Polish Studies at University of Wisconsin

• The Institution
• Polish Study Courses
• Language Instruction
• Poland-Related Courses
• Faculty
• Poland-Related Resource

Polish Study Courses

HIS 409 History of Central Europe 1648-1871 @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Political and social development of Central Europe from the Thirty Years' War to the establishment of the German Empire. Course includes lectures on the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the partitions, specifically the Prussian and Austrian partitions zones, with references to the Russian partition zone at moments of crisis (1830s, 1860s).
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Frank, A.

HIST 425 Poland and the Baltic Region @ @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Course provides an in-depth introduction to the history and development of Poland and the eastern Baltic littoral since 1800. We will focus specific attention on Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Because the area of focus is a large and diverse region, we will work to identify broad trends throughout the region as well as specific changes and problems within individual countries and localities. The course will combine lecture-style presentations with in-class discussion as we consider the political, social, economic, and cultural transformations of the region over the last 200 years.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Duke, S.

Lit. Trans. 215 Polish Literature in Translation, 14th to the Mid-19th Century. I @ @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: An introductory survey of Polish literature from the Middle Ages to Romanticism. Special attention is given to historical contexts to help students gain a fuller understanding of "culturally different" literature. Writers discussed include Jan Kochanowski, Mikolaj Sep Szarzynski, Jan Andrzej Morsztyn, Ignacy Krasicki, Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Slowacki, Zygmunt Krasinski, Aleksander Fredro, and others. Readings and discussions are in English.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Filipowicz, H.

Lit. Trans. 216 Polish Literature in Translation, Late 19th and 20th Centuries. II @ @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: An introductory survey of Polish literature from the Positivism to the Postmodernism. It provides an overview of historical and cultural contexts to help students gain a fuller understanding of "culturally different" texts. Writers discussed include Aleksander Swietochowski, Eliza Orzeszkowa, Maria Konopnicka, Boleslaw Prus, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Stefan Zeromski, Zofia Nalkowska, Czeslaw Milosz, Tadeusz Rozewicz, Zbigniew Herbert, Wislawa Szymborska, Janusz Glowacki, Adam Zagajewski, and others. Texts vary slightly from year to year. Readings and discussions are in English.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Filipowicz, H.

Lit. Trans. 242 Polish Culture and Literature @ @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Course: (1) offers new perspectives on modern Polish culture through the study of fiction and non-fiction; (2) provides a historical background for understanding Polish culture; (3) introduces major issues in Polish culture such as national identity, nationalism/patriotism, religion, emigration, Polish-Jewish relations, and gender constructions. The course is organized in three thematic clusters: "Critics of Polish Culture," "Neighbors," and "Heroes and Anti-Heroes." Readings include selections from Ignacy Krasicki, Maria Konopnicka, Aleksander Swietochowski, Adam Szymanski, Stefan Zeromski, Zofia Nalkowska, Tadeusz Borowski, Henryk Grynberg, Hanna Krall, Slawomir Mrozek, Janusz Glowacki, Eva Hoffman, and others. Texts vary slightly from year to year. Readings and discussions are in English.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Filipowicz, H.

Lit. Trans. 247 Taboo Topics in Polish Literature and Culture

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Course offers a forum for an open-minded exploration of taboos in a comparative context. It encourages students to practice their research skills as they look for fresh insights and new information about a complex, fascinating, and paradoxical culture. Some of the questions addressed are: what are the dominant taboos in Polish and Polish-American cultures? what are the historical circumstances and cultural assumptions behind the formation of these taboos? what are the reasons for their enduring presence? who are the transgressors who dare to challenge taboos? what are the risks involved in breaking taboos? why do transgressions of tabooed areas elicit strong emotional reactions? why is it necessary to study taboos and transgressions of these taboos? Readings include selections from Stefan Zeromski, Henryk Grynberg, Hanna Krall, Jan Blonski, Jan T. Gross, Wladyslaw Szpilman, Slawomir Mrozek, Janusz Glowacki, Marian Pankowski, and others. Texts vary slightly from year to year. Readings and discussions are in English.

Lit. Trans. 471 Polish Literature, Middle Ages to 1863 @ @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Intensive study of the major literary currents and indispensable texts of the pre-1863 period. This course is intended for advanced undergraduates with adequate skills in literary analysis and interpretation. Writers discussed include Jan Kochanowski, Mikolaj Sep Szarzynski, Jan Andrzej Morsztyn, Elzbieta Druzbacka, Ignacy Krasicki, Maria Wirtemberska, Ewa Felinska, Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Slowacki, Zygmunt Krasinski, Narcyza Zmichowska, Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Aleksander Fredro, and others. Readings and discussions are in English. Requirements include familiarity with critical theory.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Filipowicz, H.

