Marian Zdziechowski

Marian Zdziechowski (April 30, 1861 in Nowosiółki, Mińszczyzna – October 5, 1938 in Wilno) was a Polish philosopher, Slavist, publicist and cultural historian. Critic of fascist and communist totalitarianism. Representative of catastrophism and philosophical pessimism. He was a brother of Kazimierz Zdziechowski, writer.

Since 1888 was a lecturer and since 1899 professor of Jagiellonian University. In 1919–1931 professor and 1925–1927 rector of Stefan Batory University. Since 1902 member of the Academy of Learning. Honoris causa in universities of Vilno, Tartu and Szeged.

His area of study was historical, literary, philosophical and religious problems. He was an initiator of Slavic Club in Kraków which was active from 1901 to 1914 and periodical Świat Słowiański (Slavic World) published in the years of 1905–1914. Zdziechowski propagated idea of co-operation between all of Slavs. He was interested mainly in the problem of evil, modernism in Roman Catholic Church, ideology of Romanticism, and crisis of European culture, in which he indicated fascism and communism as a dangerous. He referred to thoughts of Vladimir Solovyov, Leo Tolstoy, Nikolai Berdyaev and Dmitry Merezhkovsky.

Notable works

• Mesjaniści i słowianofile (1888)
• Byron i jego wiek (vol. 1–2, 1894–1897)
• Pestis perniciosissima (1905)
• Wizja Krasińskiego (1912)
• U opoki mesjanizmu (1912)
• Pesymizm, romantyzm a podstawy chrześcijaństwa (1914)
• Zygmunt Miłkowski a idea słowiańska w Polsce (1915)
• Gloryfikacja pracy (1916)
• Wpływy rosyjskie na duszę polską (1920)
• Renesans a rewolucja (1925)
• Walka o duszę młodzieży (1927)
• Niemcy. Szkic psychologiczny (1935)
• Węgry i Polska na przełomie historii (1937)
• Terror intelektualny w Rosji (1937)
• W obliczu końca (1937)
• Widmo przyszłości (1939) – published posthumously