The Polish Diaspora Organizations Fighting Against the Addiction in the United States in the Light of the “Abstynent” Magazine in 1911-1915

Abstract

Among the 25th Polish-language abstinence magazines published in the second half of the XIXth and early XXth century, there were two published abroad. One of them is the journal “Jarskie Życie”, published in Berlin in 1912, whose creator was Augustyn Czarnowski, a well-known dentist, hygienist, homeopath and Polish socio-educational activist. The second of these periodicals “Abstynent” was initiated in Chicago, in 1911, by Fr. Władysław Kwiatkowski, philosopher, theologian, activist and pastor of the Polish community abroad, publicist and journalist. The magazine “Abstynent”, which changed the title several times, was published until 1915 and was the press body of the several abstinence organizations operating in the United States. The purpose of this article is to show their activities in the light of the characterized periodical.