His compositions at this time included orchestral works, piano pieces, and also music for films, as well as roughly 50 songs, many of which became quite popular in Poland. . He didnt succeed as it took years to establish the Germans surname. 1 in G minor, Op. He aided several other would-be victims in Warsaw; Hosenfeld nonetheless died (in 1952) after seven years in Soviet captivity, despite the efforts of Szpilman to help him. The Germans forced the Polish State Radio to shut down. There were still a few recreational facilities in the ghetto and while he was confined, Szpilman continued to play. The extremely cramped ghetto imprisoned over 400,000 Jews and only provided minimal food rations. Szpilman did not know the name of the German officer until 1951. domestic violence statistics by country 2021. creepy facts about taurus zodiac sign. The real Janina Godlewska was a Polish singer. TP-Link 5 LS105G,TP-Link 5 LS105G,3D 180x200 cm QWEFGDF . did wladyslaw szpilman marry his sister Where our kids go to blog. In 1931 he was a student of the prestigious Academy of Arts in Berlin, Germany, where he studied with Artur Schnabel, Franz Schreker, and Leonid Kreutzer. She was also a board member of the Sue Ryder Foundation, which provides support and personal help to those in need because of poor health and living conditions. Personal memoirs like Night by Elie Wiesel, and The Pianist by Wladyslaw Szpilman gives vivid images and clear views on those epic catastrophes, which allows us as readers to acquire a better understanding of what really transpired during the 1940's. Metacritic Reviews. 0. Adrien was brought up Catholic but identifies with both religions as per an undated interview in which interviewer Emily Blunt questions Adrien about being selected to play Jack Starks in The Jacket (2005). frank lucas and richie roberts friendship. Szpilman's family played a significant role in his life and experiences, both before and during the Holocaust. He played for the radio until September 1, 1939 - the day Germany invaded Poland . Marion Country:(352)-245-4496. wi governor candidates 2022 Facebook coventry speedway past riders Twitter chicago missing persons Instagram ecac baseball teams Pinterest [1][2] After Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933, Szpilman returned to Warsaw, where he quickly became a celebrated pianist and composer of both classical and popular music. He demanded Szpilman play something. Unfortunately, the boy found by Szpilman was caught by a German man on the other side of the wall, likely a German soldier or SS officer, and was being cruelly beaten when he was found. ", when he pretends to shoot them with his cane. fort collins real estate investors. Edit, Indeed, there were two blonde women in the movie, making it confusing to tell one from the other. He published an autobiography and a movie, directed by Roman Polanski, about his autobiography was produced but what happened to him is an absolutely different story. Wladyslaw Szpilman Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Wiki, Family 2023. It was this man, Wehrmacht captain Wilm Hosenfeld, that Szpilman was striving to find after the war. Instead, he hid in Warsaw until the end of World War II and went on to become the director of the Polish Radio's Music Department. Szpilman's autobiography The Pianist, describing his survival, thanks in part to a music-loving German officer, was turned into an award-winning film by director Roman Polanski in 2002. Wladyslaw was unfortunately the only one in his family to survive the Holocaust, thanks in part to the assistance of Nazi officer Wilm Hosenfeld (Ackerman). Al Legro (1911-2000) polski kompozytor, pianista i araner ydowskiego pochodzenia. He had spent three years in Berlin, where he had worked on developing his musical skills. In November, he was discovered there by the German officer, Captain Wilm Hosenfeld. The only HUMAN BEING in a German uniform, Szpilman is supposed to have said about his German saviour. [5] For example, the nationality of benevolent German officer Wilm Hosenfeld was changed to Austrian. v brakes for 650b conversion; nj marching band state championship; doctor handwriting translation app; football pools draws this weekend. From 1945 through 1963, Szpilman played the keys and acted as the director of the music department for Polish Radio. Hosenfeld] Wladyslaw Szpilman : No. The story of how he survived in German-occupied Warsaw during World War II was made into the Oscar-winning film The Pianist. . Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. As the East German dissident singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann observed in his epilogue for the 1999 English-language edition: "Directly after the war it was impossible to publish a book in Poland which presented a German officer as a brave and helpful man," and an Austrian hero would be "not quite so bad." Szpilman never spoke of his wartime experiences to his son Andrzej who learnt about them after reading his fathers book The Death of a City(Bartomiej Zborowski/PAP). On 5 April 1935 Szpilman joined the Polish Radio, where he worked as a pianist performing classical and jazz music. In 1935, Wladyslaw Szpilman became the house pianist for Polish State Radio in Warsaw, playing classical works and jazz. Sister of Composer, pianist, author Wladyslaw Szpilman. Is it true that the funny man leading the children in the Warsaw ghetto was based on a real person? Where did Wladyslaw Szpilman live during World War 2? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. After Gestapo raided the apartment of his first caretaker Mr. Lewicki (in the movie he was merged with another person from the book, engineer Gebczynski), Lewicki and Gebczynski went into hiding and Lewicki's brother took over. filtracion de aire. After Hitler and the Nazi Party seized power in 1933, Szpilman returned to Warsaw, Poland to live with his family, consisting of his mother, father, two sisters, and brother. He retired from touring in 1986 to devote himself entirely to composing, and died in Warsaw in 2000. 5 How old was Wadysaw Szpilman when he died? Unfortunately, the book was suppressed by the Soviets until it was finally republished in 1998 as The Pianist: The Extraordinary Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945. When the German soldiers are forcing the "Jew dance" on the residents of the ghetto as they wait to cross the street, one of the soldiers keeps shouting, "Schneller! This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Pianist - Wladyslaw Szpilman. The Original Recordings of the Pianist. info@brainnest.org +233 2490 647 92; olika typer av narcissister; dan andersson till min syster; finnish fashion trends The Germans were defeated in 1945. A member of the Jewish Police assisting in deportations, who recognized Szpilman, pulled him from a line of peopleincluding his parents, brother, and two sistersbeing loaded onto a train at the transport site (which, as in other ghettos, was called the Umschlagplatz). He told the orphans they were going out into the country, so they ought to be cheerful. Several famous ghetto survivors who personally knew Szpilman, such as Poland's former foreign minister Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, have condemned the allegations, calling them "baseless and shameful". And then he never again returned to the trauma of his wartime experiences. At the time of the outbreak of the war, he was already a well-known and respected pianist. For example, Dorota does not appear in the book. Edit, Yes. As one reviewer noted, "these final sentences distill the style of this astonishing and unforgettable book. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 2 What happened to Wladyslaw Szpilman after the war? Rising lyricist, poet, composer and translator, who regularly worked alongside his brother Wadysaw Szpilman. two memorable characters created by mary shelley. But after 3 days of our acquaintance he told me he had to tell me how he had survived the war., Halina shows a photo of her and Wadyslaw together shortly after they met (Bartomiej Zborowski/PAP). Szpilman played Chopin's Nocturne No. Though able to keep safe for a little while, eventually Szpilman and his family were ordered for deportation to Treblinka, an extermination camp in Poland. did wladyslaw szpilman marry his sister invisible stranding in knitting May 21, 2022 transportstyrelsen logga in krkortstillstnd on did wladyslaw szpilman marry his sister To Szpilman's surprise, the officer did not arrest or kill him; after discovering that the emaciated Szpilman was a pianist, Hosenfeld asked him to play something on the piano that was on the ground floor. He took a special liking to a boy of twelve, a violinist who had his instrument under his arm. He played for the radio until September 1, 1939 the day Germany invaded Poland and set in motion the European theater of World War II. He turned out to be a greedy opportunist who took advantage of the situation and left Szpilman for dead. Size exceeded. Wladyslaw Szpilmans gravestone in Warsaw, Poland. Szpilman is buried in Powzki Military Cemetery in Warsaw. [Szpilman is discovered by the Polish army, wearing the German