Literature and history: Sigrid Undset and the legacy of Upper Silesia

Recent literary discussions highlight diverse historical narratives, ranging from Nobel Prize-winning fiction to accounts of environmental and moral courage in Poland.

Sigrid Undset’s historical trilogy, ‘Krystyna, daughter of Lavrans’, is noted for its reflection of the author’s own life and its role in earning Undset the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928. The work is presented as a monumental piece of historical fiction.

In a different context, the book ‘The Lead Professor’ by Magdalena Kędzierska-Zaporowska explores the history of Upper Silesia. It focuses on Professor Bożena Hager-Małecka and her moral responsibility as a physician. The narrative addresses the ‘lead children’ of Katowice-Szopienice, examining the conflict between medical truth and industrial and political systems during the 20th century.