Stanisław Poniatowski (15 September 1676 29 August 1762) was a Polish military commander, diplomat, and noble. Throughout his career, Poniatowski served in various military offices, and was a general in both the Swedish and Polish–Lithuanian militaries. He also held numerous civil positions, including those of ''
podstoli
Deputy pantler ( Polish: podstoli) was a court office in Poland and Lithuania. They were the deputy of a pantler, and was responsible for the King's pantry.
From the 14th century, this was an honorary court title and a district office in Crown o ...
'' of Lithuania and
Grand Treasurer
Podskarbi in Poland then in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was minister responsible for the treasury. Since 1569 also a senatorial office. The title although meaning treasurer can be deconstructed as "''under ingtreasury''" - treasury as an old ...
of the Lithuanian army in 1722,
voivode
Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...
of the
Masovian Voivodeship
The Masovian Voivodeship, also known as the Mazovia Province ( pl, województwo mazowieckie ) is a voivodeship (province) in east-central Poland, with its capital located in the city of Warsaw, which also serves as the capital of the country. Th ...
in 1731,
regimentarz
A Regimentarz (from Latin: ''regimentum'') was a military commander in Poland, since the 16th century, of an army group or a substitute of a Hetman. He was nominated by the King of Poland or the Sejm.
In the 17th century a Regimentarz was also t ...
of the
Crown Army
The Crown Army was the land service branch of the military forces of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It existed from the establishment of the federation in 1569 until the Third Partition of Poland
Th ...
in 1728, and
castellan
A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant ...
of
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...
in 1752. Throughout his lifetime, he served in many '' starost'' positions.
Poniatowski was involved in Commonwealth politics, and was a prominent member of the Familia, a faction led by the
Czartoryski family
The House of Czartoryski (feminine form: Czartoryska, plural: Czartoryscy; lt, Čartoriskiai) is a Polish princely family of Lithuanian- Ruthenian origin, also known as the Familia. The family, which derived their kin from the Gediminids dyna ...
. On a number of occasions he was in service of
Stanisław I Leszczyński Stanislav and variants may refer to:
People
*Stanislav (given name), a Slavic given name with many spelling variations (Stanislaus, Stanislas, Stanisław, etc.)
Places
* Stanislav, a coastal village in Kherson, Ukraine
* Stanislaus County, Cali ...
, the principal rival of
Augustus II
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 Ki ...
for the throne of Poland. Having served under Leszczyński as a military officer and envoy during the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swe ...
, Poniatowski later embraced the Russian-supported Augustus. Subsequently, during the
War of the Polish Succession
The War of the Polish Succession ( pl, Wojna o sukcesję polską; 1733–35) was a major European conflict sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II of Poland, which the other European powers widened in pursuit of thei ...
, he returned, with the majority of the Familia, to his earlier allegiance. He later effected a reconciliation with
Augustus III
Augustus III ( pl, August III Sas, lt, Augustas III; 17 October 1696 5 October 1763) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1733 until 1763, as well as Elector of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire where he was known as Frederick Aug ...
, and eventually became one of the new king's chief advisors.
Poniatowski's fifth son,
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, was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1764 to 1795, and the last monarc ...
, reigned as the last king of Poland from 1764 until 1795, when he abdicated as a result of the
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 ...
by the
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
, the
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...
, and the
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
.
Biography
Early life
Poniatowski was born on 15 September 1676 in the village of
Chojnik
Chojnik Castle (pronounced , german: Kynast, 1945–1948 pl, Chojnasty) is a castle located above the town of Sobieszów, today part of Jelenia Góra in southwestern Poland. Its remains stand on top of the Chojnik hill () within the Karkonosze ...
, now part of the
Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Lesser Poland Voivodeship or Lesser Poland Province (in pl, województwo małopolskie ), also known as Małopolska, is a voivodeship (province), in southern Poland. It has an area of , and a population of
3,404,863 (2019).
It was created on 1 ...
cup-bearer
A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues (such as poisoning), a person must have been regarded as ...
at
Wyszogród
Wyszogród is a town in central Poland, in Masovian Voivodeship, in Płock County, by the Vistula River. The population of Wyszogród was 2,793 in 2004.
