Wiarus

Last updated

Wiarus (Veteran Defender) was the name of a Polish-language newspaper published in Winona, Minnesota from 1886 to 1893 and 1895 to 1919; in 1893 it was renamed Katolik, but reverted to its original name in 1895. [1] Although Winona's Polish community was known at the time as the "Kashubian Capital of America," [2] Wiarus was published in the "good" Polish spoken in Warsaw and Krakow. Wiarus also provided printing services for Winona's Kashubian Polish community. From 1886 to 1902, Wiarus was edited by the famed Kashubian-born poet and journalist Hieronim Derdowski. In its heyday, Wiarus was said to be the most widely circulated Polish-language newspaper in the United States.

Contents

Establishment

The first edition of Wiarus is dated February 11, 1886, but at least one authoritative contemporary source gives Wiarus a starting date of 1885. [3] The date of 1885 must certainly refer to the discussions culminating in the foundation of Wiarus. Led by the pastor, Reverend Jan Romuald Byzewski, Kashubian Poles from Winona's Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish pooled their resources to start a newspaper which would represent the interests of Winona's Kashubian Poles, at both the local and national levels. Two Winona Polish papers, Przyjaciel Ludu (People's Friend) and Kurjer Winonski (Winona Courier) had already failed. [4] The Winona Daily Republican for February 18, 1886 states that officers of the Wiarus stock company were: Reverend Jan Byzewski, president; John B. Bambenek, vice-president; V.A. Lorbiecki, secretary; Frank Drazkowski, treasurer. The founders selected the title Wiarus to reflect the paper's values, as expressed below:

Our slogan is 'God Save Polonia.' Under this slogan we wish to unify our forces so as to be firm against our adversities, to preserve our holy faith in its purest form, to save our ethnic traditions, to educate our youth, and to secure for ourselves a respectable position in the United States in political and ethnic fields.

The first three issues of Wiarus were edited by Frank Drazkowski, the fourth through the tenth by Antoni Paryski (also called Parisso or Parek). Paryski is regarded by Winona historians to have been some kind of a Russian spy, [5] but, in fact, later founded the influential Toledo-based newspaper Ameryka-Echo, which survived until 1971. [6] Heated allegations such as this were typical of that day's Polish-language press, as editors competed for influence and subscribers among a Polish American community just beginning to recognize its own strength. The third and most famous editor of Wiarus, Hieronim Derdowski, was no stranger to controversy either. Better known (then and now) as an influential Kashubian and Polish poet, Derdowski emigrated to the United States in 1885 and had already worn out his welcome at two Detroit newspapers: the socialist Gazeta Narodowa and the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America-supported Pielgrzym Polski. [7] Evidently, he had not been the first choice of Wiarus's editorial board, even though he had expressed interest and his fellow-Kashubian Father Byzewski must have known about him at least by reputation. [8] But with the eleventh issue of Wiarus, a new era began.

Derdowski takes charge

Given free rein by Wiarus's editorial board, Derdowski assumed his editorial duties with great relish. The editorial board sold Wiarus to Franciszek Gryglaszewski of Minneapolis, censor of the Polish National Alliance. [9] On January 19, 1889, Derdowski bought the newspaper from Gryglaszewski for $3,000, becoming both editor and publisher. [10] Practically nothing escaped Derdowski's attention. He took an interest in both local and national Polish affairs, including developments in what was once Poland. Although himself of Kashubian birth, he took great pride in the quality of his own Polish prose. He also gave himself credit for teaching the Kashubians of Winona "proper Polish," and for a while published a supplement called Kosciuszko for younger Polish American readers. As late as Spring 1892, Wiarus enjoyed the good esteem of the PRCUA, to judge from the Dziennik Chicagoski of March 3, 1892: [11]

Unfortunately for Derdowski, he was not a very good businessman. His side ventures as a travel agent and printer did not bring much money, and circulation was therefore always a problem. His own personality gravitated toward the sensational, and if he could channel this into his family business, so much the better. This tactic, however, caused more insult than it did profit. That said, Wiarus performed a unique and important role in America's Polish-language press, not only representing the entire Polish community of the state of Minnesota, but serving as a clearing-house for communication between small Polish communities throughout Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Katolik

Beginning with the June 1, 1893 issue and ending with the August 1, 1895, the name of the paper was changed to Katolik. Some sort of realignment was involved, but it is difficult to tell precisely what. The Katolik contained some interesting things. On page 5 of the February 22, 1894 edition of Katolik appeared an "Oda Perhamska" - a paean to the Polish people of Perham, Minnesota. Apparently the change involved more than poetry: Dziennik Chicagoski for March 25, 1895 records a demonstration at Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish of Chicago against Katolik and another Polish-language paper referred to as Kropidlo. [12] The April 8 Dziennik Chicagoski represents a similar demonstration by Chicago's Saint John Kantius Parish. [13]