dress coat given him by Capt. Two years later she married Wadysaw Szpilman, a Polish pianist and composer of Jewish descent. In fact, a majority of the food was smuggled in illegally. modernismen sammanfattning. In October 2007, Hosenfeld was posthumously honoured by the president of Poland Lech Kaczyski with a Commanders Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. Britain's Independent described it as "a compelling, harrowing masterpiece"; it is "one of the most powerful accounts ever written" of the era declared another leading British daily. Instead, Wilm Hosenfeld asked Szpilman to show him the attic he had been hiding in. In November 1998 Wadysaw Szpilman was honoured by the president of Poland with a Kommandor Order with a Star of Polonia Restituta. did wladyslaw szpilman marry his sister Brody wasn't green at playing the piano, as he had taken piano lessons as a child. Was anyone else confused by the two similar-looking blonde women, both of whom took turns hiding Szpilman? Snow fell from the darkening, leaden sky." He founded the Polish Union of Authors of Popular Music. [8] After that, the officer brought him bread and jam on numerous occasions. Edit, Awards Halina Szpilman is survived by two sons, Andrzej and Krzysztof. [10] When Szpilman resumed his job at Polish Radio in 1945, he did so by carrying on where he left off six years before: poignantly, he opened the first transmission by once again playing Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp Minor (Lento con gran espressione). He hid in an abandoned building around Warsaw until August of 1944, when he found an attic to hide in at 223 Niepoldleglosci, Warsaw, Poland. As far back in history as February 13, 1943, Wladyslaw Szpilman disregarded the vital necessity to put a yellow-star armband on his shoulder for the first time since December 1939 to one's own surprise and fear.It hardly needs comments, that by no means was the shabby laborer, previously forced to dismantle the walls of the Warsaw ghetto, on building . 22. Wladyslaw Szpilman And The Incredible True Story Of The Pianist. When you see closeups of hands, it is the famous Polish pianist Janusz Olejniczak. Genealogy for Wladyslaw Szpilman (1911 - 2000) family tree on Geni, with over 240 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Description: Wladyslaw Szpilman (1911-2000) [pronounced Vuadysuav Shpilman; also addressed as Wladek (Vuadek) Szpilman] was born in Sosnowiec, in Poland. Szpilman is widely known as the protagonist of the 2002 Roman Polanski film The Pianist, which is based on the book of the same name recounting his survival of the German occupation of Warsaw and the Holocaust. In Hosenfeld's diary, available at the back of Szpilman's book The Pianist: The Extraordinary Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945, Hosenfeld wrote about the many horrors he witnessed being committed against Jews and Poles and expressed his intention to save as many as he could. Then he says, "Ah, a cigarette! Wilm Hosenfeld was later convicted of alleged war crimes and sentenced to 25 years of hard labor. 23. He aided several other would-be victims in Warsaw; Hosenfeld nonetheless died (in 1952) after seven years in Soviet captivity, despite the efforts of Szpilman to help him. 28. did wladyslaw szpilman marry his sisterdetox plster apoteket by , under . The CD of the concert was released on 24 February 2014. Wladyslaw Szpilman was a pianist of some renown in Warsaw. Bartomiej Zborowski Boom Boom! swift wart treatment reviews; airport police salary philippines; queen victoria 60th year commemorative medal; cutler anderson architects. Hosenfeld died of a stroke in a Soviet camp in 1952. /PAP, The incredible true story behind new WWII blockbuster Filip, Powerful thriller documentary reveals extraordinary life story of The Pianist cousin Leo Spellman. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The two men never met again, but Wladyslaw Szpilman remained eternally grateful to his German guardian angel. Wadyslaw Szpilman, pseudonym Al Legro, pianist and composer; born 5 December 1911 in Sosnowiec; died 6 July 2000 in Warsaw. Hidden in a shelf or a bathtub, he had to scavenge for food in the bombed ruins of Warsaw. However, there are a few obvious discrepancies. [17] He is buried at Powzki Military Cemetery. He was rusty from lack of practice. But because they were Jewish, Szpilman and his father, mother, two sisters and brother were forced to leave their home and live in the ghetto. These attacks were staged by the Germans themselves to justify their invasion of Poland. Szpilman died of natural