Florian's Gate

by T. Davis Bunn

  My research trips to Poland were made infinitely richer through the kind hospitality of Isabella’s family. Their warm and giving nature come truly from the heart, and they shared with us the very best of both what they had and who they were. I am truly thankful to be a part of such a wonderful family.

  Many powerful lessons came to me through these visits with my wife’s family. Despite the pain that was recalled along with the memories, they shared a number of the events which they either witnessed or experienced themselves during the past five decades. What touched me most deeply, however, was not the experiences themselves, but rather the way in which they were described.

  Virtually all the events woven into the Polish section of this book come from their experiences, and where possible are kept exactly as they were related to me. I say this so that there can be no question as to the reality of their suffering. And yet, throughout my visits with them, they never overcame their natural humility to the point of really believing that what they had to say was of any special significance, or could be of interest to others.

  Isabella believes that there are two major reasons for this: First, everyone in Poland suffered horribly as a result of both the war and Stalin’s subsequent domination of Eastern Europe. Because they have spent their lives surrounded by other families who experienced the same or even worse traumas, they cannot understand how great an impact their stories might have on someone from the West.

  The second reason is that they see themselves as simple people—they are not famous, they have not conquered their difficulties, they have not made a great name for themselves. They have simply endured, and their life stories are nothing more in their eyes than struggling to live and to survive despite all that is placed upon their minds and hearts and shoulders. They shared their experiences with me in acknowledgement of my becoming part of the family. But they never could understand why I insisted on taking notes. They never could see why their stories moved me as they did.

  My wife’s assistance is found on every page of this book. None of her family in Poland speaks English, so all of their stories and observations were painstakingly translated by her. She taught me constantly from the wealth of knowledge which she has gained through her travels and studies; Isabella attended the University of Cracow for a year, and has returned numerous times since then, including one visit just as martial law was imposed. It has been a very rewarding experience to work with her on this book. I feel that I have begun to understand a fragment of the beauty and the strength which is contained within the Polish spirit.

  My wife’s father, Olgierd Kaliszczak, was prisoner number 1914 in the Auschwitz concentration camp. All that is described here in this book—from being picked up during a random street search to being released because of his mother’s untiring efforts—comes from his memories, and is written using his words. The only change I made was that Olgierd was actually arrested at a market square in Warsaw instead of Cracow. It was the first time that he had ever spoken of his experiences in such detail, and it was a tremendously difficult endeavor. I am extremely grateful to him, both for the painful act of remembering, and for granting me the gift of this sharing. I would also like to offer my heartfelt thanks to his wife, Danka, who gave me my first lessons in Polish hospitality at their home in Virginia. The key, I have learned from her and others, is to give the very best of what one has, and to give from the heart.

  Janusz Zurawski is former director of one of Poland’s largest construction engineering groups. He and his wife Haluta opened their hearts and home to us, and aided me greatly in gaining historical insight into the Polish character. Dr. Teresa Aleksandrowicz virtually took responsibility for us during our second visit to Warsaw.

  Marian and Dusia Tarka shared numerous experiences that were truly difficult to relive, including the incident of the Siberian conscription—the woman who returned is a very dear friend of theirs. Their son, Slawek, was kind enough to spend several hours discussing the current crisis within the Polish police.

  Olek Tarka and his wife Halinka were of immense help and support. From Olek I received much of the general economic perspective. Halinka personally took me around several villages near Cracow so that I might visit the homes and cottages which were described here.

  * * *

  Andrzej Koprowski, S.J., is the former head of media for the Polish Catholic Church, and currently directs programs on both national radio and television. Grzegorz Schmidt, S.J., is a rector of the Catholic University of Warsaw and editor of the Catholic magazine Przeglad Powszechny. Both of these gentlemen were kind enough to assist me in developing a perspective for the church’s overall efforts.

  Amid the incredible chaos of shifting from communism to capitalism (until recently, virtually no private commercial establishments were allowed), I found a number of people who were truly passionate about their fledgling antique trades, and who were delighted to speak about their experiences with a total stranger. Marck Lengiewicz is president of the Rempex Auction House. Barbara Zdrenka is owner of Warsaw’s Antykwariat Dziel Sztuki Dawnej, a fine establishment with a remarkable collection of truly beautiful small items. Monika Kuhne is manager of the Noble House in Warsaw, a very up-market shop with some breathtaking pieces. The staff of Cracow’s Connoisseur Antyki were all most patient with my endless questions.

