2004 Anniversaries.
There seemed to be an unusual conglomeration of pertinent anniversaries during a short period late last year.
Czeslaw Milosz died in early August, 60 years (to the week) after the start of the 1944 Warsaw uprising, when he was writing for the previously underground press. At the news of his death in Krakow, I had just found and borrowed at the library Yitzkhak Zuckerman("Antek")'s book mentioned earlier (November, 2004). The book itself was one of 100 special 100th anniversary books of the University of California Press. As indicated by its (original) subtitle, "Those Seven Years: 1939-1946", it covers, i.a., the participation, under Antek's command, of the ZOB fighters who had survived the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising. The 1944 one was finally crushed in mid September, without serious interference from the Soviet army which had reached the eastern bank of the Vistula.
Last September 1st was the 65th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, and thus the start of my long march east, as part of the Czestochowa Kibbutz. Antek's (and my brother's) march, also mentioned earlier (Nov.30 entry), started about a week later.
Also last September was the 40th anniversary of the eruption of the Free Speech Movement, or FSM, at the University of California in Berkeley, where Milosz was teaching at the time. It gave rise or impetus to 1960-s student revolts all over, including Europe 1968, e.g. at the Sorbonne in Paris; where I happened to arrive the day it really got serious, on a charter flight booked 6 months earlier. At the time I was living in Berkeley on Dwight Way, a few blocks along Telegraph Avenue from Sproul Hall; where confrontations continued also after the FSM formally disbanded itself about December. Although not an active participant, I got the tear gas both from the battle of the the Paris Quartier Latin, then, a few weeks later, on/about Telegraph Avenue for an action in solidarity with the French students. It didn't smell the same, and it later turned out to be a new, possibly dangerous gas.
(I hope to elaborate on all those in later postings, with things like photos, including stereo slides; but most of those will probably not remain indefinitely. Also, I may want to do things like wonder, e.g:)
Both having participated in the 1944 Warsaw revolt means there is a fair possibility, but not likelihood (just by itself). But they both also attended gymnasium in Polish interwar Wilno (Vilna, now Lithuanian capital Vilnius), Milosz also university there. In a telephone conversation (about 1970), Milosz told me that he knew well, and felt close to, the left Zionist youth outfits, and he was interested in details of my 3 months' stay in the 1939/40 winter at the Ha-Shomer Ha-Tzair Kibbutz there. In the 30-s Antek's He-kHalutz Ha-Tzair didn't amount to much in Vilna, but he played a leading role. So while I know of no positive evidence, a meeting at some point is not unlikely. There can be no doubt that eventually they knew of one another quite well.
Czeslaw Milosz died in early August, 60 years (to the week) after the start of the 1944 Warsaw uprising, when he was writing for the previously underground press. At the news of his death in Krakow, I had just found and borrowed at the library Yitzkhak Zuckerman("Antek")'s book mentioned earlier (November, 2004). The book itself was one of 100 special 100th anniversary books of the University of California Press. As indicated by its (original) subtitle, "Those Seven Years: 1939-1946", it covers, i.a., the participation, under Antek's command, of the ZOB fighters who had survived the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising. The 1944 one was finally crushed in mid September, without serious interference from the Soviet army which had reached the eastern bank of the Vistula.
Last September 1st was the 65th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, and thus the start of my long march east, as part of the Czestochowa Kibbutz. Antek's (and my brother's) march, also mentioned earlier (Nov.30 entry), started about a week later.
Also last September was the 40th anniversary of the eruption of the Free Speech Movement, or FSM, at the University of California in Berkeley, where Milosz was teaching at the time. It gave rise or impetus to 1960-s student revolts all over, including Europe 1968, e.g. at the Sorbonne in Paris; where I happened to arrive the day it really got serious, on a charter flight booked 6 months earlier. At the time I was living in Berkeley on Dwight Way, a few blocks along Telegraph Avenue from Sproul Hall; where confrontations continued also after the FSM formally disbanded itself about December. Although not an active participant, I got the tear gas both from the battle of the the Paris Quartier Latin, then, a few weeks later, on/about Telegraph Avenue for an action in solidarity with the French students. It didn't smell the same, and it later turned out to be a new, possibly dangerous gas.
(I hope to elaborate on all those in later postings, with things like photos, including stereo slides; but most of those will probably not remain indefinitely. Also, I may want to do things like wonder, e.g:)
Did Antek and Milosz know one another? Did they meet?
Both having participated in the 1944 Warsaw revolt means there is a fair possibility, but not likelihood (just by itself). But they both also attended gymnasium in Polish interwar Wilno (Vilna, now Lithuanian capital Vilnius), Milosz also university there. In a telephone conversation (about 1970), Milosz told me that he knew well, and felt close to, the left Zionist youth outfits, and he was interested in details of my 3 months' stay in the 1939/40 winter at the Ha-Shomer Ha-Tzair Kibbutz there. In the 30-s Antek's He-kHalutz Ha-Tzair didn't amount to much in Vilna, but he played a leading role. So while I know of no positive evidence, a meeting at some point is not unlikely. There can be no doubt that eventually they knew of one another quite well.
posted by solar_sol | 7:06 PM
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