bruno schulz was a polish jewish writer, fine artist, literary critic and art teacher. he is regarded as one of the great polish-language prose stylists of the 20th century. in 1938, he was awarded the polish academy of literature's prestigious golden laurel award. several of schulz's works were lost in the holocaust, including short stories from the early 1940s and his final, unfinished novel the messiah. schulz was shot and killed by a gestapo officer in 1942 while walking back home toward drohobycz ghetto with a loaf of bread.