causes in Warsaw on 6 July 2000, aged 88. Korczak declined to save himself from deportation to Treblinka, instead walked with the children of his orphanage to the deportation site and ultimately escorting them "into the next world," as Szpilman related: One day, around 5th August, when I had taken a brief rest from work and was walking down Gsia Street, I happened to see Janusz Korczak and his orphans leaving the ghetto. Biermann's epilogue gives further insight into Hosenfeld's deeds and his character. "Only at the end of his life, every summer, when it was hot and he was taking water to drink, he used to say: You see, I can drink as much as I want, and they (his parents, sisters and brother), as they were in those transportation-wagons to Treblinka, they had nothing to drink there, recalls Halina Szpilman. After Henryk (Ed Stoppard) and Halina (Jessica Kate Meyer) were selected as fit to work in the ghetto, they found out that the rest of the family was taken away to the Umschlagplatz so they volunteered to join them even though they were not on the list for resettlement. Szpilman remained in the Warsaw Ghetto until 13 February 1943, shortly before it was abolished after the deportation of most of its inhabitants in AprilMay 1943. Renowned for his tangos, all written under the pseudonym Henryk Herold, which were sung by acclaimed interwar performers and also featured in films. Wladyslaw Szpilman recounted his encounter with Hosenfeld in his memoir, The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Mans Survival in Warsaw. See the answer to the question "What happened to Szalas" below. Death and tributes[edit] Wadysaw Szpilman died in Warsaw on 6 July 2000 at the age of 88. He also gave concert performances as a soloist and member of chamber ensembles, and composed extensively. In November 1998, Szpilman was honored by the president of Poland with a Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta. Szpilman's description of the famed Warsaw teacher and writer Janusz Korczak has been described as "overwhelmingly powerful and poignant." Hosenfeld died in a Soviet prison camp in 1952. Wikipedia PL. Gran later faced similar accusations after her emigration to Israel and was forced to leave her new homeland and move to France where she worked alongside Maurice Chevalier and Charles Aznavour . Ceremonies were held by the President of Poland on the centenary of his birth. [4] Survival during the Holocaust[edit] did wladyslaw szpilman marry his sister. To escape the horrors he imagined composing music. Szpilman and his family did not yet need to find a new residence, as their apartment was already in the ghetto area. What happened to Captain Wilm Hosenfeld after he comback Germany. [17][18] The next day, on the exact centenary of Szpilman's birth, Polish President Bronisaw Komorowski met Szpilman's widow and son, and Krejci-Hosenfeld. The blonde whom Szpilman meets during the bombing of Polish radio and with whom he seems to have a budding romance is Dorota (Emilia Fox). After first piano lessons with his mother Szpilman studied the piano under Jzef Smidowicz and theory and counterpoint under Micha Biernacki at the Frederick Chopin Higher School of Music in Warsaw in 1926-30. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Youll be safer there.. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. So, unlike Szpilman's friends, Szalas wasn't helping him out of his own choice but acted on orders. So, Brody performed Nocturne in C# minor in the opening scenes when the radio station was bombed as well as in his return to the radio after the Holocaust. On 16 th August 1942, the Szpilman family were separated, with Henryk and his younger sister Halina allowed to stay in Warsaw, . Living on ul.liska when the Nazis invaded Poland, he and his family were . This was the last live music broadcast that was heard until the wars end. Primarily a soloist, he was also the chamber music partner of such acclaimed violinists as Roman Totenberg, Ida Haendel and Henryk Szeryng, and in 1934 he toured Poland with U.S. violinist, Bronislav Gimpel. Geni requires JavaScript! As one reviewer noted, "these final sentences distill the style of this astonishing and unforgettable book. Why exactly him he did not know and Szpilman often pondered about this after the war. Once the war was over, Szpilman received his old job back at the Polish Radio. The Death of a City (original "mier miasta") was written by Wladyslaw Szpilman and elaborated by Jerzy Waldorff shortly after the war ended, and first printed in 1946 by publishing house Wiedza,[12][13] The book was censored by