Lit. Trans. 473 Polish Literature since 1863 @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Poland has one of the most exciting and challenging literary scenes today. Yet the richness of Polish literature can make it difficult for new students to establish a firm foothold in this area. Designed especially for those who study the topic for the first time, this course: (1) provides a comprehensive historical background for understanding modern Polish literature and cultural mythology; (2) introduces main literary currents; (3) offers an intensive study of indispensable texts. This course is intended for advanced undergraduates with adequate skills in literary analysis and interpretation. Writers discussed include Aleksander Swietochowski, Eliza Orzeszkowa, Maria Konopnicka, Boleslaw Prus, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Adam Szymanski, Stanislaw Wyspianski, Stefan Zeromski, Gabriela Zapolska, Zofia Nalkowska, Felicja Kruszewska, Bruno Schulz, Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, Witold Gombrowicz, Czeslaw Milosz, Tadeusz Rozewicz, Zbigniew Herbert, Wislawa Szymborska, Marek Hlasko, Slawomir Mrozek, Janusz Glowacki, Henryk Grynberg, Adam Zagajewski, Marcin Swietlicki, Olga Tokarczuk, Natasza Goerke, and others. Texts vary slightly from year to year. Readings and discussions are in English. Requirements include familiarity with critical theory
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Filipowicz, H.

Lit. Trans. 475 Polish Romantic Tradition in Translation. @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Mickiewicz, Slowacki, Krasinski, Norwid; others. Readings in English.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Filipowicz, H.

SLAV 302 Zarys historii literatury polskiej. II @ @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course provides a comprehensive background in Polish history and cultural mythology, and it introduces students to the central ideas and debates in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Polish literature. Readings include selections from Adam Mickiewicz, Eliza Orzeszkowa, Aleksander Swietochowski, Adam Szymanski, Stefan Zeromski, Zuzanna Ginczanka (Sara Ginzburg), Zofia Nalkowska, Czeslaw Milosz, Tadeusz Rozewicz, Zbigniew Herbert, Wislawa Szymborska, Slawomir Mrozek, Jadwiga Maurer, Anna Frajlich, and others. Texts vary slightly from year to year. Readings and discussions are in Polish.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Filipowicz, H.

SLAV 470 Historia literatury polskiej do roku 1863. @ @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: In-depth study of indispensable texts by Jan Kochanowski, Mikolaj Sep Szarzynski, Jan Andrzej Morsztyn, Elzbieta Druzbacka, Ignacy Krasicki, Maria Wirtemberska, Ewa Felinska, Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Slowacki, Zygmunt Krasinski, Narcyza Zmichowska, Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Aleksander Fredro, and others. Readings and discussions are in Polish. A graduate-level course designed for students taking a Ph.D. minor in Polish literature. This course requires advanced skills in literary analysis and critical theory.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Filipowicz, H.

SLAV 472 Historia literatury polskiej do roku 1863 II. @ @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: In-depth study of indispensable texts by Aleksander Swietochowski, Eliza Orzeszkowa, Maria Konopnicka, Boleslaw Prus, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Adam Szymanski, Stanislaw Wyspianski, Stefan Zeromski, Gabriela Zapolska, Zofia Nalkowska, Felicja Kruszewska, Bruno Schulz, Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, Witold Gombrowicz, Czeslaw Milosz, Tadeusz Rozewicz, Zbigniew Herbert, Wislawa Szymborska, Marek Hlasko, Slawomir Mrozek, Janusz Glowacki, Henryk Grynberg, Adam Zagajewski, Olga Tokarczuk, Marcin Swietlicki, Natasza Goerke, and others. Texts vary slightly from year to year. Readings and discussions are in Polish. A graduate-level course designed for students taking a Ph.D. minor in Polish literature. This course requires advanced skills in literary analysis and critical theory.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Filipowicz, H.

SLAV 473 Polska tradycja romantyczna @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Mickiewicz, Slowacki, Krasinski, Norwid; others
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Filipowicz, H.

Language Instruction

SLAV 301 Introduction to Intensive Polish. I @ @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Intensive coverage of the structure of the Polish language to prepare students for independent research. Speaking practice in grammar structures using naturally occurring conversational patterns. Reading of simple poetry and prose.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Miernowska, E.

SLAV 111-112 First/Second Semester Polish. I, II @ @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: For students who have not studied Polish. Introduction to the basics of the Polish language. Intensive speaking practice in grammar structures using naturally occurring conversational patterns.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Miernowska, E.

SLAV 207-208 Third/Fourth Semester Polish I, II @ @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Reading, conversation exercises, and grammar review. Major emphasis on the development of vocabulary and oral expression with continuing work on difficult grammar topics. Vocabulary reinforced through reading of easy literary texts.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Miernowska, E.