  Adam Konopacki is one of the few Polish art and antiques consultants who has, in a short span of time, established a name as a trustworthy evaluator. He was extremely helpful in giving me an overview of the Polish antiques trade, the characters involved, their backgrounds, and how the ‘industry’ is developing.

  Waclaw Wlodarczyk is miner number 142 in the Wieliczka Salt Mines. When he learned the reason for our wanting to visit the mines, he took it as a personal challenge and led us down into the older unused areas—an exciting and somewhat frightening experience. Some of these areas had clearly not been refurbished for decades, and the wood under our feet and around our heads bore that strange hoary frost and weak parchment feel. I am very grateful for an experience that I will not soon forget.

  John Hess is director of Youth With A Mission’s efforts in Cracow. It was from him that I learned of Father Bloknicki and his Poland-wide mission project described in this book.

  Rev. Konstanty Wiazowski is president of the Polish Baptist Union, and Rev. I. Barna is general secretary. They were most kind in assisting me with my research; when our work took longer than expected, they invited Isabella and me to take part in a wedding celebration that evening. It was an exceptional time for both of us, and we are truly grateful for their congregation’s open-hearted welcome.

  * * *

  The story of stealing antiques in East Germany by putting the owners into prison and sometimes torturing them into signing the sales documents is true. The trial is currently underway for over a dozen defendants. The scandal has now reached the top echelons of the former government.

  Renate Trotz was co-founder of the Schwerin New Forum, the nationwide democratic group whose peaceful protests ushered in the fall of East German President Hoennecker and the rise of democracy. She is also an attorney, and in this capacity was most helpful in gaining background information on the unfolding scandal.

  Thilo Schelling and his assistant Kathrin Dobrowolski are responsible for working with West German and international companies who are starting up operations in the former East German state of Mecklenburg. He gave up a secure senior position in Dusseldorf in order to be a part of the rebuilding of new Germany. He provided a most enthusiastic and realistic overview, which helped tremendously in coming to understand the enormous problems—and opportunities—that face the new German states. His assistant deserves a special note of thanks for her open-hearted discussion of what it meant to live through the transition as a young woman professional. I am very grateful to both of them for their time and heartfelt assistance.

  Help also came from the new Mecklenburg government’s Secretary of State, Wolfgang Pfletshinger, and Minister of
Commerce Lehman. Despite the enormous demands placed upon their time and energies, they stopped long enough to offer their perspectives with candor.

  Rainer Rausch is a lawyer from Munich who has given up his practice, his home, and his former life in order to work with the evangelical church in Mecklenburg. He works both in attempting to regain assets stripped by the former Communist regime and in assisting people who have been persecuted because of their role within the church. He kindly assisted with gaining a clear perspective and with making introductions for me within the region.

  Dr. Seyfarth is the head of Mecklenburg’s only evangelical seminary, situated in Schwerin. He is a very deep-thinking, profound, and inspiring gentleman who grasps the problems facing his region with the gentle humility of one who truly loves Christ. I am indeed grateful for the insights that have gone into the making of this book, and for the lessons I gained personally from him.

  Irene Heinze is the historian at the Castle-Museum of Güstrow in Mecklenburg. She spent an entire afternoon walking Isabella and me through their collection, explaining in detail the history and the significance of both the palace and the pieces housed there.

  Several times a year, my wife and I try to schedule a four-day silent retreat at a Carmelite monastery near Oxford. During one of these visits we met a Polish gentleman, Brother Jerzy, who became the basis for the character of Gregor. He has remained a good friend and true example of Christ’s love at work.

  * * *

  My stepbrother, Lee Bunn, is a recovering alcoholic. His story formed the basis for the character of Jeffrey’s brother, and I am immensely grateful that Lee feels confident enough about his own past and recovery to allow me to use his experiences as a part of this book. Lee became a part of our family several years after my departure for Europe at the age of twenty-one, and we have never spent as much time together as I would like. The segment about being moved from place to place is fiction; the story of his fall from the tree is sadly true. I am proud and happy to say, however, that Lee is now a member of A.A., and has not only come to grips with his own debilitation but truly grown in stature and strength through his walk with the Lord. His mother, my father’s second wife, has taught me a tremendous amount about strength through faith; it was Patricia who introduced me to the concept of co-dependency, and to the healing power of faith in such tragic circumstances. Her example has proven to be a valuable beacon to others experiencing such pain.

