Janusz Korczak: Life Before the Legend

Everyone knows: Janusz Korczak was a great teacher who died together with his students in the gas chamber at Treblinka. He didn’t abandon the children, совершив absolute and unconditional feat. He was 64 years old. How did he live before that?

His father went mad, and in his mother’s death, Korczak blamed himself until the end of his days. All his life he thought about suicide and even tried to end his own life. In his youth, he vowed celibacy, yet he lived with a woman for three decades under one roof. He adored other people’s children, but had none of his own. A true humanist, Korczak nevertheless fought in three wars.

And finally, most importantly: Janusz Korczak, without a doubt, was a great teacher who proposed a completely new principle in relationships with children. The conclusions made by teacher Janusz Korczak will still be useful to any parents who want their children to have close friends.

Andrey Maksimov tries to make sense of this incredible, contradictory, and very interesting fate—so that the conversation is not only engaging, but also useful for parents of the 21st century.