Franciszek Henryk Siła-Nowicki was a Young Poland poet, a mountaineer, socialist activist, and designer of the Orla Perć High Tatras mountain trail.
Background
Franciszek Nowicki was the son of Maksymilian Nowicki — a zoologist and pioneer Polish conservationist — and Antonina Kasparek, sister of Franciszek Kasparek, professor of international law and rector of Krakow University (and founder of the first chair in international law in Poland).
Career
From 1894 he taught at a secondary school (gimnazjum). On February 5, 1901, Nowicki proposed to Towarzystwo Tatrzańskie (the Tatras Society) the building of Orla Perć (the Eagle"s Trail), which was partly realized in 1903-1907. In 1902 he climbed to the then-as-yet-unnamed Przełęcz Nowickiego (Nowicki"s Pass) in the Buczynowe Turnie Tatras peaks.
Politics
As a university student, Nowicki co-edited (with Kazimierz Tetmajer, Andrzej Niemojewski, Artur Górski and others) a socialist-leaning journal, Ognisko (Focus). Some years later, he co-founded the Polish Socialist-Democratic Party (Polska Partia Socjalistyczno-Demokratyczna).
Membership
In 1924 Nowicki retired from teaching, and in 1934 he became an honorary member of the Polish Writers" Union (Związek Zawodowy Literatów Polskich).