Katolik was also heavily involved in the local uproar at Winona's Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish. Father Byzewski's 1890 departure as pastor set in motion a test of wills between the local Kashubian community and Rev. Joseph B. Cotter, first bishop of the newly (1889) erected Diocese of Winona. There was a revolving door of pastors, including one Father Konstantin Domagalski, who had written for Wiarus under the name of Cyrulik ("The Barber") and Father Antoni Klawiter, who would eventually part ways with the Roman Catholic Church and become an "independent" priest. The uproar ended in 1894 when Bishop Cotter appointed Father Jakub W.J. Pacholski as pastor. From that point Father Pacholski ran Saint Stanislaus - and, indeed, Winona's Kashubian community - with a firm hand until his death in 1932. It is quite likely, pace Ochrymowycz, that Father Pacholski was responsible for changing the name from Katolik back to Wiarus, and not the other way around.

Decline and fall

A year or so after changing his newspaper's name back to Wiarus, it would appear that Derdowski suffered a stroke. A March 26, 1897 article from Narod Polski, the PRCUA's national newspaper, shows that he retained his power to offend: [14]

It would be impossible for such as Jutrzenka, Glos Ludu, Wiarus, Nowe Zycie,Sztandarek and others to exist in Europe. Not only the government but the public would condemn them.

But Derdowski had lost his edge. Constant exposure to the high-pressure polemic of America's Polish-language newspaper world and the pressures of providing for his family took its toll on his health. Sadly, Derdowski's death on August 13, 1902 was scarcely even noticed by the Winona newspapers, although remarked by others. After Derdowski's death, Wiarus lost most of its national prominence, although it still sold quite well in Minnesota and in the Dakotas.

Derdowski's widow, Joanna, kept up the good fight, running Wiarus until 1915, when she sold the newspaper. Wiarus suspended publication on December 17, 1919. [15] A complete set of bound volumes of Wiarus and Katolik was preserved by John C. Bambenek, the newspaper's last business manager and later, Winona County Treasurer. By courtesy of the Bambenek family, these bound volumes were microfilmed by the Minnesota Historical Society and now reside at the Polish Cultural Institute and Museum in Winona.

Related Research Articles

Kashubians West Slavic ethnic group

The Kashubians, also known as Cassubians or Kashubs, are a Lechitic ethnic group native to the historical region of Pomerania, including its eastern part called Pomerelia, in north-central Poland. Their settlement area is referred to as Kashubia. They speak the Kashubian language, which is classified as a separate language closely related to Polish.

Winona, Minnesota City in Minnesota, United States

Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf. The city is named after legendary figure Winona, who some sources claimed was the first-born daughter of Chief Wapasha of the Dakota people. The population was 25,948 at the 2020 census.

Polish Americans Americans of Polish birth or descent

Polish Americans are Americans who either have total or partial Polish ancestry, or are citizens of the Republic of Poland. There are an estimated 9.15 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing about 2.83% of the U.S. population. Polish Americans are the second-largest Central European ethnic group after German Americans, and the eighth largest ethnic group overall in the United States.

Stanislaus Kostka

Stanisław Kostka S.J. was a Polish novice of the Society of Jesus. He is venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Stanislaus Kostka.

St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church (Chicago) Church in Chicago, United States

St. Josaphat is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located at 2311 North Southport Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.

Paul Peter Rhode

Paul Peter Rhode was a Kashubian German-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, and the first to be elevated to an American bishopric. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin from 1915 until his death in 1945.

Pine Creek is an unincorporated community located in the town of Dodge, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, United States. Pine Creek is located on Pine Creek and County Highway G 9.6 miles (15.4 km) west-northwest of Galesville.

Basilica of Saint Stanislaus Kostka Historic church in Minnesota, United States

The Basilica of Saint Stanislaus Kostka is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona in Winona, Minnesota, United States, and a prominent fixture on the city's skyline. Within the diocese it is better known as Saint Stan's. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 as Church of St. Stanislaus–Catholic and was designated as a Minor Basilica of the Roman Catholic Church on November 10, 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Sacred Heart-Saint Wenceslaus Church Church in Wisconsin, United States

Sacred Heart-Saint Wenceslaus Church in Pine Creek, Wisconsin, referred to in Polish as Kościół Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa i Świętego Wacława, is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse. It is known simply as Sacred Heart.

Jan Romuald Byzewski

Jan Romuald Byzewski, better known in America as Father Romuald Byzewski, was born in the Kaszubian village of Karwia, in the Prussian jurisdiction of Danzig (Gdansk), on Oct. 10, 1842.

Jakub W.J. Pacholski

Jakub Wałenty Jan Pacholski, better known in America as Monsignor James W.J. Pacholski, was born on May 24, 1862 in the village of Pączewo, located in the Polish region of Kociewie.

