Wł. L. (Władysław Ludwik) Anczyc

Władysław Ludwik Anczyc was born in Vilnius on December 12, 1823, and moved with his family to Kraków three years later. He studied pharmacy and briefly pursued academic work at the Jagiellonian University, but his interests soon turned toward literature, journalism, and the theater. His early writing included patriotic poems, comedies, dramas, and popular scenes from everyday life.

From 1858 to 1867, Anczyc lived in Warsaw, where he worked with publications including Tygodnik Ilustrowany, Kmiotek, Wędrowiec, and Przyjaciel Ludu. He wrote under the pseudonym Kazimierz Góralczyk and produced books for young readers, educational works, travel literature, and translations. After returning to Kraków, he remained active in journalism, public education, cultural organizations, and the Tatra Society.

In 1875, he became one of the owners of a Kraków printing house that later operated as W.L. Anczyc i Spółka. His most successful play, Kościuszko pod Racławicami, premiered in Kraków in 1880 under the pseudonym A.W. Lasota and became one of the most frequently staged Polish plays before Wyspiański’s The Wedding. Anczyc died in Kraków on July 28, 1883, and was buried at Rakowicki Cemetery.