Stalinist authorities for political reasons. [5], Szpilman later played in a cafe on Sienna Street and after 1942 in the Sztuka Cafe on Leszno Street as well. [15] He is buried at Powzki Military Cemetery. At the time of the outbreak of the war, he was already a well-known and respected pianist. How closely does the movie follow the book? [16] On 4 December 2011, a commemorative plaque to Szpilman, engraved in Polish and English, was unveiled at 223 Niepodlegoci Avenue in Warsaw, in the presence of his wife Halina Szpilman and son Andrzej, and Wilm Hosenfeld's daughter Jorinde Krejci-Hosenfeld. Exploits of Wladyslaw Szpilman retold in Oscar-winning film The Pianist, but new book claims he was a 'Gestapo man', Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Wladyslaw Szpilman's survival in the Warsaw ghetto during the second world war was filmed by Roman Polanski in 2002 as the Oscar-winning film The Pianist. Book[edit] Shortly after the war ended, Szpilman told his story of survival in wartorn Warsaw to a friend and popular local writer Jerzy Waldorff,[5][7] who published the book, mier Miasta (The Death of a City) in 1946 as Szpilman's semi-autobiography. He was taken prisoner by the Red Army and died in Soviet captivity in 1952. The Nazi occupiers established the General Government, and created ghettos in many Polish cities, including Warsaw. His compositions include orchestral works, concertos, piano pieces, but also significant amounts of music for radio plays and films, as well as around 500 songs. Two Polish families made his survival possible and many Polish friends risked their life to help him. In his book, Szpilman tells the story a bit differently from the movie. British Academy of Film and Television Arts, "The Pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman Homepage", Information on Szpilman's works at Boosey & Hawkes, "Polish Radio Studio 1 named after Pianist Szpilman", "Poland celebrates The Pianist's 100th birthday", "Uri Caine Plays Szpilman "the Polish Gershwin", Wadysaw Szpilman information and biography, Interview with Dr. Halina Grzecznarowska-Szpilman, widow of Wadysaw Szpilman, first part, Interview with Dr. Halina Grzecznarowska Szpilman, widow of Wadysaw Szpilman, second part, Information on Wladyslaw Szpilman at Polish Biographical Dictionary by Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakw 2013, Uri Caine performance of songs by Wadisaw Szpilman, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wadysaw_Szpilman&oldid=1142658345, CD "F.Chopin Works" - National Edition F.Chopin Piano trio und Introduction und Polonaise W. Szpilman, T. Wronski, A. Ciechanski, Muza Warsaw 1958 and 2002, CD "J. Brahms Piano Quintett" The Warsaw Piano Quintett, Muza Warsaw 1976, CD "Wladyslaw Szpilman Ein musikalisches Portrait" Works by Szpilman, Rachmaninov und Chopin, Alinamusic Hamburg 1998, CD Wadysaw Szpilman Portret [5 CD Box-Set] Polskie Radio Warszawa 2000, CD Wladyslaw Szpilman. Also, Polanski seems to have taken some liberties with the sequence of events as they happened in the apartments where Szpilman hid. To really make note of the differences and similarities between book and movie, it's suggested that you read the book. Edit, Technically there are no songs in The Pianist, because songs have lyrics. His son Andrzej commented in 1998 that Szpilman's works did not reach a larger audience outside Poland, attributing this to the "division of Europe into two halves culturally as well as politically" after the war. Adrien's reply: "But John is wrong. Director Roman Polanski appears to have kept the story intact, even though he added a few scenes based on his own memories. Named one of the Best Books of 1999 by the Los Angeles Times On September 23, 1939, Wladyslaw Szpilman played Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp minor live on the radio as shells exploded outsideso loudly that he couldn't hear his piano. Ill take you out of the city, to a village. His name was Wladyslaw Szpilman who is known internationally as "the Pianist". When the occupation is over and Szpilman returns to Polish radio, he plays the same music he was playing when the bombing first began: Nocturne in C# minor, No. The officer died in 1952, locked away in a Soviet prison. The family - his parents, also musicians, his brother and two sisters - had been in financial decline and in 1940 all of them were sent to the ghetto. How did Henryk and Halina get back to the Umschlagplatz after being selected for work detail? It is not portrayed in the movie, but Captain Hosenfeld (and some other Nazi officers) actually helped many more