SLAV 277-278 Third Year Polish I. II @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Review of Polish grammar and continuing development of communication proficiency: writing, reading and oral skills. Introduction to the language of Polish newspapers, journals, and TV programming. Basic vocabulary for areas of current interest, including politics, history, economics, and popular culture. P: Slavic 208
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Miernowska, E.

SLAV 331-332 Fourth Year Polish I, II @ @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Extensive reading, discussion, composition and grammar review. Vocabulary reinforced through film, nonfiction and the reading of literary texts. Reading and discussion of topics in the areas of history, economics, politics, and current events. Continued work on grammar and vocabulary with written exercises and compositions. This is a writing intensive course.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Miernowska, E.

Poland-Related Courses

HIS 409 History of Central Europe 1648-1871 @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Political and social development of Central Europe from the Thirty Years' War to the establishment of the German Empire. Course includes lectures on the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the partitions, specifically the Prussian and Austrian partitions zones, with references to the Russian partition zone at moments of crisis (1830s, 1860s).
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Frank, A.

Lit. Trans. 206 Women in Slavic Literature in Translation. @

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Gender issues in works by and about women in Polish, Czech, Serbian, and Croatian literature.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Filipowicz, H.

Faculty

Duke, Steven, Assistant Director, International Academic Programs, University of Wisconsin/Madison @

Ph.D., Indiana University
Phone: 262-3379 / Fax: . . . / E-Mail: stduke@facstaff.wisc.edu
POLAND RELATED SCHOLARSHIP:
COURSES

• History of Poland and the Baltic Region

Miernowska, Ewa, Lecturer in Slavic Languages and Literature, University of Wisconsin, Madison @ @

Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1996.
Phone: (608) 262-4076 / Fax: (608) 263-5302 / E-Mail: miernows@facstaff.wisc.edu
MAJOR INTERESTS: Polish Language
POLAND RELATED SCHOLARSHIP:
COURSES

• Third Semester Polish I
• Third and Fourth Year in Polish II

Filipowicz, Halina, Professor of Slavic Languages and Literature, University of Wisconsin, Madison @ @ @

Ph.D. University of Kansas, 1979.
Phone: (608) 262-4329 / Fax: (608) 265-2814 / E-Mail: hfilipow@facstaff.wisc.edu
MAJOR INTERESTS: Central European theatre and drama; Polish literature; gender studies; Polish/Jewish studies.
POLAND RELATED SCHOLARSHIP:
BOOKS

• Democracy at the Theatre: Drama, Transgression, and Polish Cultural Mythology (1786-1989).

SELECTED BOOK CHAPTERS

• "From Comedy to Melodrama: The Transposition of a Polish Theme." Themes in Drama: Melodrama. Ed. James Redmond. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. 105-20.
• "Jews and Poles on the Barricades of Warsaw: Two Polish Plays on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising." The Phoney Peace: Power and Culture in Central Europe 1945-49. Ed. Robert B. Pynsent. London: School of Slavonic and East European Studies, 2000. 58-70.
• "Beginning to Theorize 'Polish Emigre Literature.'" Between Lvov, New York, and Ulysses' Ithaca: Jozef Wittlin - Poet, Essayist, Novelist. Ed. Anna Frajlich. Torun: Nicholas Copernicus University; New York: Columbia University, 2001. 225-42.
• "Othering the Kosciuszko Uprising: Women as Problem in Polish Insurgent Discourse." Examining "the Other" in Polish Culture: Studies in Language, Literature and Cultural Mythology. Ed. Elwira M. Grossman. Lampeter: Edwin Mellen Press. Forthcoming.

PUBLICATIONS

• Forum: Polish Emigre Literature. Slavic and East European Journal 33.2 (1989): 157-216.
• Sacrum in Polish Literature: A Poetics of Presence and Absence. Renascence 47.3-4 (1995): 141-243.

SELECTED ARTICLES

• "Demythologizing Polish Theatre." TDR: A Journal of Performance Studies 39.1 (1995): 122-28.
• "Textualizing Trauma: From Valesa to Kosciuszko in Polish Theatre of the 1980s." Theatre Journal 48.4 (1996): 443-60.
• "Taboo Topics in Polish and Polish/Jewish Cultural Studies." The Journal of the International Institute (Fall 2001): 3-8.

