Beautiful Twentysomethings

Glossary

Glossary While the following Glossary is not comprehensive, it represents an effort to include the most important characters—human and nonhuman alike—mentioned in this book, without being cumbersome or difficult to use. All under- and oversights are mine alone. —R.U. Adenauer, Konrad (1876–1967), Chancellor of West Germany from 1949–63, and a founder of the Christian Democratic Union. Admiral Ushakov, 1953 film by Soviet film director Mikhail Romm. Andrzejewski, Jerzy (1909–83), Polish novelist and short story writer . His 1948 novel, Ashes and Diamonds, is considered one of the great works of postwar Europe; Andrzej Wajda based his 1958 film of the same name on it. Arzhak, Nikolai (1925–88), pen name of Russian writer, translator, and dissident Yuli Daniel, who, along with Andrei Sinyavksi, was put on trial in 1965 for anti-Soviet activity. Berman, Jakub (1901–84), Polish communist in charge of the Polish secret police from 1944–53. Białoszewski, Miron (1922–83), Polish writer, author of nearly a dozen books of poetry. Glossary 190 Bierut, Bolesław (1892–1956), president of Poland after World War II, hard-line Stalinist and former security forces agent. He had many pseudonyms, including Tomasz, Jerzy, and Rutkowski. Born Bolesław Biernacki. Borejsza, Jerzy (1905–52), brother of Józef Różański. Writer and communist propagandist, and founder of publishing house Czytelnik, one of the largest and most influential presses in communist Poland, and still in existence today. Born Beniamin Goldberg . Borowski, Tadeusz (1922–51), Polish writer, poet, and journalist. He was a prisoner at Auschwitz and later wrote a collection of short stories based on his experiences. Entitled This Way to the Gas Chambers, Ladies and Gentlemen, it has become a European classic. After the war he became an ardent communist, but eventually became disenchanted with the regime and committed suicide. Bossak, Jerzy (1910–89), Polish documentary filmmaker and journalist . Brandys, Kazimierz (1916–2000), Polish writer, essayist, and screenwriter . An editor at Nowa Kultura from 1956–60, he also wrote many novels, among them Samson, which was among the first works in Poland to deal with the Holocaust. He quit the Communist Party in protest of the treatment of philosopher Leszek Kołakowski in 1966 and in 1978 left Poland permanently, settling in Paris, where he died. Brodzki, Stanisław “Staszek” (1916–90), Polish journalist and cultural editor of Trybuna Ludu from 1948–57. Served as president of the Association of Polish Journalists from 1956–57. Broniewski, Władysław (1897–1962), Polish poet, translator, and revolutionary writer. He fought in the Polish-Bolshevik War. A revolutionary lyricist and immensely talented writer, he was one of the most beloved poets of his generation. Brycht, Andrzej (1935–98), Polish journalist, writer, and poet, and member of the “Contemporaries,” a literary movement in the late 1950s in which Hłasko and Marek Nowakowski were often grouped as well. Works include Time without Maria: Poems and Dancing in Hitler’s Quarters. Glossary 191 Brzozowski, Stanisław (1878–1911), Polish writer, philosopher, publicist, and literary and theater critic. One of the most influential Polish philosophers of all time, known for his concept of the “philosophy of labor.” Čapek, Karel (1890–1938), Czech writer, novelist, and dramatist known for his work in science fiction, and for introducing the word “robot” into modern languages. He was an outspoken critic of Nazism and fascism. Chapaev, Vasily (1887–1919), a celebrated Red Army commander during the Russian Civil War, and a Soviet national hero. Chapaev is the subject of a 1923 novel by Dmitry Furmanov and a 1934 film by the Vasilyev brothers. Cherkasov, Nikolai (1903–66), Soviet actor and recipient of the 1941 Stalin Prize, known most famously for playing the title roles in Sergei Eisenstein’s films Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible. Chessman, Caryl (1921–60), American criminal who gained celebrity after being convicted on multiple rape, robbery, and kidnapping charges. Sentenced to death, he was granted several stays of execution. The final one arrived minutes too late: the telephone rang outside the San Quentin gas chamber with news of another stay of execution after the room had already filled with fumes. Cotton, Jerry, a fictional character in crime novels written by various authors and popular throughout German-speaking countries. Debuted in 1954, Jerry Cotton was an FBI agent in New York City. Crooked Circle Club (1952–62), a gathering place for intellectuals and freethinkers to engage in discussion...