Gustaw Przeczek

Who was Gustaw Przeczek?

Gustaw Przeczek was a Polish writer, poet, teacher and activist from the Zaolzie region of Cieszyn Silesia.

He was born in a large coal miner's family in the village of Łazy which lies in the coal basin. He graduated from schools in Orłowa and Łazy and in 1933 from a teachers' seminary in Ostrava. Przeczek later taught as a teacher in Polish schools in Bystrzyca and Łazy.

During World War II he was arrested during mass arrests of Polish intelligentsia and in 1940-1945 incarcerated in Dachau and Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camps. In the latter camp Przeczek was forced to quarry granite in Gusen and Kastenhofen stone pits.

After the war he administered a Polish school in Orłowa and in 1951-1970 was a director of the Polish elementary school in Trzyniec. Przeczek leaned towards communism and in 1954-1960 was a member of the National Assembly of Czechoslovakia from the Communist Party. He was there a member of the Cultural Committee. He was also active in several cultural and literary organizations, most notably the Polish Cultural and Educational Union and its Literary-Artistic Section.