Letter to Władysław Tatarkiewicz written 29.04.1950

Rkp 1529
41‒42

                                                                                                                              Cracow, 29/4/1950

            Dear Honourable Professor!

                       Thank you very much for your letter, received yesterday. I’m glad that you liked the print (or rather the picture itself). There are no stains on the film, so the print can be done correctly. At the moment, however, there is no paper in the photo shops, whereas what I have is too soft for the picture in question, so please give me a bit more time. I expect you’ll be coming to Elzenberg’s lecture; meanwhile I’ll try to have prints.

            I’m also writing because I know, on the basis of Heinrich’s conversation with Prof. Białobrzeski, that the latter is expecting a letter from the Philosophical Commission formally inviting him to give a lecture there. The three of us (including Prof. B.) talked about this during the General Assembly of the Polish Academy of Learning and I thought the matter was settled. But then H. saw B. in Warsaw and it turned out that Prof. B. is waiting for our (i.e. the Commission’s) letter. In any case, the date and the exact title of the lecture need to be established. Heinrich wanted me to write this letter and I was supposed [O1] to do it, but at the last minute it occurred to me that I didn’t have the right to do it and that the letter should come from you, as the president of the Phil. Commission. Thus I’m taking the liberty of turning to you with the whole matter, asking you to settle the whole issue (maybe it can be ultimately settled orally). Professor Białobrzeski intended to deliver his lecture in June during the meetings of the Polish Academy of Learning.

            I’m delighted that you’ve undertaken the idea of writing a History of Polish Philosophy. While I don’t know if this can be carried out today, in any case the work has to be undertaken, and it would be good if it could be done collectively. It would be necessary, then, to write a source work, and one that would then constitute a basis for the future.

            Prof. Gansiniec’s[O2]  lecture took place yesterday. The speaker was 40 minutes late, but everything was fine in the end. There were relatively few people, the philologists didn’t come, and moreover Heinrich was not there either, as he was preparing for the lecture he’s supposed to give today at the Faculty of the Hist. of Phil.

            The idea has come up that the Commission meetings should be moved to Tuesdays at 6 p.m., because a number of people can’t come on Fridays, among others Heinrich and Kleiner. I think Elzenberg’s lecture will probably take place on the date already set, i.e. 19/5, but it might be possible to fit Prof. Białobrzeski’s lecture in on some Tuesday. Anyway, in this case it depends on the speaker, who is an out-of-town member.

            At the administrative meeting, Dr Suchorzewska and Dr Gierulanka were elected as Commission collaborators, in accordance with your request, which was seconded by Prof. Heinrich.

            So much for now.

            I attach cordial greetings and expressions of true esteem

                                                                                               /signature/ Roman Ingarden

[O1]Oryg. maiłem zam. miałem
[O2]W innym miejscach, ortografia była Ganszyniec. Najwyraźniej obie pisownia były w użyciu