Wilhelm Hosenfeld jako homo viator

The figure of Wilhelm Hosenfeld (1895–1952), a German officer who saved people during World War II, including Poles and Jews, is marked by the drama of his life, to which he gave deep meaning. It is impossible to remain indifferent to his story, because it not only arouses interest, but above all makes us reflect and ask ourselves an existential question: what is most important in life?His life and attitude of openness to other people present a realistic vision of humanity that corresponds to the concept of existential personalism created by the French philosopher Gabriel Marcel (1889–1973).Gabriel Marcel developed his personalistic concept of a person based on personal experiences, especially during World War II. Through the prism of his realistic “reading” of the essence of humanity, it is easier to understand the character of Wilhelm Hosenfeld. A characteristic feature of this officer was love, which was expressed in specific attitudes and was subject to constant development, leading him to full humanity. The analyses undertaken here using the phenomenological method focus on the reality of love, experienced by Wilhelm Hosenfeld and expressed to another person. Source texts will be used, especially Wilhelm Hosenfeld’s diary and letters, as well as the philosophical works of Gabriel Marcel and various studies on both authors. The personalistic concept of the person of Gabriel Marcel is the hermeneutic key to the analysis of Hosenfeld’s life and his writings