Kaktus in statu nascendi. Włodzimierz Scisłowski and the satirical magazine Kaktus [Cactus] in the censorship documents of People’s Poland (Part 1. Introduction)

Abstract

The article aims to introduce the reader to the censorship strategies applied to works by Włodzimierz Scisłowski submitted for publication in the satirical magazine Kaktus [Cactus] in 1957–1960. The source material is a collection of cryptotexts, i.e. confidential documents evaluating articles from the weekly, created at Wojewódzki Urząd Kontroli Prasy, Publikacji i Widowisk w Poznaniu [WUKPPiW, Voivodship Office for the Control of the Press, Publications and Public Performances in Poznan]. Censors interfered with Scislowski’s satirical works – epigrams, poems, ballads, accusing the author of negative and exaggerated depictions of the political and social reality of the country. Some of the works were released after introducing changes imposed by the censorship office; some were not allowed for publication.