Before fleeing the family estate near Lviv, in what is now Ukraine, Jan Glazewski’s father buried what he could salvage of the family silver in the forest. The Glazewskis left war-ravaged Europe after World War II for a new life in South Africa. When Jan is born in Paarl in 1953, he nearly dies, like his elder brother before him, of severe haemophilia.
Against the odds, he survives childhood – only to discover, at the start of his career, that he is HIV-positive from receiving contaminated blood products.
Despite this setback, Jan goes on to have a remarkable legal and academic career, which includes his involvement in drafting the environmental clause in the new South African Constitution. It is only after retirement that Jan finally has the opportunity to indulge his lifelong obsession: to recover the family silver.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jan 'Janek' Glazewski is of Polish descent. Born in Paarl in 1953, Jan is Emeritus Professor in the Institute of Marine and Environmental Law at UCT. He was involved in ensuring the incorporation of environmental rights in the South African Constitution, and has written the leading textbook in the field, Environmental Law in South Africa.
'Blood and Silver: A true story of survival and a son’s search for his family treasure' is published by Tafelberg, an imprint of NB Publishers
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE ARTICLE ENQUIRY
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
