Jan Bronski Timeline and Summary

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• Jan falls in love with his cousin Agnes Koljaiczek, and they begin a passionate romance. Unfortunately, Jan isn't everything Agnes wants out of a man. He's sad, poetic, and romantic, but not practical.
• He doesn't fight in WWI because of his weak physical condition.
• So Agnes decides to marry a shop owner named Alfred Matzerath but she and Jan continue their affair.
• Jan gets himself a job at the Polish Post Office in Danzig. It seems like a really good gig with lots of security.
• But as the anti-Polish Nazi party seems to gain more and more influence, Jan's working seems like less and less of a good idea. It's unclear if he stays out of loyalty or habit.
• Jan meets Agnes for weekly trysts and visits her regularly at home.
• After Oskar is born, he spends time with him and builds an affectionate relationship.
• Because of their physical resemblance, Oskar thinks Jan's really his father.
• Jan comforts Agnes when she gets sick after seeing eels caught on the beach.
• When Agnes dies, Jan's devastated.
• He still visits Matzerath every now and then to play cards.
• As a Pole, he rejects the Nazi party, and his relationship with Alfred deteriorates because of Alfred's involvement with the Nazis.
• One night, Oskar shows up on Jan's doorstep hoping to get his drum repaired by a friend at the Polish Post Office, even though Jan has stayed away from the place knowing it'll soon be attacked by the German army.
• Sure enough, the Germans attack, and Jan joins with his co-workers to defend the Post Office. Jan tries to get himself shot in the leg, but failing at that, decides to sit down and play cards with Oskar and a dying man.
• When the Germans break in, they take Jan away. Jan is babbling on about how he could have won the game of skat.
• Oskar never sees Jan again. He finds out later that Jan was shot by firing squad and buried in an unmarked grave.