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Correspondence from Auschwitz in the Letters of Stanisław Buczyński to Danuta Świeściak (1940-1944)
Abstract
The aim of this article is to describe and interpret the letters of Stanisław Buczyński, a prisoner of the German concentration camp Auschwitz, written between 1940 and 1944 to his fiancée, Danuta Świeściak, in the perspective of the new theory of the letter and epistolary pedagogy. The analysis demonstrates that this correspondence fully embodies the essence of camp epistolography, both in its external form and thematic content. The central axis of the letters is a strong emotional layer and a focus on the recipient’s matters, while minimizing information about the sender. Such an approach resulted from censorship restrictions, the intention to participate symbolically in the life of loved ones, and the desire to avoid burdening the addressee with negative information. At the same time, Buczyński’s epistolography does not fully meet the definition of the letter in its classical or modern sense, since the imposed limitations prevented full self-expression, and the processes of self-creation and self-presentation were only partial. Nevertheless, these letters, regarded as autonomous cultural texts, fall within the scope of epistolary pedagogy. They constitute an example of personal document literature and trauma document, bearing historical, humanistic, and utilitarian value: they record the fate of Auschwitz prisoners and their families, serve as a testimony of human heroism, and provide a powerful warning for future generations.
Keywords:
Stanisław Buczyński, Danuta Świeściak, German concentration camp, Auschwitz, letter, new theory of the letter, epistolary pedagogyMost read articles by the same author(s)
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