On Friday, September 16, 2011 at the last meeting of Polish Parliament, the politicians have established the year 2012 the Year of Janusz Korczak, Jozef Ignacy Kraszewski and Fr. Skarga. Three resolutions on this matter were prepared by the Sejm Committee on Culture and Media, and for their adoption deputies voted almost unanimously.

Children's Rights spokesman Marek Michalak applicated to the culture commission to establish year 2012 the Year of Janusz Korczak. Janusz Korczak, in fact Henryk Goldschmidt (1878-1942), was an activist for the rights of the child, teacher, doctor and author of children's books, including "King Matt the First" ("Król Maciuś Pierwszy"), co-founder and director of the orphanage for Jewish children in Warsaw, which had existed till 1942. This year marks the 100th anniversary of establishing his orphanage and also marks 70 years after his death at the Treblinka extermination camp. A resolution to establish this year of Korczak’s name, Polish MPs’ adopted without dissenting voice.

In 2012, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Jozef Ignacy Kraszewski will be also celebrated. Kraszewski is the author of 232 novels, including 144 social, drama and folk novels, and 88 historic ones (his most well-known novel is the "Old Story"; in Polish „Stara baśń”). In support of this candidature the voters have wrote: "His impressive literary output has had a lasting influence on Polish culture and literature, and it also has affected works of his contemporaries and later generations of Poles."

This year will be the Year of Fr. Skarga as well. From the historical point of view he is known "as a leading representative of Polish Counter-Reformation, philanthropist, and one that for the sake of the fatherland had the courage to name largest Polish vices. He called for changes in attitudes of the ruling and for introducing reforms, in order to avoid the collapse of the Republic." This year marks the 400th death anniversary of Fr. Skarga (1536-1612) - Jesuit, theologian, preacher of King Sigismund III Vasa, rector of the Jesuit College in Vilnius, the first rector of Vilnius University. Fr. Skarga is the author of several books kept in a religious spirit (most well-known is the "Lives of the Saints"; in Polish ”Żywoty Świętych”). He also wrote "Sermons on Sejm" (“Kazania sejmowe”). He advocated strengthening of royal power and limiting the power of the Sejm. He founded the Jesuit colleges, among others in Polotsk (now Belarus), Riga (now Latvia) and Dorpat (now Estonia).

Source: culture.pl