Tajemnica „przedmowy” Orzeszkowej do Dolinami rzek Zygmunta Glogera

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the friendship between two outstanding Polish nineteenth-century writers and patriots: Eliza Orzeszkowa (1841-1910) and Zygmunt Gloger (1845-1910). The author solves the mystery of the alleged “preface”, which Orzeszkowa were to write for the most important travel writing work by Gloger titled “Dolinami rzek. Opisy podróży wzdłuż Niemna, Wisły, Bugu i Biebrzy” (1903). As it turns out, Orzeszkowa’s text included in this work is not a preface to the entire book, but only to the first chapter about the Niemen. Morever, this is a reprint of a fragment of Orzeszkowa’s article from 1890 titled “Listy z ustronia IV” [Letters from Retreat No 4], which Gloger used with her consent. In this text, Orzeszkowa particularly praises the cognitive values of the Gloger work, but also aesthetic qualities, emphasising the writing talent of the author of “Encyklopedia staropolska”