The Literary Institute, founded in 1946 by Jerzy Giedroyc, was one of the most important centres of Polish culture in exile. The institute’s publishing and political activities played a significant role in shaping post-war national political and literary thought.

Profile

Type of Polish studies: Polish diaspora institutions

Chronology: from 1946

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

History of the Literary Institute

Just one year after its establishment, the Literary Institute, founded within General Władysław Anders’s 2nd Polish Corps on the initiative of Jerzy Giedroyc (1906–2000) in 1946 in Rome, with the aim of carrying out publishing activities of a cultural, educational and propaganda nature, was relocated to Maisons-Laffitte, near Paris, on avenue Corneille. Despite the change of location and its financial independence from the military, 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 focus on compiling and disseminating the canon of belles-lettres, the emphasis was soon shifted to publishing the monthly magazine *Kultura*, the quarterly *Zeszyty Historyczne* and the *Biblioteka Kultury* series, which dealt mainly with issues relating to culture, journalism, politics and history. As part of these initiatives, texts by leading Polish and foreign post-war intellectuals, writers and journalists were published, including Albert Camus (1913–1960), André Malraux (1901–1976), Zbigniew Herbert (1924–1998), Marek Hłasko (1934–1969) and Konstanty Jeleński (1922–1987). During the early years of its operation in France (1947–1961), due to the regulations in force at the time, under which publishing licences were granted exclusively to companies registered by French citizens, the Literary Institute published under the imprint of the ‘Libella’ bookshop. It only began operating as an independent entity eight years after purchasing its new premises at 91 avenue de Poissy in 1954.

From its inception until the end of the 20th century, the Literary Institute was headed by Jerzy Giedroyc. Among the editor’s most important collaborators were: Józef Czapski (1893–1993), Gustaw Herling-Grudziński (1919–2000), and Zofia and Zygmunt Hertz (1908–1979). Before 1989, alongside their publishing activities, they undertook cultural and political initiatives. As a result of their efforts, the Literary Institute began, shortly after its establishment, to bring together a community of political exiles and intellectuals from Poland, becoming an ‘informal embassy for independence’.

Headquarters in Le Mesnil-le-Roi

Although it has become common practice to associate the Literary Institute with Maisons-Laffitte, in reality the institution operated there for only the first seven years of its existence in France. In 1954, following eviction from its previous premises, the institute was relocated to a building in nearby Le Mesnil-le-Roi, which had been purchased with funds raised through a public appeal.

The two-storey, brick building, constructed on an L-shaped plan, was adapted to suit the institution’s various needs: the ground floor housed an office, a library and an archive, whilst the first floor contained bedrooms. A guest pavilion was situated in the garden, to which part of the institute’s records was eventually transferred.

The contemporary fate of this heritage. The Literary Institute ‘Kultura’ Association

In 1999, following a decision by Jerzy and Henryk Giedroyc and Zofia Hertz, the Literary Institute was transformed into the Literary Institute ‘Kultura’ Association, whose mission is to make the archives accessible and to study them, as well as to disseminate the knowledge and values promoted by the magazine *Kultura*. In 2009, the Literary Institute Archive, which is under the care of the association, was inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Its collections include, amongst other things, editorial files, publications from the Polish diaspora and the correspondence of Jerzy Giedroyc. The archive materials, housed in the Literary Institute’s historic headquarters in Le Mesnil-le-Roi, are made available to interested parties by prior appointment.

Further reading:

U. Kowalczyk, ‘The Literary Institute in Paris as a centre of Polish culture and free political thought – the state of research on the subject’, *Zeszyty Historyczne*, 2010, vol. XI, pp. 495–510.

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

Website of the Literary Institute Association