Janusz Korczak: short biography, photos

In the modern world many people are familiar with this name - Janusz Korczak. The biography of the famous Polish doctor, writer and educator is striking with his amazing love for life and children. His tragic fate and human achievement are worth exploring in more detail.

Years of childhood and study in the gymnasium

The real name of Korczak is Hirsch (in the Polish manner of Henrik) Goldschmidt. He was born into a Jewish family in the Kingdom of Poland, which was then part of the Russian Empire, in 1878.

Despite the fact that he did not live to a very old age, Ya Korczak was able to see a lot in his life. Biography briefly can not convey all the events of his life.

Henrik came from an educated family: his grandfather was a doctor, and his father was a lawyer. In order to feel more comfortable in Polish society, the Goldschmidt family assimilated with the Poles, especially without emphasizing Jewish traditions of their own kind.

The future writer Janusz Korczak (biography, whose photographs, made in childhood, tell us about him as a capable and inquisitive boy) did not differ in particular health. However, thanks to his knowledge, he entered a prestigious Russian gymnasium. Teaching there was conducted in Russian, and then studied all the basic dead and modern European languages. Despite the high level of preparation, the teachers did not show interest in their pupils. In the gymnasium reigned strict orders, flourished physical punishment and denunciation.

Much later, Janusz Korczak (a biography for children will be available and widely known) noted that it was the tests in the gymnasium that prompted him to create a new humanistic pedagogy.

First difficulties

Many have experienced Korczak Janusz. The autobiography of this great man tells us about the first test in his life. Such was the severe mental illness of his father, who overtook him when Henrik was only 11 years old. All the family's money went to the treatment of the patient, so young Henrik was forced to engage in tutoring to support his family financially.

Then the wonderful pedagogical talent of the young teacher was opened, Henrik, like no one else, could find a common language with his pupils, calmly and attentively listen to them and seek caress more than other teachers with the help of the rod.

Janusz Korczak: the biography is brief. The call of a doctor, writer and teacher

In 1898, following the example of his grandfather, after whom he was named, Henrik entered the medical faculty of the University of Warsaw. However, the young man is keenly interested not only in medicine, but also in the problems of modern pedagogy. At the age of 18 he published his first pedagogical work called Gordian Knot. In this article, the author reproaches his parents of the fact that they are engaged in their lives anything, but not by the upbringing of their children. The most important thing in their life, they shift to the shoulders of nannies and tutors, who often do not cope with their duties.

Comments on this publication in the newspaper were so positive that the editor-in-chief of this publication instructed the young Henrik to lead a whole column under the same title.

Later, Korczak (a biography of this man briefly set forth by us in this article) will write 22 volumes of essays on the issues of raising children.

Henrik began his practical pedagogical activity in the same period. In 1903, after thoroughly studying the experience of Pestalozzi, he began to work as a doctor and educator in one of the children's Jewish hospitals, joined the Jewish Society for Assistance to Orphans.

Formation of professional skills and the opening of the "House of Orphans"

Having received a diploma in 1905, confirming the right to practice medicine, Janusz Korczak, whose biography forever linked him with medicine and pedagogy, did not seek a profit-making place.

For some time he became a military doctor (at that time a serious Russo-Japanese war was going on, so the medical personnel of the Russian Empire were very necessary), and then he left for Europe to get acquainted with advanced ideas in the field of upbringing and pediatrics.

He is still little known, but he writes and publishes quite actively using his pseudonym - Janusz Korczak.

Returning to his homeland, Korczak Janusz, whose biography forever linked him with children, departs from the profession of a doctor and opens a charitable institution called "The Home of the Orphans". From 1911 until his tragic death, Korczak will lead this institution and give all his strength to the upbringing of children left without parental care.

Pedagogical activity

The active pedagogical work of Janusz Korczak, whose biography gives us an example of true devotion to his work, combines with active writing work. Gradually his name becomes widely known, there are patrons who support his undertakings financially.

In the first years of his hard work, Korczak and his colleague Stefaniya Velchinskaya work 16 hours a day, it is not so easy for them to cope with a large number of children with broken lives that have lost faith in people.

In the basis of his pedagogical method Korczak lays moral education. In those same years he published a book for teachers and parents under the title "How to love children?", In this book the author tells about the basic principles of his humanistic pedagogy based on love for the child, acceptance of his personality, inclinations and interests, satisfaction of his needs and The development of his emotional-volitional sphere.

AS Makarenko becomes an active supporter of such humanistic pedagogy in Russia. It is known that J. Korczak, whose biography is connected with Russia, read Makarenko's published works and highly evaluated his methods of working with children.

The period after the collapse of the empire

After the collapse of the Russian Empire, Poland proclaims its independence. At this time Korczak serves at the front as a military doctor. However, the government of the young Polish Republic does not allow the writer to return to his children, he is again being called, now to the Polish troops, where he undergoes severe typhus, after which he miraculously remains alive.

When the bloody Soviet-Polish war subsides, Korczak returns to his orphans to never part with them.

He gives all his strength to pedagogical work. Organizes school self-government, publishes together with children a newspaper (children become journalists themselves), writes and publishes many works.

He broadcasts, lectures to students. Finally, in 1934, he formulates his famous 5 commandments of upbringing, which were based on the need for love of the child, observation of his behavior, the absence of violence in education, pedagogical honesty and the endless process of self-knowledge.

Tragic biography pages

Many have seen and experienced Janusz Korczak, his biography is proof of this. But perhaps the most powerful test in his life was the Second World War. This was the fourth heavy war in the life of the teacher. Korczak asked to be admitted to the front as a doctor, but because of his age he was left in Warsaw.

German troops were advancing swiftly, and the city soon found itself under occupation.

The old doctor and the teacher did everything to prevent his children from feeling the hardships of wartime, but this was beyond his power. Food was sorely lacking, there were no clothes and warm clothes. Jewish orphans for the Germans were an object of direct destruction, so they were soon moved to the Warsaw ghetto. Korczak tried to resist this with all his strength, but he was imprisoned. Coming out of it, he went to his children in the ghetto, where his death awaited.

Life feat

In the inhuman living conditions in the ghetto, Korczak tried not to lose heart and supported all those who were there with all his might. However, the fate of his children was sealed. In 1942, they were ordered to be sent to the death camp. Together with the children were to go and all the teachers, including Korczak.

It is for certain known that the Hitler government at the last moment stopped sending Korczak to the camp, wishing to save the life of the famous teacher. However, the old doctor himself refused such a merciful decision and shared the fate of his children. Janusz Korczak died in 1942 in the German special camp Treblinka.