Spór o Stanisława ze Szczepanowa. Dyskusje wokół powieści Karola Bunscha Imiennik
The dispute over Stanislaus of Szczepanów. Discussions on the Novel Imiennik [The Namesake] by Karol Bunsch

Summary/Abstract: The article addresses the discussion on the two-volume novel Imiennik (vol. 1: Śladami pradziada [In the Footsteps of the Great-Grandfather], vol. 2: Miecz i pastorał [Sword and Crosier]) by the Cracow lawyer and writer Karol Bunsch, published in 1949. It describes the reign of Bolesław the Bold and the ruler’s conflict with the Bishop of Cracow, Stanislaus of Szczepanów, which ended with the latter’s tragic death in 1079. In the novel, the author combined historical facts, his own interpretations of contentious issues and extant source material, as well as fictional events; in doing so, he strongly outlined the scientifically unverifiable inner motivations of historical figures. The novel sparked a polemic between the author and his critics that took place, among others, in Tygodnik Powszechny [Common Weekly]. It mainly concerned Bunsch’s portrayal of Bishop Stanislaus, which was considered unreliable and hurtful. Critics of the book rejected the historians’ concepts on which Bunsch relied, as well as some of the information given by Gallus Anonymus, or proposed a different interpretation. At the same time, they gave preference to later sources that portrayed Bishop Stanislaus in a positive light. Bunsch defended the hypotheses of older scholars he presented in the novel, as well as many of his own thoughts, accusing his opponents of ignorance of the sources, misinterpretation and even manipulation. The dispute dragged on for many years and had an additional political dimension, becoming part of the complicated relationship between the Catholic Church and the communist government.

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