The war biography of Stefan Csorich – the Olympian and Polish ice hockey representative

The article aims to present the wartime biography of Stefan Csorich, a distinguished Olympian in ice hockey. He was born in Nowy Sącz on September 25, 1921. He grew up in Krynica Zdrój at 422 Lipowa Street. He owes his name to a Hungarian ancestor who was an engineer (built bridges, railway viaducts) and settled in Krynica Zdrój. Until the outbreak of World War II, he managed to graduate from the local primary school, start studying at the newly opened private gymnasium and high school (owned by dr. Roman Molęda). After the Ice Hockey World Championships in 1931 organized in Krynica, he began his adventure with this sport discipline. The war interrupted a brilliantly heralded career. He was a participant in the September 1939 campaign. As a result of the turmoil of war, he was in France, Switzerland and England, among others. After the war, in 1946, he returned to Poland to his hometown. There he continued his career in ice hockey. He appeared 52 times for the Polish national team (1946–1957). He was the scorer of 34 goals. He participated in the World Championships in 1947 (in Prague, where he won the title of the king of goalscorers), 1955 (in the Federal Republic of Germany) and 1957 (in Moscow). He was at the Olympics in St. Moritz (1948) and Oslo (1952). For the 1956 Olympics in Cortina dʼAmpezzo he did not receivea passport for political reasons. He died on July 15, 2008, and was buried in Krynica-Zdrój.