Poles (and many Jews) during his tenure in occupied Poland. After the war, Halina Szpilman married a man who had also gone through terrible times. Despite the efforts of Szpilman and the Poles to rescue him, Hosenfeld died in a Soviet prisoner of war camp in 1952. On their way up, Hosenfeld was able to see something Szpilman hadnt: a board that created a loft right above the attics entrance. Hosenfeld asked Szpilman what he did for a living, to which he replied that he was a pianist. Sadly, Szpilman's savior never returned to Germany after the war. [2] [13]. So that at least he could spare his little charges the fear of passing from life to death." To read a two-page excerpt from Szpilman's book that tells how the real Janina and Andrzej helped him go into hiding, go to Google Books and do a search on "Szpilman Janina". Szpilman wrote his book, originally titled mier Miasta. 2 photos picked. They were eventually sent to their deaths in Treblinka, but a friend of Szpilman, Itzchak Heller, managed to keep him from boarding the train. But, for the pianist and composer, it was fate. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. He saw members of his extended family as well as friends sent off to concentration camps, but through his bravery was able to keep his immediate family together for a little while longer. I cant leave this place, was Szpilmans reply. Wadysaw Szpilman (Polish pronunciation: [vwadswaf pilman]; 5 December 1911 - 6 July 2000) was a Polish pianist and classical composer of Jewish descent. During the 89 years of his life, Szpilman composed dozens of pieces of classical and entertaining music. did wladyslaw szpilman marry his sister. Szpilman managed to find work as a musician to support his family, which included his mother, father, brother Henryk, and two sisters, Regina and Halina. did wladyslaw szpilman marry his sister. Dorota is not in Szpilman's book and appears to be a made-up character for the movie, probably to give a look at Szpilman's life before the occupation and to evoke audience sympathy for all that he lost during the war. You may have heard the expression music saves. Wikimedia Commons/GettyWladyslaw Szpilman and Officer Wilm Hosenfeld. . Szpilman was a Polish-Jewish pianist and composer who survived the Holocaust by hiding in Warsaw. Captain Hosenfeld was true to his decision and brought Wladyslaw food daily. In 1998, Szpilman's son Andrzej published new extended edition of his father's memoir, first in German translation from Karin Wolff as Das wunderbare berleben (The Miraculous Survival) by a German publishing house Ullstein Verlag; and then in English translation by Anthea Bell as The Pianist with Epilogue by Wolf Biermann. May. Posted on . Szpilman's son Andrzej is taking legal action to force the recall of a book containing allegations by Wiera Gran, a Polish singer famed for her pre and postwar cabaret acts, who claimed that . Both his wife Halina and his son Andrzej learned about them from the book. Szpilman's story was made famous by the 2002 Roman Polanski film, "The . What is Dorota playing on the cello when Szpilman is hiding in her house? Do you need underlay for laminate flooring on concrete? Towards the end of his concealment, he was helped by Wilm Hosenfeld, a German officer who detested Nazi policies. Concise yet highly evocative; measured and somewhat detached, yet possessing a poeticism and a consistent spiritual tenor and strength.". The children were to have been taken away alone. did wladyslaw szpilman marry his sister. 3 Luglio 2022; passion rhyming words; sea moss trader joe's February 13-27, 1943 (Noakowskiego 10). Brody also did the first several bars when playing for the Nazi commander Wilm Hosenfeld (Thomas Kretschmann) as well as the opening bars of Grande Polanise Brilliante, Op 22 during the closing credits. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. did wladyslaw szpilman marry his sister vnersborgs slusscaf May 28, 2022. r risvinger och mirin samma sak How old was Wadysaw Szpilman when he died? [18], On December 4, 2011, a commemorative plaque to Wadysaw Szpilman in Polish and English was unveiled at 223 Niepodlegoci Avenue in Warsaw in the presence of his wife, Halina (Grzecznarowski) Szpilman, son Andrzej and Wilm Hosenfeld's daughter Jorinde. Szpilmann recalled this extraordinary fate in his book "The Death of the City (translated into English as The Pianist), which was published shortly after the war. did wladyslaw szpilman marry his sister. Szpilman was born in 1911 in Sosnowiec, Poland, to a family of . Edit, Szpilman wrote his book, originally titled mier Miasta.