Henryk Jasiczek

Who was Henryk Jasiczek?

Henryk Jasiczek was a Polish journalist, poet, writer, and activist from the Zaolzie region. He is considered one of the most important Polish writers from Zaolzie after World War II and one of the most popular local Polish poets.

Jasiczek was born in Kottingbrunn near Vienna, Austria as an extramarital child. He spent his childhood in Oldrzychowice near Trzyniec. Since 1934 he studied horticulture in Trzyniec, where, as later remembered, witnessed the worst forms of labour exploitation of workers. In 1936 defended one apprentice who had been beaten by the supervisor and bashed the supervisor himself. In consequence he left and finished horticultural studies in Chrudim, only to work later for a gardener in Hradečno. In 1938 he came back to Zaolzie but wasn't able to find a job. Since March 1939 Jasiczek worked in the Třinec Iron and Steel Works as a worker.

During World War II he was engaged in Polish leftist resistance, where he worked in the underground press and distributed illegal press. After the war he joined the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and became editor-in-chief of Głos Ludu newspaper. He remained in this position until 1957.