of the Foundation of the International Cultural Centre in Krakow. Between 1995 and 2007, he chaired the Villa Decius Association, serving as its honorary president from March 2007. From 1996 to 1999, he was a member of the Council for the Polish Language at the Praesidium of PAN. He lectured at the chair of Polish History and Culture at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1999/2000. He became a member of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences (PAU) in 2000. From 2001, he regularly contributed memoir pieces and essays to "Zeszyty Literackie". He was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit in 1974, the Officer's Cross (1990) and Commander's Cross (2006) of the Order of Polonia Restituta, and the Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis in 2005. He was also made commander of the French order Palmes Académiques in 1994 and received the Officer's Cross of the French order Legion d'Honneur in 2002. He died on 29 November 2012 in Warsaw and is buried at the Forest Cemetery in Laski. He had four children with Maria (Maja) Plater-Zyberk: the journalist and translator Henryk; the English philology graduate, opposition activist and politician Róża (married name Thun), who in 2009 became a member of the European Parliament; Anna (married name Grocholska); and Jan.