Letter of 34


Letter of 34 – two-sentence protest letter of Polish intellectuals against censorship in Communist Poland, addressed to the Prime Minister Józef Cyrankiewicz, delivered on 14 March 1964 to Urząd Rady Ministrów by Antoni Słonimski. The name refers to the number of signatories.

The letter

Original

Do Prezesa Rady Ministrów

Józefa Cyrankiewicza
Ograniczenia przydziału papieru na druk książek i czasopism oraz zaostrzenie cenzury prasowej stwarza sytuację zagrażającą rozwojowi kultury narodowej. Niżej podpisani, uznając istnienie opinii publicznej, prawa do krytyki, swobodnej dyskusji i rzetelnej informacji za konieczny element postępu, powodowani troską obywatelską, domagają się zmiany polskiej polityki kulturalnej w duchu praw zagwarantowanych przez konstytucję państwa polskiego i zgodnych z dobrem narodu.

Translation to English

To the Prime Minister

Józef Cyrankiewicz
Restrictions on the allocation of paper for printing books and magazines and the tightening of press censorship create a situation that threatens the development of national culture. The undersigned, recognizing the existence of public opinion, the right to criticism, free discussion and reliable information as a necessary element of progress, driven by civic concern, demand a change in Polish cultural policy in the spirit of rights guaranteed by the constitution of the Polish state and compatible with the good of the nation.

Signatories

  1. Jerzy Andrzejewski
  2. Maria Dąbrowska
  3. Stanisław Dygat
  4. Karol Estreicher
  5. Marian Falski
  6. Aleksander Gieysztor
  7. Konrad Górski
  8. Paweł Hertz
  9. Leopold Infeld
  10. Paweł Jasienica
  11. Mieczysław Jastrun
  12. Stefan Kisielewski
  13. Zofia Kossak-Szczucka
  14. Tadeusz Kotarbiński
  15. Jan Kott
  16. Anna Kowalska
  17. Julian Krzyżanowski
  18. Kazimierz Kumaniecki
  19. Edward Lipiński
  20. Maria Ossowska
  21. Stanisław Cat Mackiewicz
  22. Jan Parandowski
  23. Stanisław Pigoń
  24. Adolf Rudnicki
  25. Artur Sandauer
  26. Wacław Sierpiński
  27. Antoni Słonimski
  28. Jan Szczepański
  29. Władysław Tatarkiewicz
  30. Jerzy Turowicz
  31. Melchior Wańkowicz
  32. Adam Ważyk
  33. Kazimierz Wyka
  34. Jerzy Zagórski.
The author of the text was Antoni Słonimski,Jan Józef Lipski co-organized signing the letter.

Reception

The letter caused a reaction in the West. The Times published a letter criticizing the authorities of the Polish People's Republic, signed by 21 British writers and artists, including Arthur Koestler and Alan Bullock. In addition, 15 Italian intellectuals including Alberto Moravia and 13 Harvard professors defended the signatories.
The letter caused a harassment and repression of its signatories and Tygodnik Powszechny by the authorities. Melchior Wańkowicz, was the most severely repressed - he was arrested and was accused of preparing and forwarding a text containing "false information slandering People's Poland". The writer was convicted and sentenced to serving an absolute prison sentence. Communist authorities, wanting to avoid discredit, did not allow the execution of the sentence.
From 34 signatories of the Letter Konrad Górski withdrew his signature, after which he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Cyrankiewicz, in which he blamed Jerzy Turowicz on drawing him into the matter. This letter was read by Zenon Kliszko at a meeting of the Writers' Union.
Ten of the signatories of Letter 34 then signed another letter addressed to The Times, stating that Letter 34 was to be internal and discrediting Radio Free Europe. The letter was signed by: Aleksander Gieysztor, Konrad Górski, Leopold Infeld, Julian Krzyżanowski, Kazimierz Kumaniecki, Edward Lipiński, Wacław Sierpiński, Jan Szczepański, Władysław Tatarkiewicz i Kazimierz Wyka.
Despite this, Polish intellectuals were supported by intellectuals from other countries and the letters of support were published in the Italian "Il Mondo" and the French "Le Figaro Littéraire". 13 Harvard professors signed a letter to the ambassador of the Polish People's Republic, and Berkeley professors did the same.