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News from Poland
"No German will split in our face"
This is one of many verses of “The Credo” - “Rota’”- Polish patriotic song, written by a young writer Maria Konopnicka. In this way she showed that she doesn’t like German nation and she helped people from Września, who didn’t let their children being Germanized in polish school by the German government. When protests started against teaching children religion in Września in German language then Konopnicka started writing this patriotic song. This song was written for people of Polish nationality to raise their hearts. This song helped people in fighting with the German authorities. Poets started writing other texts with criticism for education in German. She wrote: "There from Gniezno and from Warta voice is going to the whole world, the earth is moaning - German is torturing the Polish children for praying in Polish. For this pray in Polish language, which fathers to give us, and which mothers to teaching us- German is torturing Polish children!”
She didn’t wait for anything, fought with her pen, saying in “Rota” about Polish values of God, Honor, Motherland. in this way she made a memorial for her and for participants of the protests in Września.
Dudek Justyna
- Hello Romuald, my friend, I am very happy that you visit me again.
- Good morning, Eliza, you know that I love coming to you, to your beautiful mansion under Kobrynin, but today I am here to thank you for the money you gave me for the trip to the capital.
-I couldn't do it differently when you said that you had a chance to become a dictator of the January Uprising, I knew I had to help you get to the capital. After your many achievements, many years of experience, I knew that your command is an big chance to regain our homeland. I thought that someone like you ist he right person, because when you were eighteen you passed the sappers exam, you completed a military internship, you took part in the Spring of Nations in Hungary, you were the adjutant of the main staff of the Second Army, you took part in many fights.
-Yes, but you can't forget that my mental and physical condition wasn't the best lately, in 1862 I was released from service in the Russian army. The deaths of my mother, wife and 2 children were a huge tragedy for me.
-But to overcome the nervous breakdown, you met your second wife, took command of the Cobrasin's squad and successfully carried an ambush for the Russians near Horsk.
- However, I failed near Hołd.
-Well, good, tell me about your trip.
- I was promoted by the National Government to be the general, on October 17th, 1863 I became the secret commander of the January Uprising, with the pseudonym Michał Czarnecki and the identity of a Galician merchant. I tried to resurrect the insurgent forces, organize a regular army, I appropriated peasants, but I did not manage to get help from abroad, especially in financial and military terms.
-Your determination, dedication, and dignity make you a wise, mature, ideal leader. "You are taking the cross of your people on your shoulders," like the Savior.
Cebulak Magdalena
Conversation
Eliza Orzeszkowa with Romuald Traugutt