The Spiritual Triumph of Wladyslaw Szpilman: Resistance in the Face of Tragedy
Menu
IMPACt
"Commemorative plaque to Władysław Szpilman at 223 Niepodległości Avenue in Warsaw" 2012, Adrian Grycuk
“A striking Holocaust memoir that conveys with exceptional immediacy and cool reportage the author’s desperate fight for survival. This is also a book about the power of music, which provides Szpilman the determination to go on and literally saves him several times.”
-Kirkus Reviews, 1998
Two years after Szpilman’s death, The Pianist, a film based on his memoir, was produced. The movie earned several awards including Oscars and French Cesars and is considered one of the most inspirational films of the century.
"Unlike the majority of Holocaust survivors, who allowed themselves time to take stock, absorb and even come to terms with the past, Szpilman didn't wait. His book was published in 1946, when his grief and his physical and mental suffering were still raw. There are times, when he describes with calm detachment devoid of fury the corpses littering the streets of the ghetto and the daily public executions, that you feel he may still be shell-shocked."
-The Guardian, September 12, 2008
"Jimmy Wales Wikipedia Founder on Wladyslaw Szpilman"
-World Congress Gdansk Wikimania, 2010 |
ANTI-SEMITISM TODAY
Anti-semitism is once again on the rise. Some attribute this increase to a fall in the global economy.
"Since the bill was proposed, Jewish organizations in Poland have been flooded with hate mail, and anti-Semitic attacks have exploded on social media." |
LEGACY
Despite tragically losing his family and home during the Holocaust, Szpilman continued to compose while participating in resistance and hiding from Nazi’s. His efforts to maintain his humanity during this tragedy serve as a symbol of hope to those facing discrimination today. Through his memoirs and compositions, Szpilman remains a symbol of spiritual resistance for future generations.
|