History
The settlement dates back to the 7th century, when there was a Slavic pagan temp ...
Półkozic coat of arms
Półkozic is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several szlachta families in the times of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
History
According to legend, this coat was assigned to knight Stawisz, who was defending the foreign castle of Ete ...
, (died 1673/74). He was also the paternal grandson of one Jan Poniatowski, who died before 1676, although rumors regarding his parentage claimed that he was the son of
Hetman
( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders.
Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military ...
Polish Jewish
The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the lon ...
woman, later adopted by Franciszek.
Jerzy Łojek
Jerzy Łojek (3 September 1932 – 7 October 1986) was a Polish historian and opposition activist in People's Republic of Poland. He specialized in European, Polish and Russian history of 17th to 20h centuries. Some of his works were first publi ...
, ''Dzieje zdrajcy'',
Katowice
Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most popu ...
, 1988; , p. 189.
He received elementary education in
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, capital of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...
where he spent two years, and afterward traveled to
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
, then a province of that empire. There, he volunteered to join Imperial forces campaigning against the
Ottomans
The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922).
Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
in the
Great Turkish War
The Great Turkish War (german: Großer Türkenkrieg), also called the Wars of the Holy League ( tr, Kutsal İttifak Savaşları), was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Pola ...
cuirassier
Cuirassiers (; ) were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers, discarding their lances and adop ...
s. He participated in the
Battle of Zenta
The Battle of Zenta, also known as the Battle of Senta, was fought on 11 September 1697, near Zenta, Ottoman Empire (modern-day Senta, Serbia), between Ottoman and Holy League armies during the Great Turkish War. The battle was the most de ...
in 1697.
After the
Treaty of Karlowitz
The Treaty of Karlowitz was signed in Karlowitz, Military Frontier of Archduchy of Austria (present-day Sremski Karlovci, Serbia), on 26 January 1699, concluding the Great Turkish War of 1683–1697 in which the Ottoman Empire was defeated by ...
of 1699, which ended the war, he returned to Lithuania. Upon his return, he wed Teresa Woynianka-Jasieniecka, but their marriage ended abruptly with her death not long afterward. The union, however, raised his social status. In 1700, he participated in the Lithuanian Civil War as a supporter of the Sapieha family, fighting in the Battle of Valkininkai. Here, he was captured, but managed to escape, and he later served as Sapieha's emissary to
Charles XII
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 ...
, king of Sweden.
The Great Northern War and subsequent Swedish service
In 1702, Swedish forces invaded the Commonwealth as part of the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swe ...
, which had begun in 1700 between the
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries ( sv, Stormaktstiden, "the Era of Great Power"). The beginning of the empire is usually ta ...
and the
Tsardom of Russia
The Tsardom of Russia or Tsardom of Rus' also externally referenced as the Tsardom of Muscovy, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of Tsar by Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter I ...
.
Augustus II
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 Ki ...
, 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 ...
, was an ally of the Russian tsar
Peter I Peter I may refer to:
Religious hierarchs
* Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus
* Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint
* Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholicos ...
. Augustus's forces were defeated, and the king himself was forced back to Saxony. He was replaced by Charles with
Stanisław Leszczyński
Stanisław I Leszczyński (; lt, Stanislovas Leščinskis; french: Stanislas Leszczynski; 20 October 1677 – 23 February 1766), also Anglicized and Latinized as Stanislaus I, was twice King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and at v ...
, a Polish nobleman and count of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...
. Poniatowski, serving as a negotiator between the Wielkopolska Confederation and Charles XII, took the side of Leszczyński and distanced himself from the Sapiehas, formerly his patrons. In 1705, he became the
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
over Leszczyński's newly raised Trabant guard, modeled after the reputable Swedish Drabant Corps.''Emil Hildebrand'', Svensk historisk bibliografi, Volume 10. Svenska Historiska Föreningen, 1890. p. 196.
