Textual meanders. “Diary 1954” by Leopold Tyrmand – a problem of not only a philological nature

Abstract

The Hoover Institution at Stanford University holds the largest collection of manuscripts by Leopold Tyrmand in the world. An analysis of the materials stored at the Hoover Institution provides grounds for dissipating some doubts about the authenticity of his Diary 1954. Today, we are certain that Tyrmand’s work is an original diary that had been written in Poland. However, before it was published, it underwent various modifications (in terms of style, composition, and material). A very important issue is the kind of censorship made by the publishing house. The reading of Tyrmand’s letters proves that not all of the modifications were in accordance with his will, and that not all of them were initiated by him. Moreover, readers of the article will learn some facts about Tyrmand’s creative process and different variants of his works.