Hrabina Cosel (The Countess Cosel) is a 1968 Polish film directed by Jerzy Antczak. The film is based on Józef Ignacy Kraszewski’s novel ''Hrabina Cosel'', a historical romance set in the court of

Augustus the Strong Augustus II; german: August der Starke; lt, Augustas II; in Saxony also known as Frederick Augustus I – Friedrich August I (12 May 16701 February 1733), most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as ...

, the first of the two Saxon kings of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, at the turn of the 17th to 18th century.http://miskinhill.com.au/journals/asees/19:1-2/noble-faces-beautiful-souls.pdf

Plot

''The Countess Cosel'' is based on the true story of the beautiful

Anna Constantia von Brockdorff Anna Constantia von Brockdorff (17 October 1680 – 31 March 1765), later the Countess of Cosel, was a German lady-in-waiting and noblewoman, and mistress of Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, in 1706–1713. Eventual ...

, a German noblewoman who became mistress of

, King of Poland and

Elector of Saxony The Electorate of Saxony, also known as Electoral Saxony (German: or ), was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356–1806. It was centered around the cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz. In the Golden Bull of 1356, Emperor Charles ...

in 1704. Against the backdrop of life at Augustus’ court the movie follows the arrival at

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

of 24-year-old Anna Constantia von Brockdorff, who is an inordinately beautiful and scrupulously devout young married woman; her romance with the king and her ‘ten year reign’ as his mistress – a role she consents to in the belief that she has won the king’s love and commitment; and finally, her heartbreak, disillusion and struggle against him. The conflict between Anna and the king arises from the fact that Anna takes seriously not only the relationship, but the written promise of marriage which she manages to secure from him during their courtship. Neither the relationship nor the contract is held in much esteem by Augustus, who replaces her, as he has always done, with another mistress, as soon as she loses for him the charm of novelty. Her valiant refusal to return the marriage promissory note upon request enrages him and delivers her to her miserable fate. In the opinion of the court, Cosel came to be considered increasingly dangerous when it became known that king Augustus had given her a secret written promise of marriage. Ultimately, she fell from grace with the king when she showed her jealousy after her spies told her about the king's affair with Countess Maria Magalena von

Dönhoff The House of Dönhoff (Polish: Denhoff, sometimes also Doenhoff) was an old and influential German noble family, which later also became part of the Polish nobility. History It was first mentioned in 1282, in the County of Mark in Westp ...

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

. Distraught and feeling desperate to win back king's affection, Cosel departed Dresden to meet the king in Warsaw only to be turned back at the city gates. Augustus, having no more feelings for his former mistress, gave orders to lock her up in the Stolpen fortress. Cosel's faith and courage, which replaced her initial despair and anger culminated in her decision to remain in her jail, even after Augustus’ death, thirty-two years before her own, opened the way for her to regain her freedom. As a result, Cosel was imprisoned for forty-nine years, before she died in 1765, being eighty-five years of age. To the end of her life she preserved traces of her great beauty, by which she became so famous.

Cast

Jadwiga Barańska Jadwiga Barańska (born 21 October 1935) is a Polish actress and screenwriter. Jadwiga Barańska is married to Polish director Jerzy Antczak and the mother of Mikołaj Antczak, born in 1964. Selected filmography * ''Wraki'' (1956) as Irena * '' ...

–

, countess Cosel * Mariusz Dmochowski –

Augustus II the Strong Augustus II; german: August der Starke; lt, Augustas II; in Saxony also known as Frederick Augustus I – Friedrich August I (12 May 16701 February 1733), most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as K ...

* Stanisław Jasiukiewicz – Raimund Zaklika, Polish soldier in love with Cosel and her faithful servant *

Daniel Olbrychski Daniel Marcel Olbrychski (; born 27 February 1945) is a Polish film and theatre actor who is widely considered one of the greatest Polish actors of his generation. He appeared in 180 films and TV productions and is best known for leading roles ...

– King

Charles XII of Sweden Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII ( sv, Karl XII) or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 O.S.), was King of Sweden (including current Finland) from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of ...

* Ignacy Gogolewski – baron Frederic Kyan * Stanisław Milski – count

Egon von Fürstenberg Egon is a variant of the male given name Eugene. It is most commonly found in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden, Denmark, and parts of the Netherlands and Belgium. The name can also be derived from the ...

* Henryk Borowski – count Adolf von Hoym, Cosel's husband * Władysław Hańcza – Saxon general Schulenburg *

Leon Niemczyk Leon Stanisław Niemczyk (15 December 1923 – 29 November 2006) was a Polish actor. Niemczyk developed into a leading box-office star throughout the 1960s, known for serious dramas, including historical dramas and war films. He appeared in over ...

– French count de Lecherenne * Krystyna Chmielewska – Marianna

, new mistress of the king Augustus * Mieczysław Kałenik – La Haye, lieutenant of the life guards * Maria Homerska – Christiane Eberhardine, king's wife * Władysław Dewoyno – Holder, a Saxon nobleman * Bronisław Pawlik – Johann Böttger, king's alchemist

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hrabina Cosel, Countess Cosel 1968 films Polish historical romance films 1960s Polish-language films Epic films 1960s historical romance films 1968 romantic drama films Films based on Polish novels Films set in the 18th century Films set in Poland Films set in Germany Films set in Warsaw Films directed by Jerzy Antczak Cultural depictions of Charles XII of Sweden Polish romantic drama films