In 1708, Leszczyński appointed Poniatowski his personal representative to Charles XII.''Poniatowski Stanisław'', Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Zeszyt 171 (tom XXVII), 1983, p. 472. He participated in the
Battle of Holowczyn
The Battle of Holowczyn or Holofzin or Golovchin was fought in July 1708 between the Russian army, and the Swedish army, led by Charles XII of Sweden, only 26 years of age at the time. Despite difficult natural obstacles and superior enemy art ...
that year, and served as an aide to Charles XII during his exile in the Ottoman Empire after the
Battle of Poltava
The Battle of Poltava; russian: Полта́вская би́тва; uk, Полта́вська би́тва (8 July 1709) was the decisive and largest battle of the Great Northern War. A Russian army under the command of Tsar Peter I defeat ...
in 1709. Here, he worked to establish an alliance between the Ottomans and the Swedes, aiming to bring the Ottomans into the war against Russia. Due to diplomatic efforts on the part of the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, aligned with Sweden, the Ottomans began to campaign against the Russians in 1710. With this change in Ottoman foreign policy came the dismissal of
Çorlulu Ali Pasha
Çorlulu Damat Ali Pasha ( in Çorlu – 1711 in Lesbos) was an Ottoman grand vizier who held the office from 1706 to 1710.
Early life and career
As his surname indicates, Ali was born in Çorlu in , the son of a peasant or barber. His handsom ...
,
Grand Vizier
Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...
of
Ahmed III
Ahmed III ( ota, احمد ثالث, ''Aḥmed-i sālis'') was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and a son of Sultan Mehmed IV (r. 1648–1687). His mother was Gülnuş Sultan, originally named Evmania Voria, who was an ethnic Greek. He was born at ...
. His successor,
Köprülü Numan Pasha Köprülü may refer to:
People
* Köprülü family (Kypriljotet), an Ottoman noble family of Albanian origin
** Köprülü era (1656–1703), the period in which the Ottoman Empire's politics were set by the Grand Viziers, mainly the Köprülü fa ...
, was an acquaintance of Poniatowski and had been a supporter of an anti-Russian shift in Ottoman politics.
Poniatowski accompanied the Ottomans during the Pruth River Campaign, but was dissatisfied with the
Treaty of the Pruth
The Treaty of the Pruth was signed on the banks of the river Prut between the Ottoman Empire and the Tsardom of Russia on 23 July 1711 ending the Russo-Turkish War of 1710–1711. The treaty was a political victory for the Ottoman Empire.
The ...
, which saw the withdrawal of the Ottomans from the war. His attempts to prolong and inflame the conflict failed, resulting in a loss of his status in the Empire and his eventual departure from it in 1713.''Poniatowski Stanisław'', Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Zeszyt 171 (tom XXVII), 1983, p. 473.
Poniatowski did not return to Poland, as Lesczyński had been forced to retreat to
Swedish Pomerania
Swedish Pomerania ( sv, Svenska Pommern; german: Schwedisch-Pommern) was a dominion under the Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815 on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War, Sweden held ...
upon the return of Augustus in 1709. With the support of Russian forces, Augustus had forced Lesczyński from the throne and had retaken the crown in that year. Instead, Poniatowski entered the service of Sweden, serving as a diplomat for both Charles XII and Lesczyński. He was later involved in mediation attempts between Lesczyński and Augustus, and also joined the Swedish army in various campaigns, being wounded during one in 1716. During the course of his diplomatic activities, he traveled throughout Europe, including to such countries as Prussia, France, and Spain.''Poniatowski Stanisław'', Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Zeszyt 171 (tom XXVII), 1983, p. 474. For his service to Charles XII, he received the position of the governor of
Palatine Zweibrücken
Palatine Zweibrücken (), or the County Palatine of Zweibrücken, is a former state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Zweibrücken (french: Deux-Ponts). Its reigning house, a branch of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was also the Royal House of S ...
, then in personal union with Sweden.
Later years: Polish politician and magnate
Upon Charles's death in 1718, he continued to serve Leszczyński as a diplomat. In 1719 he was briefly imprisoned in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...
, and requested official leave from the Swedish government, which he received that year, thus ending his service as a Swedish diplomat. He returned to the Commonwealth, where he used the title of a general of cavalry. On 14 September 1720 he married Princess Konstancja Czartoryska; this marriage brought him significant wealth. Over the next few years, he became increasingly involved in the creation of the Familia political faction, and most of his ensuing actions had the goal of increasing the Familia's political power.
