Andreas Gryphius Prize for our researcher
Prof. dr hab. Edward Białek, the historian of literature, and head of the Department of Literature Didactics at the Institute of German Studies, was honoured with the Andreas Gryphius Prize for 2024, awarded for his significant contribution to the promotion of dialogue between Poles and Germans.
The Wrocław-based Germanist ‘promotes, among other things as a translator, understanding and friendly relations between our peoples’, is the justification for the prize.
The Andreas Gryphius Prize, a Silesian playwright of the Baroque period, is awarded to writers and translators whose work brings closer the development of German culture in different historical periods in central, eastern and southern Europe and contributes to understanding between Germany and the other nations of our continent.
Prof. Dr. Edward Białek has been editor-in-chief of the journal ‘Orbis Linguarum’ since 1994 and co-editor of the ‘Biblioteka Austriacka’ series since 1992. He is co-editor of the academic series ‘Dissertationes Inaugurales Selectae’ and ‘Zrozumieć Niemcy’. He also publishes the literary series ‘Nowe Książki z Niemiec’ and ‘Arkusz Poezji’, in which he promotes the work of German writers with Silesian origins. In 2004, he co-founded the magazine ‘Silesia Nova’ (Dresden and Wrocław), which popularises the past and present culture of Silesia. In the series ‘Scripta Caroli Dedecii’, initiated by him and published under the auspices of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, a selection of translations from Mickiewicz by Karl Dedecius, winner of the Andreas Gryphius Prize, was published. Since 1992, he has been the scientific supervisor of the Austrian Library in Wrocław. He organises scientific conferences every year, invites writers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and moderates author’s evenings. He participates in numerous national and international conferences, where he presents papers. At the Institute of German Studies, he teaches Master’s seminars and Bachelor’s pro-seminars. Under his supervision, 17 people have defended their doctoral theses. He is Vice-Chairman of the Programme Council of the Lower Silesian Chamber of Physicians’ Remembrance and Historical Documentation Centre, a member of the Council of the City Museum “Dom Gerharta Hauptmanna” in Jelenia Góra, of the Scientific Initiative Group for the Work of Karl Dedecius at the Collegium Polonicum in Słubice and of the Scientific Council of the Foundation for Silesian Culture in Würzburg. Since 2023, he has been editor-in-chief of the yearbook ‘Leopoldiana Wratislaviensia’ devoted to the relationship between Lower Silesia and Austria.
Awarded the Medal of the Commission for National Education, the Austrian Cross of Honour for Services to Science and the Arts 1st Class, the Golden Cross of Merit and the Medal of Merit for Wrocław. Winner of the Translation Prize awarded by Paneuropa-Union Germany.
The Andreas Gryphius Prize will be ceremonially presented at the Celebration of Science in November 2024.
