Edited by MCK Sokół | Lesser Poland
The Poprad Valley as a source of inspiration in the works of Maria Kownacka and Witold Chomicz
Country: Poland
Region: Lesser Poland
Type of inspiration: Literature
Inspiracja
Maria Kownacka (1894-1982) first visited the Sadecczyzna region in 1955. The writer was greatly impressed by the local nature and folklore. Although her stay in Rytro was initially for purely recreational purposes, over time Kownacka felt that the local area and the stories associated with it inspired her literarily. The result of this fascination was a children's novel entitled Rogaś z Doliny Roztoki (Rogaś of the Roztoka Valley), published by Nasz księkarnia in 1957. The story about the little goat was based on real events that took place in the Rytro forester's lodge inhabited by the family of forest inspector Konstanty Kowalczyk. The eponymous Rogaś was taken into the house and over time, fully tamed, became an important member of the Kowalczyk family.
A year later, in 1958, Kownacka created another novel inspired by the events taking place in the Poprad Valley. "School above the Clouds" is the story of a school establishment on Niemcowa, which actually functioned from 1937 to 1961. The writer was in constant contact by letter with the teacher of this school, Mieczysław Łomnicki, who provided her with interesting and valuable information about the daily functioning of this place.
Kownacka entrusted the design of the illustrations for both books to the Krakow artist Witold Chomicz (1910-1984). The writer was very keen for his author to be familiar with the area she was describing and to be able to lean into the fate of the literary characters with the appropriate sensitivity. Chomicz was well acquainted with the Beskid Sądecki, as he liked to visit the area around Rytro and Piwniczna as a tourist. His collaboration with Kownacka, especially on "Rogasiu..." (Rogasiu...), brought the artist great fame and also influenced his professional interests, as children's illustration was an important aspect of his later work.
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Piwniczna-Zdrój
Poland Lesser Poland