On 5 December 1722 he received the office of
Podstoli
Deputy pantler ( Polish: podstoli) was a court office in Poland and Lithuania. They were the deputy of a pantler, and was responsible for the King's pantry.
From the 14th century, this was an honorary court title and a district office in Crown o ...
of Lithuania (''podstoli litewski'') in 1722, and 16 December,
Grand Treasurer
Podskarbi in Poland then in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was minister responsible for the treasury. Since 1569 also a senatorial office. The title although meaning treasurer can be deconstructed as "''under ingtreasury''" - treasury as an old ...
of Lithuanian Army (''podskarbi wielki litewski''), and became increasingly allied with August II On 20 December 1724 he received the military rank of General of the Lithuanian Army (''generał lejtnant wojsk litewskich'').''Poniatowski Stanisław'', Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Zeszyt 171 (tom XXVII), 1983, p. 475. In 1726 he became the Knight of the Order of the White Eagle. He was also promised the position of
Grand Crown Hetman
Grand may refer to:
People with the name
* Grand (surname)
* Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor
* Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist
* Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper
Places
* Grand, Oklahoma
* Grand, Vosges, village and co ...
by August II, receiving in 1728 the rank of a Crown
regimentarz
A Regimentarz (from Latin: ''regimentum'') was a military commander in Poland, since the 16th century, of an army group or a substitute of a Hetman. He was nominated by the King of Poland or the Sejm.
In the 17th century a Regimentarz was also t ...
. During a period in which no Crown hetmans were appointed, he acted as ''de facto'' commander of the Polish–Lithuanian army. He enjoyed support from the military, but his forays into politics gained him significant opposition among the
szlachta
The ''szlachta'' (Polish: endonym, Lithuanian: šlėkta) were the noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth who, as a class, had the dominating position in ...
, led by the
Potocki family
The House of Potocki (; plural: Potoccy, male: Potocki, feminine: Potocka) was a prominent Polish noble family in the Kingdom of Poland and magnates of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Potocki family is one of the wealthiest and ...
. He became the
voivode
Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...
of the
Masovian Voivodeship
The Masovian Voivodeship, also known as the Mazovia Province ( pl, województwo mazowieckie ) is a voivodeship (province) in east-central Poland, with its capital located in the city of Warsaw, which also serves as the capital of the country. Th ...
in 1731.
After August II's death in 1733, he rekindled his old ties with Leszczyński, but made some attempts to secure his own election to the throne.''Poniatowski Stanisław'', Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Zeszyt 171 (tom XXVII), 1983, p. 476. Eventually, however, he decided to grant Leszczyński his full support, doing so during the convocation sejm of 1733. He again served as Leszczyński's diplomat during the following
War of the Polish Succession
The War of the Polish Succession ( pl, Wojna o sukcesję polską; 1733–35) was a major European conflict sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II of Poland, which the other European powers widened in pursuit of thei ...
.
In 1734, he switched sides and joined the supported
Augustus III
Augustus III ( pl, August III Sas, lt, Augustas III; 17 October 1696 5 October 1763) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1733 until 1763, as well as Elector of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire where he was known as Frederick Aug ...
. After several years of distrust, August III started treating Poniatowski as one of his major advisers.''Poniatowski Stanisław'', Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Zeszyt 171 (tom XXVII), 1983, p. 477. Over the next few years, throughout the 1740s, he and familiar supported plans for reform and strengthening the Commonwealth, however most of them have failed due to liberum veto disrupting the
Sejm
The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland.
The Sejm has been the highest governing body of ...
proceedings.''Poniatowski Stanisław'', Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Zeszyt 171 (tom XXVII), 1983, p. 478. Those failures likely resulted in his apathy, and he became much less active on the political scene in the 1750s.''Poniatowski Stanisław'', Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Zeszyt 171 (tom XXVII), 1983, p. 479. On 6 June 1752 he received the office of
castellan
A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant ...
of Kraków.
Near the end of his life, Poniatowski was among the richest
magnate
The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...
s in the Commonwealth, with the value of his estates estimated at about 4 million zlotys. He died in
Ryki
Ryki is a town in eastern Poland between Warsaw and Lublin. It has 9,767 inhabitants (as of 2007). Situated in the Lublin Voivodeship (since 1999). It is the capital of Ryki County. Ryki belongs to Lesser Poland, and historically is part of '' ...
on 29 August 1762, shortly after suffering a serious fall while walking.
