Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
Conrad’sCracow
15
suffermuchfromthevariousimperfectionsofmyfirstschool.Iwasratherindifferenttoschool
troubles.27
Duringthesesadmonthstheyoungorphanreceivedmoralguidancefromhis
uncleTadeuszBobrowski,wholivedintheUkraine.Thetoneofhisuncle’sfirstletter
—dated8th/20thSeptember1869,i.e.fourwholemonthsafterApollo’sdeath—is
dryanddevoidofanywarmth.Suchalettercouldhardlyhavekeptupthedistressed
boy’sspirits:
YouknowthatthewholeaffectionwefeltforyourParentswenowbestowuponyou.You
knowtoothatyourParentswerealwaysworthyofthataffection—soyouastheirsonshould
bedoublyworthyofbeingtheirsonandbecomeworthyofourlove.Thereforeyoumusttryto
takefulladvantageofalltheytaughtyou,andalsooftheinstructionsgiventoyoubythefriends
chosenbyyourfatherandbyus,suchasMr.StefanB[uszczyński]andMr.A.Georgeon,andin
allthingstofollowtheiropinionsandadvice.28
Intime,LudwikGeorgeon’sboardingschoolmovedtonewpremisesatwhatwas
then43(inallprobability),FranciszkańskaStreet,29whereConradmadefriendswith
membersofthelargeTaubefamilywholivedinthesamebuilding.HisotherCracow
friendsincludedStefanBuszczyński’ssonKonstanty.
Intheyears1870-1873KonradKorzeniowskilivedat9,SzpitalnaStreetwithhis
grandmotherTeofilaBobrowska,whoon2ndAugust1870wasmadetheboy’sofficial
guardian(togetherwithCountWładysławMniszekasco-guardian)byadecisionof
theCracowCityCourt.30On28thDecember1872Konradwasaccordedthestatusof
localcitizenbytheCityCouncil—onconditionthathefirst“begrantedAustrian
citizenship.”31However,allTadeuszBobrowski’seffortstosecureAustriancitizen-
shipforhisnephewcametonothing.32
2
InthewrittenaccountsofConrad’searlyyearsspentinPolandthereareseveral
questionswhichcontinuetobethesubjectofheateddebate.Theseincludethematter
oftheyoungKonradKorzeniowski’shealth,thequestionofwhetherheattendeda
secondaryschoolinCracow(and,ifso,which?)andhisreasonsforleavingthethen
27Conrad.NotesonLifeandLetters,ed.cit.,pp.132-133.
28T.BobrowskitoK.Korzeniowski,8th/20thSeptember1869.[In:]Conrad’sPolishBackground:
LetterstoandfromPolishFriends.Ed.ZdzisławNajder.Transl.HalinaCarroll.London:Oxford
UniversityPress,1964,p.35.
29Cf.ZdzisławNajder.ŻycieJosephaConrada-Korzeniowskiego.Lublin:Gaudium,2006,vol.1,
p.71;Najder.JosephConrad-AChronicle,ed.cit.,p.32.
30ConradunderFamilialEyes,ed.cit.,p.133.
31Ibid.,p.134.
32Najder.JosephConrad-AChronicle,ed.cit.,p.33;cf.Conrad’sPolishBackground:Lettersto
andfromPolishFriends,ed.cit.,pp.192-193:“Tothesolicitorwho,unsuccessfully,occupiedhimself
withyournaturalizationinAustria—80.50gulden.”
