Socialist realism was a considerably short period in the history of
Polish literature marked by public fear caused by
the gross abuses of power by
state security forces. The policy was introduced during the
Polish Writers' Union's
4th Congress, which took place in
Szczecin from 20th to 22 January 1949. Leon Kruczkowski became the president of the union, and Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz and Ewa Szelburg-Zarembina were vice-presidents. Many poets and writers of famous names were involved in praising the construction of socialism:
Jerzy Andrzejewski,
Tadeusz Borowski,
Władysław Broniewski,
Mieczysław Jastrun,
Tadeusz Konwicki,
Stanisław Jerzy Lec,
Sławomir Mrożek,
Zofia Nałkowska,
Igor Newerly,
Julian Przyboś,
Jerzy Putrament,
Wisława Szymborska,
Julian Tuwim,
Adam Ważyk and
Stanisław Wygodzki. The center of the socialist realist literary circles was the weekly "kuźnica", managed since 1949 by
Paweł Hoffman. From this point until the end of
Stalinism in the
People's Republic,
Socialist realism was an official cultural policy of the country. Writers and poets created works glorifying
Joseph Stalin, the
Communist doctrine, and the
Polish United Workers' Party. Following Stalin's death, there were some critical opinions expressed about such literature, but Socialist realism was still being practised until the 1956
Polish October, when the policy was finally abandoned. in Central and Eastern Europe During Stalinism there were no independent publishers or newspapers. Writers and poets had to write books compatible with the official doctrine or they were denied publication. There were some authors like
Zbigniew Herbert who didn't want to glorify communism, so they were absent from cultural life. Others were blacklisted. But most of writers and poets obeyed the government's new cultural policies and were willing to describe the
People's Republic of Poland as a land of happiness and freedom living under the benign dispensations of the Communist Party. There were two generations of authors. The first consisted of writers who had already made names for themselves before
World War II, publishing books in the interwar period or during the war. Some of them were fascinated by the new order, and genuinely believed that communism would help the workers, the farmers and the poor. Because of that they joined the Polish United Workers' Party and became political activists like
Leon Kruczkowski (playwright) who became a Member of Parliament, or the poet
Julian Przyboś - who entered diplomatic service and was posted to
Switzerland. Those writers who cooperated with the government wielded a strong influence over the entirety of cultural life in Poland. One writer and publicist,
Jerzy Putrament, was made a member of the
Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party in recognition of his loyalty to the communist cause. The second generation of writers was known as
The Spotty-Faced (the origin of the nickname is a matter of dispute, with sources variously attributing its coinage to Julian Przyboś,
Jan Kott or
Zofia Nałkowska). Those were young authors convinced that communism was a fair social system who made their debuts believing that as writers and poets they should make all the people believe in the ideas of
Karl Marx and
Vladimir Lenin. Some of them, like
Wiktor Woroszylski,
Andrzej Braun and
Witold Wirpsza, dominated literature and had a strong political impact locally, provoking a degree of anxiety in other writers because of their zeal and self-confidence.
The Spotty-Faced lost their influence after the Polish Thaw, and many slipped into literary oblivion. There was also a small group of writers which included famous authors and emerging names who refused to write socialist realistic novels, and chose to remain silent. They published their books after the end of
Bierut's era. Zbigniew Herbert and
Miron Białoszewski debuted in 1955,
Jerzy Zawieyski, a Catholic writer and playwright (debuted in 1921) was denied publication. Such contrarian voices were often connected to the Catholic magazine
Tygodnik Powszechny. supported by the Resolution of Union of Polish Writers Socialist realist writers aimed to portray ordinary people and their daily life. The plot of a typical socialist realist novel or short story was usually set in the workplace, so this kind of book is often referred to as "factory literature" (Polish:
produkcyjniaki). Factories, coal mines, construction sites, small towns and villages were typical locations. Some novels depicted major communist construction projects like
Nowa Huta:
Janina Dziarnowska's
Jesteśmy z Nowej Huty (
We Are From Nowa Huta) or
Początek opowieści (
The Beginning of the Story) by
Marian Brandys. The story of the social realist novel is schematic and uncomplicated. The establishing opening often shows a factory ruined by war, operated by disheartened and corrupt staff. The future is shrouded with a sense of gloom. The only upright, positive characters are the local activists from the Polish United Workers' Party, but even they find themselves unable to convince the workers of the advantages of the
Six-Year Plan. There is always a positive character who tries to encourage the others to work better and to join the Party. He fails initially because of the machinations of the villain, but as time goes by the rest of the workforce is made to see the light and to embrace the ideas of the Six-Year Plan. The plant begins to prosper, and everyone's personal problems are also solved to arrive at the obligatory happy ending. A typical positive character wants to be a fine worker, perhaps even an
udarnik. He is an idealist, a man of strong communist convictions who makes speeches in political rallies and spends a lot of time reading Marxist literature, especially
Krótki kurs historii WKP(b) (
A short story of All-Union Communist Party (bolsheviks)) and Stalin's
Zagadnienia leninizmu (
Questions of leninism). He could be an experienced worker who had long believed in communism, or a young men imbued with fresh enthusiasm for the new times. The protagonist is kind, intelligent, devoted to the Party, and always willing to help. The factory owes every improvement and invention to him. His greatest dream is to play his part in the victory of communism. At the end of a socialist realist novel his efforts find recognition and, if he was a bachelor, he finds a true love. The antagonist is a political adversary and a member of a hostile social class like the bourgeoisie. Never a mere criminal, he must be an actual
enemy of the people. He could be a former (pre-war) police officer, a factory owner or a
sanation political operative. In some novels he is a spy from
the United States,
the United Kingdom,
West Germany or
France. The villain detests communism and hates the workers; he is typically a nasty, merciless piece of work, prepared to inflict unflinching harm on all around him, like committing acts of sabotage or conspiring against the hero. At the end of the novel he is unmasked (usually by the hero or by a member of the secret police) and imprisoned. There are also supporting characters, such as the local leader of the Party. He is often portrayed as a wise, righteous man, mentoring the young hero and acting as his patron. He gives warnings to his young friend about the conspiring enemies, and advises him to be always on guard against the lurking dangers of
imperialist forces. Another typical character is an old worker, engineer or craftsman who remembers the pre-war days in Poland. He has no enthusiasm for communism, and even wants Poland to be liberated from the Soviet Union. ==Poetry==