Marian Kister - When "Rój" became "Roy" Publishers - Korczak´s "Matthew the Young King" on the Warszawa Ghetto wall? - The Mermaid and the Messerschmitt - Blessed Are the Meek.

In the Preface to the The Mermaid and the Messerschmitt Rutka Langer wrote: Finally, I wrote this book to show my readers what it is like for an average human being to live through the Blitzkrieg. No war correspondent, however brilliant (and American correspondents are the most brilliant the world over), can ever do that. A war correspondent is always on the spot wherever the most dreadful things happen. A bombed hospital, an orphanage set in flames, he sees them all. "An orphanage set in flames" - may be it was Korczaks Dom Sierot Orphanage that Rutka Langer described.

Key words: Korczak, Deportation, Fake information, August 5th 1942, Treblinka, Marian Kister-editor, Matthew th Young King.

Marian Kister was a well known publisher in Warszawa prior to WWII. He left Poland for London just before WWII started. Kisters wife Hanna overcame difficulties to leave Poland and they were reunited in Paris on May 10, 1940. Through Portugal, the Kister family reached the United States in March 1941. Here they started Roy publishers in New York.

The first book Kisters published in USA was in 1942, The Mermaid and the Messerschmitt, by Rutka (Rulka) Langer and it sold 5,000 copies. The next book, Kossak's Blessed Are the Meek become the Book of the Month Club for April 1944. Actually just a year and a half after the Kisters arrived in New York, Kisters Roy Publishers was on a solid footing. It grew by translations into English of Polish writers.

In January, 1945 Kister published translated into English Korczak´s Król Macius Pierwszy - Matthew The Young King*. The cover of this book /see below), by Irena Lorentowicz is rather special and should be analyzed.

I am sure that Kister knew well Korczak. Kisters "Rój Publishing" at 1 Kredytowa str in Warszawa was quite near Mortkowicz Publishing house at 12 Mazowiecka street. In the same building at Mazowiecka was a well known coffee house Mała Ziemiańska where well known artists, writers and publishers use to meet. Initially the Ziemiańska cafe consisted only of one small room with several tables, later a gallery above was added with additional tables. The cafe lay roughly halfways between the Warsaw University, the Filharmony, Zachęta Art Gallery and many notable cultural facilities. Because of that, it started to be frequented by artists of all sorts. Among the most prominent to be frequent guests there were the Skamandrites.

In Preface to the The Mermaid and the Messerschmitt Rutka Langer wrote: Finally, I wrote this book to show my readers what it is like for an average human being to live through the Blitzkrieg. No war correspondent, however, brilliant (and American correspondents are the most brilliant the world over), can ever do that. A war correspondent is always on the spot wherever the most dreadful things happen. A bombed hospital, an orphanage set in flames, he sees them all. "an orphanage set in flames" - may be it was Korczaks Dom Sierot Orphanage Rutka Langer described.

The first book Kisters published in USA was in 1942, The Mermaid and the Messerschmitt, by Rutka Langer and it sold 5,000 copies. The next book, Kossak's Blessed Are the Meek become the Book of the Month Club for April 1944.

In January, 1945 Kisters published translated into English Korczaks Król Macius Pierwszy - Matthew The Young King. The cover of this book is rather special and should be analyzed. It is likely that Król Macius stands on the ghetto wall. Is he escaping the danger? My imagination? Cover by Irena Lorentowicz.

When "Matthew the Young King" was published in January 1945 (during WWII), there were rumors that Dr. Korczak had escaped the train that was taking him to the death camp of Treblinka; this rumor, printed on a special page in this book, turned out to be unfounded. Also information about the deportation date - 1943 is inaccurate. The deportation of Dom Sierot orphanage took place on August 5th 1942. Overseas News Agency - ONA **

Sheer mistake

In rather rare Collector's edition (1945) of the English translation of "Matthew the Young King" ("Król Maciuś Pierwszy" / "King Matt the First") by the famous Jewish pedagogue Janusz Korczak (pen name of Henryk Goldszmit), which became a collector's edition by sheer mistake.

Following the printing of this edition, the publisher, Marian Kister, received some news from post-war Europe, and hastily appended an additional blue preface page to all the books ready for distribution. This page relates in an enthusiastic tone the happy news that Janusz Korczak did not die in the hands of the Gestapo after all, and that "the Underground rescued him at the last moment, spiriting him away from the train, and that he is alive today in Lublin". This information was, of course, false: Janusz Korczak and 239 children from his Orphanage were murdered on August 5th, 1942 in the Treblinka death camp.

Last hours of Korczak and 239 children life gave several false stories. A.o. that children were "marching" or/and singing with the green flag as a protest to Nazis, that that children survived... This wishful thinking gave thee ideas to sculptures of Rapaport at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York and in the movie "Korczak" by Wajda, there deported children are going out, almost "flying" out of the cattle cares as the angels.

The cover of Korczak´s - Matthew The Young King

Irena Lorentowicz that made cover of Korczak´s - Matthew The Young King (1945) was born on September 25, 1908. She was well known Polish painter, stage designer, teacher. 

She was a graduate of the Warsaw School of Fine Arts (1925-1931) and stage design at the Directing Art Department of PIST in Warsaw (1935). As a stage designer, she collaborated with Warsaw theaters from the 1930s. Invited to collaborate on the production of Szymanowski's Harnasie at the Paris Opera in 1936, she achieved a great success, winning the 1st prize in the Grand L'Opera competition for the set design for this performance and a five-year scholarship from the French government. In the following years, she operated in Paris with further success, she also began studies at the Humanities Department of the Sorbonne.
In the years 1941-1959 Irena Lorentowicz was active in the USA where she cooperated with the Metropolitan Opera. On the American continent, her sacred paintings, frescoes, stained glass windows, sculptures and, above all, book illustrations for children gained recognition. She also wrote children books.

In the years 1941-1959 Irena Lorentowicz was active in the USA, incl. cooperated with the Metropolitan Opera. On the American continent, her sacred paintings, frescoes, stained glass windows, sculptures and, above all, book illustrations for children gained recognition.

Rój Publishing from 1 Kredytowa str in Warszawa became Roy Slavonic Publications in New York

I am sure that Kister knew well Korczak. Kisters Rój Publishing at 1 Kredytowa str in Warszawa was quite near Mortkowicz Publishing house at 12 Mazowiecka. In the same building was well known coffeehouse Mała Ziemiańska where well known artists, writers and publishers use to meet. Initially the Ziemiańska cafe consisted only of one small room with several tables, later a gallery above was added with additional tables. The cafe lay roughly halfways between the Warsaw University, the Filharmony, Zachęta Art Gallery and many notable cultural facilities. Because of that, it started to be frequented by artists of all sorts. Among the most prominent to be frequent guests there were the Skamandrites.

* Known as well as King Matt the First, Little King Matty and also King Matthew the First (Polish: Król Maciuś Pierwszy).

** Overseas News Agency - ONA was established during WWII beside the long-established Jewish Telegraphic Agency - J.T.A. O.N.A. was separate from the J.T.A. although numerous members of the board were the same.