Józef Franciszek Darzyn Ciemiński was a Polish-born Roman Catholic priest. He emigrated with his parents to the United States in 1881 and was ordained as a Priest in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1895. He was involved with numerous Polish Catholic parishes during his lifetime including the now closed troubled Parish of Saints Peter and Paul in Duluth, Minnesota and the parish of Holy Cross in Minneapolis.

Polish Cultural Institute and Museum (Winona, Minnesota)

The Polish Cultural Institute and Museum is located at 102 Liberty Street in Winona, Minnesota, United States. Known locally as the Polish Museum, it is housed in a lumber yard office built by the Laird-Norton Lumber Company in 1890.

The Kashubian diaspora resulted from the emigration of Kashubians mainly in two waves occurring in the second half of the 19th century. The majority of Kashubian emigrants settled in the United States; others emigrated to Canada and Brazil. An online genealogical project, "The Great Kashubian Migration," is devoted to tracking their settlement patterns. Their reasons for emigration varied. Until the Franco-Prussian War, Kashubians emigrated primarily for economic reasons. After the Franco-Prussian War and especially due to the Kulturkampf, Kashubian emigration accelerated as socio-political factors came into play. In his 1899 book, Statystyka ludnosci kaszubskiej, the Kashubophile linguist and sociologist Stefan Ramult estimated that 130,700 Kashubians were living in the Americas.

Hieronim Derdowski American poet

Hieronim Derdowski, Kashubian-Polish intellectual and activist, was born to Kashubian parents in the Pomeranian village of Wiele. By the time Derdowski emigrated to the United States in 1885, he had already studied for the Roman Catholic priesthood, been repeatedly incarcerated by the German authorities, and edited a newspaper in the city of Torun. At the time, however, Derdowski was better known as a poet. Within two years of reaching the United States he became editor of the Winona, Minnesota Polish-language newspaper Wiarus. In this role he gained a reputation as a strong voice for the Polish-American community, also known as Polonia.

Paul Joseph Breza, Roman Catholic priest and Kashubian American activist, was born in Winona, Minnesota on June 23, 1937, the son of Joseph Peter and Alice Seraphine (Pehler) Breza, both of whom were descendants of Kashubian immigrants from Bytów, Poland. He was educated at Saint Stanislaus Kostka School, Cotter High School and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.

Antoni Klawiter, the Roman Catholic and, afterward, independent Polish Catholic priest, was born in Chojnice, in modern Poland, on November 12, 1836. The scholarly consensus is that he was the son of Polonized Germans; by virtue of his Kashubian birthplace and his later experience pastoring Kashubians in Winona, Minnesota, he will not have been unfamiliar with the Kashubian culture. In 1859, he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in Włocławek, and became four years afterward one of many Polish priests who were involved with the Polish Insurrection of 1863. In late 1873 or early 1874, Father Klawiter emigrated to the United States.

Kashubian Americans are Americans of Kashubian descent.

The History of Winona, Minnesota as a settlement begins with the foundation in 1851 in what was then Minnesota Territory on the West side of the Mississippi River. The site was of the village of Keoxa of Dakota people. The name "Winona" (Wee-no-nah) was noted to be the name of a first-born daughter in the local Dakota language.

Stefan Ramułt

Stefan Ramułt was a Polish scholar who specialized in the language and culture of the Kashubians.

References

  1. ↑ "Katolik".
  2. ↑ "Kashubian Capital of America – Bambenek.org". bambenek.org. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
  3. ↑ Fifty Years in the Northwest: With an Introduction and Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents and Notes, p. 729.
  4. ↑ Leo M. Ochrymowycz, "Polish People of Southeastern Minnesota: Ethnic Heritage," in Gerald J. Langowski (ed.) The Polish Heritage (Winona: 1981), p. 160.
  5. ↑ Ochrymowycz, "Polish People..." p. 162.
  6. ↑ Karen Majewski, Traitors and True Poles: Narrating a Polish-American Identity, 1880-1939, pp. 36-40.
  7. ↑ Rev. Waclaw Kruszka, A History of the Poles in America to 1908, volume 3, page 272.
  8. ↑ Ochrymowycz, "Polish People..." pp. 161-162.
  9. ↑ Saint Paul Daily Globe, August 25, 1888
  10. ↑ Winona Daily Republican, January 19, 1889.
  11. ↑ "A Picture of the Polish Press in America (Editorial)". flps.newberry.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  12. ↑ "Resolution Adopted at Mass Meeting of Parishioners of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish". flps.newberry.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  13. ↑ http://flps.newberry.org/article/5423968_10_0876 [ dead link ]
  14. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-01-08. Retrieved 2012-08-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ↑ Winona Daily Republican, December 18, 1919.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.