The Literary Institute, founded in 1946 by Jerzy Giedroyc, was one of the most important centres of Polish culture in exile. The publishing and political activities of the institution played an important role in the construction of national post-war political and literary thought.

Metryka

Type of polonica: Polish institutions

Chronology: from 1946

Location: 91 avenue de Poissy in Le-Mesnil-le-Roi

History of the Literary Institute

Only a year after its foundation, Instytut Literacki, established by General Władysław Anders' Polish 2nd Corps on the initiative of Jerzy Giedroyc (1906-2000) in 1946 in Rome, was moved to Maisons-Laffitte, avenue Corneille, near Paris, with a view to carrying out publishing activities of a cultural and educational and propaganda nature. Despite the change of location and the financial independence from the army, the institute retained its military profile - it continued to operate within military structures until 1948. Although it was originally planned that the institute's activities would be directed towards the compilation and dissemination of the canon of fiction, the emphasis was soon shifted to the publication of the monthly magazine Kultura, the quarterly Zeszyty Historyczne and the publishing series Biblioteka Kultury (Cultural Library), which dealt mainly with issues in the fields of culture, journalism, politics and history. These initiatives published texts by leading Polish and foreign post-war intellectuals, writers and journalists, including Albert Camus (1913-1960), André Malraux (1901-1976), Zbigniew Herbert (1924-1998), Marek Hłasko (1934-1969) and Konstanty Jeleński (1922-1987). In the initial period of its activity in France (1947-1961), due to the regulations in force, according to which publishing licences were granted only to companies registered by French citizens, Instytut Literacki published within the framework of the "Libella" bookshop. It did not start operating as an independent entity until eight years after the purchase of its new premises at 91 avenue de Poissy, made in 1954.

From its inception until the end of the 20th century, Instytut Literacki was headed by Jerzy Giedroyc. Among the editor's most important associates were: Józef Czapski (1893-1993), Gustaw Herling-Grudziński (1919-2000), Zofia and Zygmunt Hertz (1908-1979). Before 1989, in addition to their publishing activities, they undertook initiatives of a cultural and political nature. As a result of their activity, the Literary Institute began to gather around itself the circle of political emigrants and intellectuals from Poland soon after its establishment, becoming an "informal independence embassy".

Headquarters in Le Mesnil-le-Roi

Although it was common to associate the existence of the Literary Institute with Maisons-Laffitte, in fact the institution only operated there for the first seven years of its activities in France. In 1954, due to eviction from its previous premises, the institute was moved to a building located in nearby Le Mesnil-le-Roi, which was purchased from a public collection.

The five-storey brick building, built on an L-shaped plan, was adapted to meet the various needs of the institute: the ground floor was fitted out as an office, library and archive, while the ground floor was used as bedrooms. A visitors' pavilion was situated in the garden, to which some of the institute's documentation was moved over time.

The contemporary fate of heritage. Culture Literary Institute Association

In 1999, by the decision of Jerzy and Henryk Giedroyc and Zofia Hertz, Instytut Literacki was transformed into the Stowarzyszenie Instytut Literacki Kultura (Association of the Literary Institute Kultura), whose mission is to provide access to and study of documentation, and to disseminate the knowledge and values promoted by Kultura magazine. In 2009, the Literary Institute Archive, in the care of the association, was inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World list. Its collections include, among others, editorial portfolios, Polish publications and the correspondence of Jerzy Giedroyc. The archives stored at the historical headquarters of the Literary Institute in Le Mesnil-le-Roi are made available to those interested by appointment.

Further reading:

U. Kowalczyk, Instytut Literacki w Paryżu jako ośrodek kultury polskiej i wolnej myśli politycznej - stan badań nad zagadnieniem, "Zeszyty Historyczne", 2010, z. XI, w. 495-510.

Inventory of the Literary Institute on the website of the National Library

The website of the Literary Institute Association