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DeutschKarol Olgierd Borchardt
Karol Olgierd Borchardt | |
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| Born | March 25, 1905 |
| Died | May 20, 1986 (aged 81) |
| Occupation(s) | writer and a captain in the Polish Merchant Navy |
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Karol Olgierd Borchardt (25 March 1905 – 20 May 1986)[1] was a Polish writer and a captain in the Polish Merchant Navy. He wrote maritime-themed short stories and contributed to the Polish merchant marine service before and during the Second World War.[citation needed]
Biography
[edit]Although born abroad, his mother, Maria Borchardt, née Raczkiewiczówna, decided to raise him in Poland once he was of schooling age[2][3] and brought him to Vilnius, Poland (modern location Lithuania.) [3]
Borchardt's first application to the maritime school in Tczew was declined for medical reasons in 1924, but he was accepted to the maritime school the next year.[2] After training, he took a reserve officer course at the Navy Cadet School in Toruń, but he later was forced to resign due to an injury he had sustained at the age of 15 in the Polish-Soviet war.[2][3]
Borchardt served as a Polish Merchant Marine as an officer on transatlantic liners and training sail ships. During World War II, he served on two Polish liners converted into troop transports (the m/v "Piłsudski" and the m/v "Chrobry")[2] and survived the sinkings of both. After the war, he trained two generations of Polish officers. He was described as a demanding teacher by some accounts and as sympathetic, understanding, and knowledgeable by others.[citation needed].
He gained recognition as a writer and chronicler of Polish passenger liners. Borchardt participated in sports activities throughout his later years.
Borchardt died in 1986. His remains are buried in Gdynia.[2]
Works
[edit]Borchardt wrote short stories with maritime themes, first published in magazines and later compiled into books.[2]
His book Znaczy Kapitan, a collection of short stories published in 1960, was inspired by Captain Mamert Stankiewicz. In it, Borchardt details his experiences on ships named 'Lwów' and 'Dar Pomorza' and includes information about the Polish Navy.[4]
He wrote a book on two 'cradles' of Polish seadogs, the two sail-training vessels, 'Lwów' and the 'Dar Pomorza'. Several schools have been named after him.[5][6][7].
The book Szaman morski tells the tales of Eustazy Borkowski. The title is a nickname of this notable sea captain, translating as "sea shaman".[8]
Achievements and legacy
[edit]In his lifetime, Borchardt was awarded:
- Cross of Valour (1920 and 1941)
- Cross of Merit (1957)
- Medal of Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Poland (1970)
- Gdynia's President Prize (1974)
Borchardt's published works include Znaczy kapitan (1960), Krążownik spod Somosierry (1963) and Szaman Morski (1968). Two books were published posthumously: Pod czerwoną rózą and Kolebka nawigatorów.[2]
Kapitan Borchardt, a Polish sail training three-masted gaff schooner, in service since 2011, is named after Karol Olgierd Borchardt.[9] The Karol Olgierd Borchardt Foundation was founded in the same year and has been a Public Benefit Organisation since 2014.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "Cmentarze Komunalne w Gdyni". gdynia.grobonet.com. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Captain Karol Olgierd Borchardt | Gdynia Maritime University". umg.edu.pl. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ a b c "Życiorys | Karol Olgierd Borchardt" (in Polish). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Znaczy kapitan". www.empik.com (in Polish). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Szkoła Podstawowa nr 9 imienia kpt. ż.w. Karola Olgierda Borchardta - Zespół Szkół Ogólnokształcących w Rumi - Portal gov.pl". Zespół Szkół Ogólnokształcących w Rumi (in Polish). Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ "Szkoła Podstawowa nr 40 im.kpt.ż.w. Karola Olgierda Borchardta". sp40gdynia.szkolnastrona.pl. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ "Strona główna - Szkoła Podstawowa nr 21 im. kpt. ż. w. Karola Olgierda Borchardta". sp21.edu.gdansk.pl. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ "szaman morski - Translation into English - examples Polish | Reverso Context". context.reverso.net. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ "Znaczy żaglowiec. "Kapitan Borchardt" pod gdańską banderą". trojmiasto.pl (in Polish). 6 October 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Fundacja". Kapitan Borchardt. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
External links
[edit]- Biography and several short stories
- Website of the eponymous schooner
- Polish-language documentary on Borchardt
- 'Karol Olgierd Borchardt, Master Mariner' - an article by Gdynia Maritime University
