LĄCZAK, Józef (until the 1970s Lonczak). Książnica (near Mielec) 5.12.1926 — 21.8.1989. Polish Linguist, began as an Indologist, but moved into the Finno-Ugrian studies. After school (in wartime in secret courses) at Mielec, from 1947 studies of Indology (Willman-Grabowska) and Polish Philology at Cracow, graduated M.A. in 1952 (diss. “Indian Studies in Poland”). For a few years teacher of Polish in Biecz. In 1954 became Lecturer of Polish language and literature at the university of Budapest, until 1961. From 1963 lecturer of Hungarian Philology at the Warsaw University till 1972. In 1965-68 Lecturer of Polish at Helsinki University, where he also studied Finno-Ugrian linguistics and Samoyed languages. In 1976-89 employed at the Indian Institute of the Jagellonian University, Cracow, teaching Sanskrit, Pāli and Dravidian languages. His Cracow students have very warm memories of him. Married twice, 1947 Marta Krawczyk and 1974 Anna Maija Reinikainen (a Finn), three sons and one daughter.
Publications: Articles on Finno-Ugrian and Hungarian Philology, unfinished manuscripts of a study of a Polish village in northern Hungary, of a thesis on Udmurt grammar, and of a textbook of Sanskrit.
Sources: T. Pobożniak, FO 27, 1990, 281; L. Sudyka & A. Lenard, Cracow Indological Studies 16, 2014, 1-6 with photo; personal information given by I. Milewska; photo in L. Sudyka, Orientalia Commemorativa. Kraków 2011.
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