COURSES TAUGHT IN ENGLISH

• Women in Slavic Literature in Translation
• Polish Literature in Translation ,
• Polish Culture and Literature
• Polish Romantic Tradition in Translation

Frank Alison , Assistant Professor of History, Univeristy of Wisconsin - Madison @

Ph.D., Harvard University, 2001
Phone: (608)263-1823 / Fax: . . . / E-Mail: alisonfrank@wisc.edu
MAJOR INTERESTS: History of Modern Central Europe (Germany, Habsburg Empire & its successor states), Poland & Ukraine. Social and material history
POLAND RELATED SCHOLARSHIP:
PRESENTATIONS

• Austrian Galicia: The Importance of the Austrian/Russian Border Region in the First Decades of the Twentieth Century, CREECA Lecture, September 2002
• The Role of Petroleum in the Polish-Ukranian War, 1918-1923, presented at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute Scholars' Seminar (Cambridge, MA), October 2001.

DISSERTATION

• Austrian El Dorado': A History of the Oil Industry in Galicia, 1853-1923. Dissertation.

Grieve,Tyrone, Professor of Violin, School of Music, Univeristy of Wisconsin - Madison @

DMA, University of Michigan
Phone: (608) 263-1921 / Fax: . . . / E-Mail: tdgreive@facstaff.wisc.edu
MAJOR INTERESTS: Polish violin music; research in history of the early violin in Poland
POLAND RELATED SCHOLARSHIP:
PUBLICATIONS

• "Kochanski Collaborative Work as Reflected Through his Manuscript Collection," Polish Music Journal.
• "New Horizons: Pawel Kochanski - the influence behind Szymanowski's Mythes" The Strad, December 1999
• "The String Works of Grazyna Bacewicz," The Instrumentalist, April 1998
• "Grazyna Bacewicz's String Teaching Repertoire" American String Teacher Fall 1997
• "Music from Poland; A Blending of East and West Europe" Strings, May/June 1997
• Editor of Jozef Elsner's Sonata in F Major and Paul Kochanski's Serenade for Violin and Piano, PWM Edition, Krakow, 1998 and 1999,
• "Polish Romantic Music of late 19th and 20th Centuries" CD performed with UW-Madison Emeritus Professor of Piano and Associate Director Ellen Burmeister, Albany Records (Troy 338), 1999.

META-FACULTY - Faculty who have studied and/or taught at Polish institutions of higher education

Ceglarek, Dariusz , Associate Professor, Industrial Engineering , University of Wisconsin-Madison @@@

M.Sc. Warsaw University of Technology, 1987
Ph.D., University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 1994
Phone#: (608) 265-3457 / Fax: (608) 262-8454 / E-Mail: darek@engr.wisc.edu
MAJOR INTERESTS: Manufacturing process performance and quality improvement Design and manufacturing with emphasis on: Reconfigurable/reusable assembly systems; Fusion of design and manufacturing characteristics with statistics; Automotive design and manufacturing.

Sobkowicz,Hanna, Professor of Neurology, University of Wisconsin, Madison @

M.D. Medical Academy of Warsaw, 1954
Ph.D. Medical Academy of Warsaw, 1962
Phone: (608) 262-1246 / Fax: (608) 262-7332 / E-Mail: hmsobkow@facstaff.wisc.edu
MAJOR INTERESTS: Developmental neurobiology, Growth and regeneration of the nervous system; innervation and synaptology of the mammalian cochlea.

Szybalski, Waclaw T. - Professor of Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison @

Ch.Eng., Lwów Institute of Technology, Poland
M.Ch.Eng., Gliwice Institute of Technology, Poland
D.Sc., Gdansk Institute of Technology, Poland
Phone: (608) 262-1259 / Fax: (608) 262-2824 / E-mail: szybalski@oncology.wisc.edu
MAJOR INTEREST: Gene Expression
HONORS

• Recipient of the 2003 Casimir Funk Natural Science Award from the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America.

Waclawik, Andrew, Professor of Neurology, University of Wisconsin, Madison @

M.D., Warsaw Medical Academy, Warsaw, Poland, 1982
Phone: (608) 263-7539 / Fax: (608) 263-0412 / E-Mail: Waclawik@neurology.wisc.edu
MAJOR INTERESTS: Pathology and Pathogenesis of Neuromuscular Disorders, In vitro techniques for studies of degeneration and regeneration of nerve and muscle.

Poland-related Resources

• Slavic Department:
  • The Department, created in 1935 as the Depatement of Polish Studies (it assumed it current name in 1942), houses the oldest Program of Polish Studies in the country. It offers a Bachelor degree in Polish both through the College of Arts of Letters and through the School of Education. @ @
    
  • The Departement offers students the opportunity to gaine the degree with Honors else with Distinction @@

• Polish Collection:
  • The University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries Polish Collection has 60,000 holdings in both hard copy and microfiche. These include a collection of Polish Solidarity materials. @