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Biography

1892

Bruno Schulz was born in Drohobych on 12 July. He was the youngest of three children (he had brother Isidor and sister Hania) in a merchant-class family. His father Jacob Schulz stemmed from Sudova Vyshnnia and owned textile shop in Drohobych (Rynok Square, 10). His mother Hedel-Henrietta, nee Kuhmrker) came from Drohobych family trading in wood and running timber mill.

1902

He started attending Drohobych gymnasium named after Franz Joseph II

1910

He got certificate with the best marks and recommendation to continue studies in the University. Following family advice he forsook his idea to study drawing and went to study architecture at Lviv Technical University. In connection with father's illness family shop was liquidated and whole family moved to Schulz sister's Hania Hoffman house (Bernarska street).

1911

After his first year of study Schulz had to interrupt it because of heart and lungs illness. In summer he came back to Drohobych and then went to Truskavets for a course of treatment.

1913

He resumed his study in Lviv

1914

He took his first final examination at Lviv Technical University. The study was interrupted because World War I broke out and he came back home.

1915

Family house on Rynok Square, 10 was burnt by Russians during armed fights in Drohobych. On the 23rd of June in the age of 69 died Schulz's father, Jacob.

1917

Schulz together with the part of his family went to Vienna, where he tried to study architecture. He visited museums and picture galleries. After few months the Schulzes family returned to Drohobych.

1918

Schulz joined society "Kalleia" of young art amateurs from the milieu of Jewish intelligencia of Drohobych. He started intense self-education, read and drew a lot.

1920

He started his work on "Xiega balwochwalcza" (The Book of Idolatry)

1921

He became a trial employee in state gymnasium named after king Jagello (former Franz Joseph gymnasium). He resigned because of the poor health.

1922

March - participated in various artists exhibition in Warsaw "Zachecie".

June - participated in various artists exhibityion of Тowarzystwa Przyjaciol Sztuk Pieknych (TPSP) in Lviv.

August - was in sanatorium in Kudov (now Germany)

1923

He went to Warsaw and through agency of Mrs/Ms Keylin whom he met in Kudov got a series of orders for portraits. Some of his works were demonstrated on "Exhibition of Works by Jewish Painters" in Vilnius.

1924

In September according to a contract he got position of a teacher of drawing in state gymnasium named after king Jagello.

1925

He got acquainted with Stanislaw Witkiewicz (Witkacy), who came to Drohobych to paint a portrait of Edmund Pilpl.

1926

On the 27th of April committee of Krakow Art Academy gave him top marks in the exam for permission to teach drawing in high schools.

In July he spent some time in rest house "Piast" in Zakopane.

1927

Tuberculosis killed Wladyslaw Riff - a friend of Schulz from Zakopane, to whom he confided his literature attempts.

1928

In summer exhibition of Schulz drawings, graphics and oil paintings was demonstrated in Truskavets. He was accused of pornography and demands were presented to close the exhibition.

On the 31st of August he was dismissed because he did not hand in some document in time.

On 20th of October he passed exam before Ministry of Education Committee in Warsaw, got the permission to work as high school teacher and resumed his work on the 5th of November.

1929

On the 1st of January he started his work as teacher for drawing and manual training.

1930

On the 9th of January he made a petition to the Education Committee to get a two-months holiday because of heart and gastric illnesses. He got a refusal.

In May his works were demonstrated in one of the halls of Lviv Salon. He also participated in the exhibition of Jewish artists in Krakow. During his holidays in Zakopane he got acquainted with Deborah Vogel - Jewish and Polish writer, translator, historian of art.

1931

In Krakow TPSP works of Schulz, Hanna Skrzetuska, Stanislaw Podgorski were exhibited.

On the 3rd of April Schulz's mother died. He designed family tombstone, which was later ruined together with the rest of Jewish cemetery in Drohobych.

1932

He got a document proving his ability to continue with his work as a teacher.

On the 9th of April and on the 3rd of December he took part in the conferences of manual training teachers in Stryy, where he presented his paper.

In July he participated in refresh courses in Zywiec, where he met Stefan Shuman, professor of psychology. He read the manuscript of Sklepy Cynamonowe (Cinnamon Shops) and started looking for the publisher.

1933

In spring Schulz met Jozefa Shelinska..

On Easter he went to Warsaw, where he found himself in one company together with Zofia Nalkowska, who became patron of his activities (mozhe better prosto activity) as writer.

He continued working in the school named after Adam Mickiewicz in Drohobych.

In June and August he travelled several times to Warsaw to see Zofia Nalkowska. He spent several days in her family house in Gorki.

In December he made his debut in literature - the short story "Ptaki" (Birds) appeared in "Wiadomosci Literackie", in the same time publishing house "Roj" printed "Sklepy cynamonowe".

1934

At the beginning of January he travelled to Zakopane, where he met Zofia Nalkowska, their romance had lasted for 4 months.

Nalkowska, Witkiewicz, Tuwim and others approved "Sklepy Cynamonowe" in their reviews. In March Leon Piwinski published a good review in "Wiadomosciach Literackich" and in April Tadeusz Brzoza - in "Kurierze Porannym".

He spent week in Warsaw visiting Nalkowska and met a lot of Warsaw writers.

On the 9th of May he made a petition to Ministry of Education for a year holiday, during which he intended to continue his literature work. He got leave from 30th of August till 15th of September.

In December he went to Warsaw together with Jozefa Szelinska. He refreshed his acquaintance with Witkacy and met Witold Gombrowicz. In press appear his short stories Druga jesien (A Second Fall), Noc lipcowa (A Night in July) and Genialna epoka (The Age of Genius).

