An unusual occurrence started a long-lasting friendship between two political figures. One was the President of the United States, Herbert Hoover (1929-1933), and the second, a famous musician and Prime Minister of Poland (1919), Ignacy Jan Paderewski. When Hoover was a student at Stanford University in 1893, Paderewski was already known in America as a remarkable musician.
During his studies, Hoover was in need. He did not have enough money to continue his education. One day he had an idea to organize a concert including Paderewski, expecting some profit from it. Unfortunately, the concert during Holy Week was poorly advertised and revenues were small.
Ashamed, he told Paderewski he did not have any money for him, or even to pay for the recital hall and other concert expenses. Paderewski tore up his bill and assured him he owed him nothing.
Herbert Hoover with Ignacy Paderewski. Source: www.ushistory.org
After World War I, Paderewski. gathered with world politicians in Paris, France. He stood up in the midst of them, and looking, said: “On behalf of my Polish countrymen, I would like to express my thanks to the United States for its great help.” (During Christmas tide in 1914, the Cardinal of Cracow, Poland, Adam Stefan Sapieha, had asked the world’s leaders to help the victims of World War I. Poland received the greatest help from the United States. For years, America had sent food and medicine to Poland as well as to other European countries). At the end of Paderewski’s speech, Hoover stood up and shaking Paderewski’s hand, answered: “When I was in need, you helped me first.”
Paderewski and US President Woodrow Wilson symbolically drawing up and signing the Second Polish Republic into existence. Painted by Arthur Szyk.
Ignacy Jan Paderewski was born on November 6, 1860, in the village Kurylowka, in Podole (Podolia) country, now the Ukraine. His mother, Polixena Nowicki, died a few months after Paderewski’s birth.
His grandparents had been persecuted by the Russians, and earlier sent to Siberia for their patriotic activity during the November Insurrection in 1831.
Paderewski had already displayed his musical abilities and interests as a young boy. His father recognized his gift and tried to give him the best education he could. At the beginning he was taught by provincial piano teachers the basic melodies. Later, he studied various instruments and compositions at the Musical Institute in Warsaw and Berlin and then worked as a piano teacher. Paderewski then met with another personal tragedy. Antonina Korsak, whom he married in 1880, died, similar to his own mother, in childbirth, one year after their Wedding. His son Alfred was handicapped and cared for by his father. This painful experience affected Paderewski deeply. Sure of his talent, but unsure of his technical skill, Paderewski went to Vienna, where he took lessons from the world-famous concert pianist, Theodore Leschetizky. Leschetizky later said: ”Paderewski is my pride,” but when he first met him, he doubted Paderewski would be able to manage the necessary finger—training to improve his skills as a concert pianist.
Paderewski started his career in the international arena in Vienna 1887, where he accompanied recitals by the famous singer, Pauline Lucca. Paderewski’s own first recital was in Paris, in the Salle Erard, in March 1888. After a series of successful concerts in European countries, Paderewski made his first artistic tour of the United States in November 1891.
The first great musical success as a composer Paderewski had in 1901. It was his now—forgotten opera ”Manru,” which premiered in Dresden and has had performances around the globe. (The opera’s story is a fable about the tragedy of a rural girl, who irresponsibly offers her love to Manru, a gypsy).
While Paderewski was generally known as a great artist, he was ready to sacrifice his career to help Poland. A very significant occurrence took place in 1910, when he gave a special gift to his native country, Poland. With his own funds, he endowed the beautiful monument in Cracow to memorialize the Polish victory over the Teutonic Knights, as a political gesture symbolic of Poland’s drive for independence. (This victory had occurred on July 15, 1410, under the Polish king, Wladyslaw Jagiello).
The Grunwald monument. Photo: www.jakzwiedze.pl
Paderewski was very sensitive to people in need. He often contributed generously to the poor and students. For example, on May 26, 1911, he donated his Fribourg concert income to Polish students who were studying in this city. It is estimated that Paderewski donated approximately ten million dollars to Poland, or for Polish causes, during his lifetime.
After World War I broke out, the world—famous musician became recognized politician for the Polish cause. He worked actively in different international organizations, especially with the Central Polish Rescue Committee in New York, to help strengthen the Polish army. When the war ended, Paderewski and another Polish politician, Roman Dmowski, were the Polish representatives at the Peace Conference in Versailles, and they signed the important treaty on June 28, 1919. This document guaranteed the Polish territorial boundaries which had been established in the fifteenth century. Then, Paderewski was recalled to Poland to be Prime Minister of the newly-formed Polish independent government.
Józef Piłsudski, Achille Ratti i Herbert Hoover. Behind them stands Ignacy Paderewski. Photo: Instytut Hoovera.
At the end of 1922, he again came to the United States and turned his attention to his musical career. After the outbreak of World War II, he again became a great Polish leader, gathering supporters at his estate in Switzerland (Swiss villa near Morges) to confer on world political strategy, and campaigning for Poland among the people of Polish descent in the northeastern part of America.
Paderewski died on June 29, 1941, in New York. Archbishop F. J. Spellman said the funeral Mass for the Polish statesman at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Before his death, Paderewski had expressed the desire that his body be returned to Poland, once Poland had regained its independence.
Bust of Ignacy J. Paderewski. Museum of Ignacy Paderewski in Kasna Dolna Poland.
Because of this, on President Roosevelt’s orders, the body was placed at the Battleship Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, ready to be returned to Poland once the conditions were satisfied. His desire would be realized in 1989, fifty—one years after his death. A celebration begins on June 26, 1992, in Washington, DC. Many Polish and American organizations, veterans, and hundreds of others honored Paderewski’s memory. The next day the coffin was moved to the Chapel at Fort Myers, and on June 28, 1992, it was flown to Poland. Many officials, including the Polish President, Lech Walesa, and the President of the United States, George Bush, attended a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Glemp on July 5, 1992, in Warsaw.
Paderewski wished to leave some of his remains with ”Polonia”, or the Polish-American people, in the United States of America. Now his heart is interred in the vestibule of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA, known as American-Czestochowa. Paderewski’s words on his monument at the Doylestown cemetery express his personality and all his activities very well:
Fellow Countrymen! Holy Motherland challenges as! Look forward to a future world, based not on violence and force, but on Christ’s rules: on justice and on friendly cooperation among the great family of free countries.
The Heart of Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Poland’s Great Patriot – Virtuoso – Statesman
Enshrined in the name of Polonia by the Polish American Congress June 29, 1986. His heart is encased in this bronze sculpture created by Andrzej Pityński in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa near Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Source: POLISH CHAMPIONS
Skeches in Human Dignity
Zbigniew Tyburski 1997
Published by Franciscan Publishers @ Printers, Inc. Pulaski, WI
