Adolph Slyz’s memoirs presented in Lviv

LVIV – A presentation of Adolph Slyz’s Ukrainian-language memoir, “The Years of My Life: Reminiscences” (Lviv: Manuscript, 2014; 140 pages), was held at the Department of Law at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (IFNUL) in the fall of 2014. The book was published by the Institute of Historical Research at the IFNUL together with the Petro Jacyk Program for the Study of Modern Ukrainian History and Society at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS). This book is the second volume published as part of the “Memoirs, Diaries and Interviews” series of the Moderna Ukraina journal’s library.
Adolph Slyz (1889-1971), doctor of law of the Ukrainian Free University in Munich, served as a judge in Belz and Lviv and was a well-known Ukrainian community activist in Ukraine and in the diaspora. The Slyz family is renowned for its support of Ukrainian educational and cultural projects in Ukraine, Canada and the United States. The Slyz memoirs offer an account of the author’s education, and professional and public activities, which are portrayed in the context of the political and social events in Ukraine and during Slyz’s life as an emigrant in Germany and the U.S.
The book also chronicles his family life and mentions many Ukrainian activists from the Halychyna region, with whom Slyz interacted in Ukraine and while in emigration. The volume is illustrated with photographs and documents of the Slyz family. Bishop Borys Gudziak, apostolic exarch of France, the Benelux countries and Switzerland, contributed an afterword about the Slyz family, especially Dr. Maria Fischer Slysh.
Dr. Oleh Pavlyshyn, author of the volume’s introduction, opened the book launch on October 11, 2014, by discussing the volume’s content and acknowledging the work of specialists who made this publication possible.
Prof. Frank E. Sysyn, who wrote a preface to “The Years of My Life…,” spoke about the Slyz family’s history and its relation to the history of the post-World War II emigration from Halychyna and the circumstances of that emigration. The speaker emphasized and praised the role of Dr. Fischer-Slyz as a benefactor.
The next presenter, the Rev. Dr. Bohdan Prach, rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University, spoke about Dr. Slyz’s close connection with the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the services to the Church of his wife Olha’s family, the Zholkewyches.
The dean of the Department of History, Prof. Roman Shust, in his speech underscored the timeliness of memoir publications for historical research in Ukraine. According to him, the importance of such publications is further augmented by the development and inclusion of commentaries and indices, which is the case with this edition.
The director of the Lviv College of Law, Dr. Taras Andrusiak, noted the significance of bringing to the readers little-known names of the Ukrainian intelligentsia, particularly lawyers, revealing the great intellectual potential of the Ukrainians of the early 20th century dedicated their country’s independence.
Dr. Stepan Bilostotskyi, a law historian, presented his findings about the group of judges of Ukrainian origin who were active in their profession in Halychyna during Polish rule.
Last, but not least, a member of the Slyz family, Ihor Shchur, expressed his thoughts about the importance of this book and shared some of the memories about Adolph Slyz that were cherished by the family members in Ukraine.
This hard-cover book may be purchased from the CIUS Press for $24.95 (plus GST in Canada and shipping). Orders can be placed by contacting CIUS Press, 430 Pembina Hall, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2H8; telephone, 780-492-2973; fax 780-492-4967; e-mail, [email protected]; or via its secure online ordering system at www.ciuspress.com, which provides a detailed table of contents of this and all other CIUS publications.