Born on August 17, 1896, in Dmytrów, at the time Austro-Hungarian Galicia, Józef Wittlin lost his mother in childhood and his father in early youth. He attended a classical gymnasium in Lwów (Lviv) from 1906 to 1914. After graduating, he volunteered for the Eastern Polish Legion in August 1914. This unit was subsequently disbanded after refusing to take an oath to the Austrian government. Wittlin travelled to Vienna where he obtained a gymnasium diploma, and then studied philosophy at the University of Vienna. In 1916, together with his friend Joseph Roth, he enlisted in the Austrian army. Scarlet fever prevented him from participating in actual combat; instead, he served as a translator. In 1918, he returned to Lwów to witness a cruel, fratricidal war between Poles and Ukrainians.…
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Citation: Frajlich-Zajac, Anna. "Józef Wittlin". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 April 2016 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=13617, accessed 24 November 2024.]
