Ludwik Hieronim Morstin (12 December 1886,

Pławowice Pławowice is a hamlet lying within the Voivodeship of Małopolska and the County of Proszowice. The river Szreniawa runs alongside Pławowice and its municipal capital of Nowe Brzesko is found 5 km away in the direction of Kraków. At pr ...

– 12 May 1966,

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 ...

) was a soldier, diplomat, editor and poet. He was educated at the Jan III Sobieski High School in

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

and between 1906 and 1910 continued his studies in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. After finishing his education, Morstin was, between 1911 and 1913, the co-editor of monthly ''Museion'' paper. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he served in the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the Polish Legions and ended the war with the rank of major. As a result of his services to the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

he received the title of Count from

Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...

on 29 July 1915. Immediately after the war Morstin served in the

Regency Council In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

as well as on diplomatic missions to Paris (1919–1922) and

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

(1922–1924). Between 1930 and 1931 he was the editor of the monthly ''Pamiętnik Warszawski''. Following the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

there were, however, doubts in both German and Polish camps as to where the Morstin's loyalty lay due to their German origins. In 1943, Morstin replied to a German government letter questioning his German background that he was "a Pole and had no German roots". Morstin used his outhouses and estate to hide

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

s fleeing from Nazi death squads, an action for which he would have surely been executed by the Nazi Regime. Furthermore, he used the Pławowice Palace to hold meetings with the Polish Underground Army (

Armia Krajowa The Home Army (, ; abbreviated AK) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) established in the ...

). Stories have been told of Germans being billeted in the servants' quarters on the ground floor while leaders of the Polish Resistance held secret meetings on the floor above. When the Second World War ended in 1945 Morstin donated the Palace of Pławowice, park and his personal library to the Circle of Polish Writers. After a period of poor management and lack of financial acumen the Government took over the estate, exported the library to

and housed peasant families within the palace itself. Two stone lions were removed from the estate in 1966 and can now be seen in front of the Kraków Ratusz Tower. The new tenants used the wooden flooring and furniture for fire wood as well as moving their livestock into the palace. After 53 years of management by the Polish People's Republic the palace and the park was devastated and left in ruins. Ludwik had moved to

Zakopane Zakopane (Gorals#Language, Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Voivodeship; since 1999, it has ...

where he founded the Society of Amateur Theatre named after

Helena Modrzejewska Helena Modrzejewska (; born Jadwiga Helena Mizel; October 12, 1840 – April 8, 1909), known professionally in the United States as Helena Modjeska, was a Polish-American actress who specialized in William Shakespeare, Shakespearean and tragic ro ...

. He took an active part in theatre and literature in Kraków and

Katowice Katowice (, ) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. K ...

. In 1960 he moved to Warsaw where he lived till his death on 12 May 1966.

Honours and awards

In his lifetime Morstin was awarded the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

(1923) and the Złotym Wawrzynem Polskiej Akademii Literatury (1936) by the Government of the

Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I ...

, the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

, Officier, by the French Republic as well as the Commander's Cross of Polonia Restituta (1953) and the

Order of the Banner of Labour The Order of the Banner of Labour () was a governmental award in Poland during the 20th-century era of the Polish People's Republic, a former Marxist-Leninist state. The order was established by the Sejm (a chamber of the Polish parliament) on 2 ...

, I Class (1963) by the Communist

People's Republic of Poland The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...

.Proszowice - Zarys dziejów do 1939 roku"; pod redakcją Feliksa Kiryka; "Secesja" Kraków 2000

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morstin, Ludwik Hieronim 1886 births 1966 deaths People from Proszowice County Recipients of the Order of the Banner of Work Officers of the Legion of Honour Military attachés for Poland Officers of the Order of Polonia Restituta Commanders with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta Golden Laurel of the Polish Academy of Literature Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) Writers from Warsaw Officers of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Burials at Powązki Cemetery Knights of the Legion of Honour