1935

On the 20th of January elder Bruno's brother Isidor died unexpectedly from a heart attack. Since then he must support his sister Hania financially.

He became engaged to Szelinska and they worked together on translation of Kafka's Trial.

He took part in exhibition held in Lviv (together with Fryderyk Kleiman, Jaroslaw Muzyka and Andrzej Pronaszek).

The essay written by Witkacy on literature work of Bruno Schulz appeared in weekly Pion, and in Tygodnik ilustrowany published his interview.

July and August he spent together with his fiancee in Zakopane.

Sklepy cynamonowe were nominated for the prize of Wiadomosci Literackie.

Stories Ksiega (The Book), Dodo (Dodo), Edzio (Eddie) and Sanatorium pod klepsydra (Sanatorium under the Sign of the Hourglass) appeared in various magazines.

1936

Schulz wrote to the parents of Szelinska about his intention to marry their daughter. They did not mind it.

He got a leave for half a year. He spent that time mostly in Warsaw literature milieu with his fiancee. He met Romana Halpern - journalist and art amateur. The letters he wrote to her constitute the best-preserved collection of his letter.

On the 8th of February Schulz abjured his religion to marry Szelinska, who was Catholic. But they do not manage to make their wedding legal even in the most liberal Silesia.

On the 4th of April Schulz got his professor title.

In the publishing house Roj Kafka's Trial appeared - Schulz featured there as translator. (Sch. featuring as translator, zamist tyre - koma)

He was editing manuscript of short stories collection Sanatorium pod klepsydra

On the 2nd of July he asked Ministry of Education to be moved him to Warsaw, but he got a refusal.

26-29 of August he spent on a trip from Gdynia to Stockholm.

In November Austrian publishers demonstrated interest in Sklepy cynamonowe.

Schulz intended to ask to be moved to Lviv. The relations with Szelinska were in crises.

He started working in school named after Orzeszko in Drohobych.

He began constant cooperation with Wiadomosci Literackie, where he reviewed new editions. He published several critical articles, short stories O sobie (About Myself), Ostatnia ucieczka ojca (Father's Last Escape), Martwy sezon (Dead Season) and (in Studia) - his correspondence with Gombrowicz.

1937

In March-April he broke off engagement to Jozefa Szelinska.

In August he spent a few days in Warsaw visiting Romana Halpern.

He wanted to publish Sklepy cynamonowe in Italy.

In publishing house "Roj" Sanatorium pod klepsydra appeared.

In November he read Ferdydurke by Gomrowicz - the book impressed him much.

1938

In January Schulz read a paper on Ferdydurke in Warsaw for Association of Polish Writers.

In February the article School of mythologist by Sandauer appeared (about works of Schulz and Gombrowicz).

Schulz spent one week in Lviv, where he met Deborah Vogel, Jerzy Janisz and Marjan Prominski.

In the end of July - at the beginning of August he went to France visiting Italy on his way. He took with him more than 100 drawings, but did not succeed to organize an exhibition.

Schulz was awarded the Golden Laurel of the Polish Academy of Literature in November.

He published his short stories Kometa (The comet), Ojczyzna (Motherland), essay on Ferdyduke.

1939

Schulz had deep (Suffered) depression because of personal problems, political situation, anti-Semitic atmosphere and hard routine work in school.

Joseph Rot wanted to translate Sklepy cynamonowe in French, but he did not finish his work.

In April Emil Segadlowicz visited Bruno Schulz in Drohobych.

Schulz met Zofia Nalkowska in Truskavets and read her his essay on literary criticism, which was later lost.

The last Schulz publication while alive was the article Zofia Nalkowska against the background of her new novel in Skamander No 108-110. in the questionnairy of Wiadomosci Literackie he wrote about the book he prepared - according to his words, it consisted of 4 long stories

On the 1st of September Germany invaded Poland.

On the 11th of September German troops occupied Drohobycz. First Jewish people were killed.

On the 17th of September Red Army marched into Poland

On the 24th of September Germans left Drohobych. Red Army captured city. Schulz continued working in school.

1940

Schulz was involved in local elections as member of election committee.

He met Anna Plocker and her fiance - they left Warsaw and moved to Boryslaw.

According to the order of new authorities Schulz drew propoganda portraits and posters.

In September he drew an oil painting Liberationm of Western Ukraine. He used yellow and blue paint, so he was arrested and interrogated by NKVS as Ukrainian nationalist.

He took part in exhibition in Lviv together with other painters.

In September and October he suffered from kidney disease, had an operation for stones and undergone a treatment inTruskavets.

1941

On the 22nd of June Germany Attcked USSR.

On the 1st of June German troops came back to Drohobych. All schools were closed. Schulz lost his job.

Repression of Jews started. Schulz was placed in the custody of Felix Landau, SS officer, who gave him a task to decorate walls in the children room in the villa, where he lived and in Gestapo casino.

On the 27th of November a lot of Jews were killed in Boryslav, among them were Anna Plocker and her fiance. The news about it was a great shock for Schulz.

Jews were resettled to ghetto. Schulz and his family were resettled to one-storied hut on 18 Stoliarska Street.

1942

Schulz wanted to save his drawings and manudcripts. In oreder to do so he divided them into several packages and gave them to people he trusted from outside the ghetto. He was ill, exhausted, hungry, in deep depression.

Friends from Warsaw helped him to make false Aryan documents. His escape from Drohobych was prepared.

On the 19th of November, having money and all necessary documents, Schulz intended to escape. On his way to Judenrat, where he wanted to buy some bread, he was caught in a terrible manhunt on Jews. He was shot in the street by a Gestapo officer Karl Gunther, who wanted to revenge upon Schulz's temporary "protector".