20.03.2005 History of the media
"Słowo Polskie," a Polish Daily with Over a Century of Tradition
Cezary Kaszewski
"Słowo Polskie" began its life in Lwów, with the first issue published on Christmas Eve, 1895. The newspaper quickly gained readership. By 1902, its circulation exceeded 10,000, and three years later, it reached 20,000, making it the first high-circulation daily in Galicia.
- Jan Kasprowicz in the literary section,
- Kornel Makuszyński in art and theater,
- Zygmunt Janiszewski—one of Poland’s first sports journalists,
supported by a group of more or less regular contributors, among them:
- Wł. S. Reymont,
- H. Sienkiewicz,
- K. Tetmajer,
- L. Staff,
- J. Żuławski,
- A. Grzymała-Siedlecki,
- G. Zapolska.
"Słowo" contributed to the rise of a Nobel Prize laureate! The newspaper began publishing "Chłopi" (The Peasants) in 1902, two years ahead of the novel`s first book release. The Lwów editors had a remarkable instinct, sensing the writer’s great talent, although no one at the time could have imagined that publishing the work "in parts" would launch its international success. Twenty-two years later, the writer received the Nobel Prize for "Chłopi" and ... 116,718 Swedish crowns. It was a tremendous honor and significant money—the crowns equaled over a quarter of a million pre-war Polish złoty. The first post-war issue of "Słowo Polskie" appeared in Lower Silesia on November 1, 1946. Previously, from August 27, 1945, the newspaper had been titled "Pionier" and was the first daily on the Western territories.
The decision to rename the paper "Słowo Polskie" was made by our readers. Years later, Michał Żywień, associated with our editorial team from the beginning, commented: "Before the war, there was a newspaper with that title in Lwów, and a large percentage of Wrocław’s residents were people from Lwów and nearby areas. But there was another reason—the Polish word echoed across the Western territories!"
Throughout its post-war history, many distinguished journalists have contributed to our editorial team. Wojciech Dzieduszycki collaborated with us as a columnist. Irena Dziedzic, not yet known to television audiences (the creator of "Tele-Echo," Poland’s first "talk show" and one of the most popular TV programs during the Polish People’s Republic), wrote for us. Czesław Nowicki, the popular TV personality known as "Wicherek," also published in "Słowo." Jerzy Janicki, a former Lwów resident and father of the radio "Matysiakowie" family as well as a prolific screenwriter, covered sports in "Pionier."
One of our most notable contributors was Wacław Drozdowski, a pre-war journalist with "IKC," who served as a long-time head of our city desk. He is remembered for an anecdote recorded in his "Notes of an Old Reporter": "I once noticed that Władysław Reymont always had the city newspaper `Kurier Warszawski` sticking out of his coat pocket—a paper known for its vast number of ads and obituaries. This took place in Poznań in 1922. I asked, `Do you always read the "Kurier"?` `You see,` the distinguished writer replied with a smile, `there’s nothing like habit—can you believe that I can’t fall asleep without a chamber pot and the "Kurier Warszawski" by my side?`
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