  Seven weeks before I began work on this book, the pastor of my church in Düsseldorf, Bill DeLay, entered the hospital for what we thought was appendicitis, but what turned out to be a tumor. He hovered at death’s door for four days, then two weeks into his hospitalization had a relapse and again almost died. His four-month sojourn ended with a return to full health, but during his recovery Bill suffered tremendous agony. The result of this experience was a five-part sermon series on the theme of suffering. Much of that has been incorporated into this book. Bill and his wife Cathy have continued to offer great assistance with both the scriptural messages required for my book, and the biblical wisdom necessary for my own continued growth. I am very grateful for their love and prayerful support.

  My mother, Becky Bunn, is the former owner of an antiques gallery and has managed several others. I am indeed grateful for the experiences and wisdom she has shared with me, and for the appreciation I have gained through her for fine woodwork. She now leads her own church’s Stephen Ministries Outreach Program; I have gained great insight in how to work with people in pain through our talks. Thanks again, Mom. Your words stay with me through the years.

  * * *

  Amelia Fitzalan-Howard is client services manager at Christie’s in London. She was kind enough to spend several hours touring both the house’s public showrooms and the underground treasure rooms. Edward Lennox-Boyd is manager of the furniture department, and explained the finer points of several pieces they had recently auctioned. These included the chest of drawers described during the Christie’s scene near the beginning of the book; in this case I used the lowest initial estimate, because I feared the actual sales price would have seemed too unbelievable—the piece finally went for one and a half million pounds, over 2.75 million dollars.

  Dr. Fabian Stein, director of Ermitage, Ltd., along with his partner, Alexander von Solodkov, runs one of the world’s leading shops for Fabergé jewelry. He spent several days walking a total novice—me—through the artistic endeavors of one of the world’s foremost jewelers.

  Nancy Matthews, publicity director of the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce, received her initial training in antiques from the world-renowned Sotheby’s School. Her assistance in making numerous contacts within the London antiques trade was invaluable.

  Bryan Rolliston is co-owner of the Antique House on Kensington Church Street, and in the midst of a hectic day at the Grosvenor House Antiques Fair he took time to answer in exhaustive detail my questions about his pieces and the market in general.

  Norman Adams owns the Adams store on Hans Road in the Kensington district of London, and is a passionate specialist in eighteenth-century English furniture. I am indeed grateful that he would share a bit of his knowledge and love of fine antiques with me.

  The Grosvenor House Antiques Fair, under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, was for me something of a mind-boggling experience. I am extremely grateful to the staff of their very capable press office for treating a green newcomer with such tact and polite patience.

  Working with the family at Bethany House Publishers continues to be a source of great joy. It means a very great deal to me that our professional relationship is enriched by growing friendships. I thank God for the opportunity to work with such fine and talented people. As it is not possible to name everyone who deserves mention, I shall limit myself to two very special individuals. David Koechel of the Koechel-Peterson studios designed and painted this book’s splendid cover-art. Cindy Alewine is personal assistant to Bethany’s Editor-in-Chief, and is very much responsible for the smooth running of our day-to-day activities. Cindy has been a true friend and highly valued confidant since the very first day.

  As always, I close with an invitation for anyone who has questions or problems to feel free to write Reverend Paul McCommon. Paul has received a great number of letters from readers of my books, and always replies with promptness. He has been kind enough to share several of his less personal responses with me, and I have been deeply moved by his wisdom and gentle guidance. Anyone wishing to discuss a problem or question should please contact:

  * * *

  Reverend Paul McCommon

  c/o Bethany House Publishers

  11400 Hampshire Avenue South

  Bloomington, MN 55438

  DAVIS BUNN, a professional novelist for over twenty years, is the author of numerous national bestsellers with sales totaling more than six million copies. His work has been published in sixteen languages, and his critical acclaim includes three Christy Awards for excellence in fiction. Formerly an international business executive working in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Bunn is now a lecturer in creative writing and Writer in Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University. He and his wife, Isabella, divide their time between the English countryside and the coast of Florida.

  Books by Davis Bunn

  * * *

  The Book of Hours

  The Great Divide

  Winner Take All

  The Lazarus Trap

  Elixir

  Imposter

  Lion of Babylon

  Rare Earth

  All Through the Night

  My Soul to Keep

  ACTS OF FAITH*

  The Centurion’s Wife • The Hidden Flame

  The Damascus Way

  SONG OF ACADIA*

  The Meeting Place • The Sacred Shore

  The Birthright • The Distant Beacon

  The Beloved Land

  HEIRS OF ACADIA†

  The Solitary Envoy • T
he Innocent Libertine

  The Noble Fugitive • The Night Angel

  Falconer’s Quest

  *with Janette Oke †with Isabella Bunn