Ludwika Sosnowska (1751 – 6 December 1836) was a Polish aristocrat, who co-translated the first physiocratic work from French to Polish, had an affair with the military engineer Tadeusz Kościuszko but ultimately married Prince

Jozef Lubomirski Jozef or Józef is a Dutch, Breton, Polish and Slovak version of masculine given name Joseph. A selection of people with that name follows. For a comprehensive list see and .. * Józef Beck (1894–1944), Polish foreign minister in the 1930s ...

Biography

Born in 1751 Sosnowska was a Polish noblewoman, who was the daughter of

Józef Sosnowski Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

the

Field Lithuanian Hetman Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

and one of the richest men in Poland. As a young woman, Sosnowska had an affair with Tadeusz Kościuszko, who at the time was working as her tutor. She and Kościuszko tried to elope, but were thwarted by her father, who did not want her to marry Kościuszko. He was forced to leave Poland for France under the threat of death. Whilst she was Kościuszko's pupil Sosnowska and her sister made the first translation from French to Polish of a work on

physiocracy Physiocracy (; from the Greek for "government of nature") is an economic theory developed by a group of 18th-century Age of Enlightenment French economists who believed that the wealth of nations derived solely from the value of "land agricultur ...

. After the affair, Sosnowska was confined to a convent. She then married Prince

- a match organised by her father. In 1788 Sosnowska used her position as a Polish princess to petition the king for an appointment for Kościuszko in the Polish army. Due to financial problems, her husband in 1794 transferred her pledged property in Rivne, which she got out of debt. They had three children, Henryka Ludwika and Fryderyk Wilhelm and a daughter

Helena Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer *Helena, mother of Constantine I Places Greece * Helena (island) Guyana * ...

. She died on 6 December 1836 in Rivne.

Historiography

Much emphasis has been placed by biographers of Tadeusz Kościuszko on the role of this failed love affair in his life. Historian Halina Filipowicz suggested that the focus on this heterosexual affair by biographers could have been used as a device to hide homosexual inclinations.

In literature

Sosnowska and her affair with Kościuszko feature in the play '' Lekcja polskiego'' ( pl) by Anna Bojarska ( pl). In her play she sends him a ring engraved with the words "To Virtue from Friendship".

References

External links

Google Arts & Culture Google Arts & Culture (formerly Google Art Project) is an online platform of high-resolution images and videos of artworks and cultural artifacts from partner cultural organizations throughout the world. It utilizes high-resolution image technol ...

Kościuszko i Ludwika Sosnowska
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sosnowska, Ludwika 1751 births 1836 deaths Polish translators Polish princesses