Prince Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski (1 December 1734 – 19 March 1823) was an influential Polish aristocrat, writer, literary and theater critic, linguist, traveller and statesman. He was a great patron of arts and a candidate for the Polish crown. He was educated in England and after his return to Poland in 1758, he became a member of the

Sejm The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...

(parliament), Crown General of Podolia and Marshal of General Confederation of Kingdom of Poland.

Biography

Early life

He was the son of Prince August Aleksander Czartoryski,

voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...

of the Ruthenian Voivodeship, and Maria Zofia Sieniawska. He married Izabela Fleming on 18 November 1761, in Wołczyn,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

Political career

A member of the '' Familia'', in 1763 he declined to be a candidate for the Polish crown, preferring instead to be a patron of the arts, and withdrawing in favor of

Stanisław August Poniatowski Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regnal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, and as Stanisław August Poniatowski (), was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuani ...

. With his wife, Izabela Czartoryska, he created at the Czartoryski Palace in Puławy a major center of Polish intellectual and political life. He served from 1758 as general starost of Podolia. Founder of the "''Little Monitor''", in 1765 he co-founded the '' Monitor'', the leading periodical of the Polish Enlightenment. In 1766 he reorganized the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army. In 1767 he joined the Radom Confederation. In 1768 he became the commander of the School of Chivalry ( Corps of Cadets). In 1788-1792 he was Deputy from

Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...

to the " Four-Year Sejm." Drawing closer to the king once again, he became a leader of the Patriotic Party and co-founder of Poland's

Commission of National Education The Commission of National Education (, KEN, ) was the central educational authority in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, created by the Sejm and King Stanisław August Poniatowski, Stanisław II August on October 14, 1773. Because of its ...

. He supported the Polish Constitution of 3 May 1791, and headed a

diplomatic mission A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually denotes ...

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

, attempting to convince Frederick Augustus III, Elector of Saxony to support the Commonwealth and accept its throne (after Poniatowski's future death). He refused to join the Targowica Confederation established to bring the Constitution down. He received the Order of the White Eagle on 25 November 1764. He was

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

of the Convocation Sejm of 7 May - 23 June 1764, and of the Extraordinary Sejm of 26–28 June 1812, held in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

. Thus he became Marshal of General Confederation of Kingdom of Poland.

Remembrance

He is one of the figures immortalized in

Jan Matejko Jan Alojzy Matejko (; also known as Jan Mateyko; 24 June 1838 – 1 November 1893) was a Polish painter, a leading 19th-century exponent of history painting, known for depicting nodal events from Polish history. His works include large scale ...

's 1891 painting, '' Constitution of May 3, 1791.''

Awards

* Order of the White Eagle (25 November 1764) * Order of Saint Stanisław * Order of St. Andrew (1762) * Order of St. Anna * Knight of the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...

(Austria) (1808)

Works

Czartoryski was an author of numerous comedies and plays. He has also written a critical essay on contemporary Polish literature, ''Myśli o pismach polskich'' houghts on Polish Writings(1810). * ''Panna na wydaniu'' (1771). * ''Katechizm kadecki'' (The Cadet's Catechism, 1774). * ''Kawa'' (Coffee, 1779). * ''Myśli o pismach polskich'' houghts on Polish Writings(1810).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Czartoryski, Adam Kazimierz 1734 births 1823 deaths Writers from Gdańsk Field marshals of Austria Candidates for the Polish elective throne Generals of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Polish male writers 18th-century philanthropists Polish philanthropists Marshals of the Sejm of a Partitioned Poland Members of the Sejm of Duchy of Warsaw Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski Recipients of the Order of St. Anna Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria Politicians from Gdańsk 18th-century Polish–Lithuanian landowners 19th-century Polish landowners Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)