Family
He was the son of Franciszek Poniatowski (1640/16501691–1695), ''łowczy podlaski'' in 1680 and ''cześnik wyszogrodzki'' in 1690, and his wife Helena Niewiarowska, who he had married in 1673 or 1674.''Poniatowski Stanisław'', Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Zeszyt 171 (tom XXVII), 1983, p. 471. His older brother
Józef Poniatowski
Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski (; 7 May 1763 – 19 October 1813) was a Polish general, minister of war and army chief, who became a Marshal of the French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars.
A nephew of king Stanislaus Augustus of Poland (), ...
Abbess
An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey.
Description
In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Copt ...
in Kraków. He married firstly shortly after 1701 and divorced Teresa Woynianka-Jasieniecka, who died after 1710, without issue, and secondly Princess Konstancja Czartoryska on 14 September 1720. They had eight children.
He was the father of:
* Kazimierz Poniatowski (15 September 1721 – 13 April 1800), ''podkomorzy wielki koronny'' between 1742 and 1773 and ''generał wojsk koronnych'', who was created a Prince on 4 December 1764 and married on 21 January 1751 Apolonia Ustrzycka (17 January 1736 - 1814) and had issue
* Franciszek Poniatowski (1723 – 1749/1759),
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
of
Gniezno
Gniezno (; german: Gnesen; la, Gnesna) is a city in central-western Poland, about east of Poznań. Its population in 2021 was 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. One of the Piast dynasty's chief cities, ...
Ludwika Maria Poniatowska
Countess Ludwika "Luds" Maria Poniatowska (30 November 1728 – 2 October 1804) was a Polish noblewoman, known as the sister of the King of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski.
Life
She was the daughter of Stanisław Poniatowski and Konst ...
(30 November 1728 – 10 February 1781), who married in 1745 Jan Jakub Zamoyski (? - 10 February 1790), ''wojewoda podolski'' in 1770, ''IX ordynat till'' in 1780 and ''starosta lubelski'', and had female issue (Urszula Zamoyska (c. 1750 - 1808), who married firstly and divorced before 1781 Wincenty Potocki (? - 1825), ''podkomorzy wielki koronny'', and married secondly Michal Jerzy Mniszech, ''marszalek wielki koronny'')
*
Izabella Poniatowska
Countess Izabella Poniatowska (1 July 1730 – 14 February 1808) was a Polish noblewoman, sister of king Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski.
Life
She was the daughter of Stanisław Poniatowski and Konstancja Czartoryska. She was reportedly clo ...
, (1 July 1730 – 14 February 1808) was a Polish noblewoman, countess and princess. She was a sister of Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski, who in 1764 became King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and reigned as Stanisław II Augustus. She married, firstly on November 19, 1748 as his third wife Hetman Jan Klemens Branicki in 1756, and secondly the Masovian voivode Andrzej Mokronowski, without issue.
* Stanisław II August (Poniatowski), the last King of Poland and Grand-Duke of Lithuania, who was crowned in 1764.
* Andrzej Poniatowski (16 July 1734/5 – Vienna, 3/5 March 1773), Austrian General-Lieutenant in 1760, Austrian Fieldmarshall in 1771 and ''starost prenski'', who was created a Prince on 10 December 1765, and married on 3 May 1761 Maria Teresa, Countess Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau (14 February 1740 – 25 September 1806), and had issue
*
Michał Jerzy Poniatowski
Prince Michał Jerzy Poniatowski (12 October 1736 – 12 August 1794) was a Polish nobleman.
Abbot of Tyniec and Czerwińsk (''opat tyniecki i czerwinski''), Bishop of Płock and Coadjutor Bishop of Kraków (''koadiutor krakowski'') from 17 ...
(12 October 1736 – 12 August 1794), ''opat tyniecki i czerwinski'',
Bishop of Plock
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
and ''koadiutor krakowski'' in 1773 and
Archbishop of Gniezno
This is a list of archbishops of the Archdiocese of Gniezno, who are simultaneously primates of Poland since 1418.