Z historii bydgoskich rozrywek umysłowych

Abstrakt

This study shows the history of Bydgoszcz word plays and mind games, focusing in particular on literary works, newspaper publishing companies, activity of charade enthusiasts’ clubs and presentation of authors involved in this activity in Bydgoszcz and to a lesser extent in nearby cities (Chełmża, Grudziądz, Inowrocław, Toruń). It applies to late medieval word plays (abecedariuses, acrostics), elaborate Baroque poetry (acrostics, anagrams, chronograms, tautograms, word puzzles), and those interested in solving newspaper puzzles (logogriphs, mathematical puzzles, rebuses, charades, and puzzles). An inspiration to write this publication is the sixtieth anniversary of the Bydgoszcz Charade Enthusiasts’ Club, the oldest continuously operating club involved in popularization of mind games in Bydgoszcz and across the country. Equally important topic is reminding about the frequently forgotten and once important role of the mentioned cities as centers of culture, education and media of national range. The article also mentions the role played by charade enthusiasts’ clubs from Bydgoszcz, Toruń and Grudziądz in the contemporary movement of mind game aficionados. Most of information quoted in the article was based on more than forty years of source studies, my own collections and information presented in my earlier publications, primarily in “The Encyclopedia of Mind Games”.