In the columns of "Tygodnik Illustrowany" : France as a phenomenon which shaped Polish identity in the years 1918-1928

Using the phenomenological methods developed by Edmund Husserl and his followers, the author of the article, after differentiating between the "life-world" and the “real world,” tries to characterize the phenomenon of France and present the ways it functioned in Tygodnik Illustrowany [The Illustrated Weekly] in the years 1918-1928. Analyzing the articles, the author focused not so much on historical events, but on the sense they presented to the writers and on their influence on Polish identity after regaining independence. The French phenomenon embodied not only the dreams of the 19th-century Poles but also the expectations of the contemporaries. Initially, France was perceived by the Poles as their chief ally in the struggle for the highest spiritual values and as a political and civilizational archetype, but soon it became regarded as a beneficiary of Polish cultural achievements. Dreams were shared of combining the Polish spirit with the French intellect. All in all, France was a significant reference point in recognizing Poland’s own problems.