Stulecie urodzin Heleny Modrzejewskiej w cieniu wojny
The Centenary of Helena Modjeska’s Birth in the Shadow of War

Summary/Abstract: The subject of the article is the celebration of the hundredth anniversary of Helena Modjeska’s birth in 1940, which took place outside Poland due to the war situation. The outstanding artist was celebrated in the United States with two jubilee academies. The first one, organized on the initiative of the Polish Americans, took place on May 5, 1940 at the Polish Home in Los Angeles, and the second one was on October 27 in the Modjeska Club in New York. In a specific historical and geopolitical situation, both celebrations not only recalled and emphasized the achievements of this outstanding Polish-American artist, but were also a kind of national manifestation. The organizers wanted the American community to be interested in the current situation in Poland. The Academy in Los Angeles, during which Ignacy Paderewski’s message to American friends was replayed, even became a war appeal, a voice of support for Modjeska’s home country occupied by two invaders.

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