Kazimierz Konopka (1769–1805 or 1809) was a Polish Jacobin, secretary of

Hugo Kołłątaj Hugo Stumberg Kołłątaj, also spelled ''Kołłątay'' (pronounced , 1 April 1750 – 28 February 1812), was a prominent Polish constitutional reformer and educationalist, and one of the most prominent figures of the Polish Enlightenment. He s ...

, officer in the Polish Legions, aide-de-camp of

Jan Henryk Dąbrowski Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (; also known as Johann Heinrich Dąbrowski (Dombrowski) in German and Jean Henri Dombrowski in French; 2 August 1755 – 6 June 1818) was a Polish general and statesman, widely respected after his death for his patri ...

. He gained notoriety for his involvements in the unrest and

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging ...

s in

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 officia ...

during the Kościuszko Uprising.

Biography

Konopka was born in 1769 to a

burgher Burgher may refer to: * Burgher (social class), a medieval, early modern European title of a citizen of a town, and a social class from which city officials could be drawn ** Burgess (title), a resident of a burgh in northern Britain ** Grand Bu ...

family in

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...

. He studies law in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, where he was a lawyer applicant in the F. Barss legal practice. Member of the Kołłątaj's Forge organization and one of the

Polish Jacobins Polish Jacobins (or Huguenots) was the name given to a group of late 18th century radical Polish politicians by their opponents. Polish Jacobins formed during the Great Sejm as an offshoot of the "Kołłątaj's Forge" (''Kuźnia Kołłątajska'') ...

, and secretary to

; during Kołlataj's period as the Deputy Crown Chancellor (podkanclerz koronny) in 1791, Konopka held the position of the Secretary of the Lesser Seal (sekretarz pieczęci mniejszej). He participated in the Kościuszko Uprising, joining the cavalry. During that period, around May and June 1794, he gained notoriety as one of the leaders of the demonstrations and riots in

. In particular, he was involved in the "hanging of the traitors" incident around 28 June. In this incident, not supported by the insurrectionist government, out of several people hanged, including insurrection opponents such as chamberlain

Karol Boscamp-Lasopolski Karol Boscamp-Lasopolski (also Boskamp, de Boscamp, de Boskamp) (died 28 June 1794) was a Dutch diplomat in service of Poland and Russia. He was a Chamberlain in the court of Polish king Stanisław August Poniatowski. He was lynched by a mob durin ...

, prince

Antoni Stanisław Czetwertyński-Światopełk Prince Antoni Stanisław Czetwertyński-Światopełk (1748–1794) was a nobleman ('' szlachcic'') and politician in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Life and career He was one of the Polish magnates who took the side of the Russian Empire, ...

and bishop

Ignacy Jakub Massalski Prince Ignacy Massalski ( lt, Ignotas Jokūbas Masalskis) (1726–1794) was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman. Ignacy became a Catholic priest and was named Bishop of Vilnius by Pope Clement XIII on 29 March 1762.''Hierarchia Catholica medii et recen ...

, the defense attorney and a prosecutor who attempted to stop the mob were also beaten and hanged; they included a friend of

Tadeusz Kościuszko Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko ( be, Andréj Tadévuš Banavientúra Kasciúška, en, Andrew Thaddeus Bonaventure Kosciuszko; 4 or 12 February 174615 October 1817) was a Polish military engineer, statesman, and military leader who ...

, advocate Michał Wulfers. For his involvement in the incident, Koponka was sentenced by the insurrectionist court to an exile (banicja). Koponka left for

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, where he joined French cavalry, and fought in Corsica. In the aftermath of the final

Third Partition of Poland The Third Partition of Poland (1795) was the last in a series of the Partitions of Poland–Lithuania and the land of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth among Prussia, the Habsburg monarchy, and the Russian Empire which effectively ended Polis ...

, after Polish Legions were recreated under the French control in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, he became involved in the formation creation, reaching a rank of a captain or major (sources vary). He commanded a squadron, and later, a baon. In 1801 he was an aide-de-camp of

. He died in 1805 in Bari (Pachoński mentions a sudden

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

) or in 1809 (according to Rusinowa). Konopka is one of the figures immortalized in Jan Matejko's 1891 painting, ''

Constitution of 3 May 1791 The Constitution of 3 May 1791,; lt, Gegužės trečiosios konstitucija titled the Governance Act, was a constitution adopted by the Great Sejm ("Four-Year Sejm", meeting in 1788–1792) for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, a dual mo ...

.'' He is shown near the center, with an outstretched hand, holding the czekan (an ax- and hammer-like weapon) and with a French blue-white-red flower in his hat.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Konopka, Kazimierz 1769 births 1805 deaths Kościuszko insurgents Polish legionnaires (Napoleonic period) Military personnel of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Lawyers from Warsaw Military personnel from Poznań Polish Jacobins