“In May 1938 I passed the secondary school examination and entered the University to study Polish language and letters…”

“I began my studies in the Faculty of Philosophy at the Jagiellonian University …
but I was able to complete only the first year, since Second World War broke out on 1 September 1939.”

“We studied the descriptive grammar of modern Polish as well as the historical evolution of the language. This opened up completely new horizons for me; it introduced me to the mystery of language itself…
Ultimately, the mystery of language bring us back to the inscrutable mystery of God himself“.

“I inevitably drew closer to the mystery of the Word -that Word of which we speak everyday in the Angelus: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14).

“But let’s go back to 1 September 1939. The outbreak of the war radically change the course of my life. True, the professors of the Jagiellonian University tried to start the new academic year in the usual way, but lectures lasted only until 6 November 1939. On that day the German authorities assembled all the teachers in a meeting which ended with the deportations of those distinctive scholars to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. The period of my life devoted to Polish language and letters thus came to and end, and the period of the German occupation began.

During that time I tried at first to do a lot of reading and writing . My first literary works date back to that period”.

GIFT AND MISTERY

On the Fiftieth Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination
By Pope John Paul II
Pages 23-25 & 28-29

The Jagiellonian University remained close to Karol Wojtyła’s heart after he became the bishop of Kraków and a cardinal. He also frequently referred to the links with his alma mater after being elected to the Holy See. During his second papal visit to Poland in 1983 he was awarded the JU honorary doctorate at a ceremony in Collegium Maius.

“I cannot conceal that I am deeply moved as I enter the doors of my alma mater. For many years when I lived in Kraków, these historic University buildings were part of my everyday experience. And yet, they have not lost anything from their magnificence and freshness. The greatness of the Jagiellonian University resides in the role it has played in the history of our motherland as well as the culture of Poland, Europe and the entire world. This is how it was seen by its alumnus, Father Piotr Skarga, when he praised the Kraków Academy as a most fortunate foundation of Polish kings  and a jewel in their crown. During the 40 years of living in Kraków, close to the Jagiellonian University, I was constantly aware of being close to greatness.

John Paul II and the Jagiellonian University

https://en.uj.edu.pl/wyd2016/jp2