A silver medal in 1900 marked the end of Kazimiera Żuławska’s education at the 2nd Warsaw Girls' Gymnasium, launching a career that spanned academic research, translation, mountaineering, and courageous activism. Born in 1883 in Czemerysy, she navigated the tumultuous cultural landscape of Poland throughout the twentieth century, leaving a legacy defined by both scholarly achievement and moral integrity during the Holocaust.
Academic and Personal Background
Born Kazimiera Hanicki, the daughter of Ignacy Dionizy Hanicki and Zofia née Ostolska, she pursued higher education in Romance studies at universities in Lviv and Bern. In 1910, she completed her doctorate at the University of Bern with a thesis titled Women in the Woltera Theater. She married the writer Jerzy Żuławski on 22 June 1907. Together with her husband and his brother Janusz, she engaged in mountaineering expeditions across the Alps and the Tatra Mountains, a passion for climbing that she later passed on to her three sons, Marek, Juliusz, and Wawrzyniec.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →The Łada and Zofiówka Circles
Between 1910 and 1921, Żuławski lived in Zakopane, where she managed a guesthouse and bakery known as the Łada house. This residence served as a cultural hub for figures including Witkacy, Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, Jan Kasprowicz, Tymon Niesiołowski, and Bronisław Malinowski. Following her husband's death in 1915, she briefly served as secretary to Kazimierz Tetmajer and held the chairmanship of the Zakopane section of the Women's League of Galicia and Silesia. Later, after moving to Toruń, she managed the Zofiówka guesthouse, which continued to host prominent writers and artists such as Stanislaw Przybyszewski and Juliusz Osterwa.
Translation and Humanitarian Work
Professionally, Żuławska worked as a clerk for the Social Insurance Institution in Warsaw. Her literary contributions included the translation of French and Spanish literature, as well as mountaineering texts. One notable translation was the drama Judyta by Charles de Peyret-Chappuis, which saw stagings at the New Theatre in Łódź and on Television Theater. During World War II, she undertook significant humanitarian efforts by sheltering Jewish individuals in her apartment and assisting them with false documentation and employment. Her actions during this period led to her posthumous recognition by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations in 1980.
Fast facts
- Born: 1883, Czemerysy-Barski
- Died: 1971, Warsaw
- Occupations: Translator, Romanist
- Award: Righteous Among the Nations (1980)
- Burial site: Powązki Cemetery
- Academic qualification: Doctorate from the University of Bern (1910)
Questions readers ask
What was Kazimiera Żuławska's connection to mountaineering?
She was an avid climber who scaled the Alps and the Tatra Mountains with her husband and brother-in-law, eventually instilling this interest in her three sons.
Why was she honored by Yad Vashem?
She was designated Righteous Among the Nations for risking her life to hide Jewish individuals and provide them with false documents during World War II.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1980
- Worked as translator and romanist
