Zofia Lubomirska (1718 - 27 October 1790), was an independently wealthy
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
noblewoman
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...
, and landowner, known for her political involvement and
philanthropy
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
.
Life
She was born in the
Sandomierz Voivodeship
Sandomierz Voivodeship ( pl, Województwo Sandomierskie, la, Palatinatus Sandomirensis) was a unit of administration and local government in Poland from the 14th century to the partitions of Poland in 1772–1795. It was part of the Lesser Poland ...
the daughter of Aleksander
Krasiński
Krasiński (sometimes spelled Krasinsky, if originally transliterated from Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian) is a surname of Polish, or generally Slavic, origin.
In its feminine version, the Polish surname becomes Krasińska, and the Russian or Be ...
(1690-1730) and his wife, Salomea Trzcińska. She married firstly
Jan Tarło Jan Tarło may refer to the following Polish noblemen:
* Jan Tarło (d. 1550), standard-bearer of Lwów
* Jan Tarło (d. 1572), cup-bearer of the Crown, starost of Pilzno
* Jan Tarło (1527–1587), voivode of Lublin, starost of Łomża and Pilzno
* ...
(d. 1750), who left her the town of
Opole Lubelskie
Opole Lubelskie is a town in eastern Poland. As of 2004, it had 8,879 inhabitants. The town is situated in Lublin Voivodeship, some 10 kilometers east of the Vistula River, and is the capital of Opole Lubelskie County. It was founded in the 14th ...
in his will. In 1754, she married the
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 ...
,
Antoni Lubomirski, with whom she was actively involved in state affairs. She reportedly persuaded Lubomirski to end his alliance with
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 ...
and instead become a French agent by accepting an alliance with
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Both her first spouse and her brother, Stanisław, were pro-French.
Enlightenment activist
On finding out about it after the event, she opposed the marriage of her niece,
Franciszka Korwin-Krasińska to
Charles of Saxony, Duke of Courland
, image = Carl Christian Joseph of Saxony.jpeg
, caption = Portrait by Pietro Rotari
, succession = Duke of Courland and Semigallia
, reign = 1758–1763
, coronation =
, predecessor = Louis Ernest
, succe ...
, but relented having been persuaded by her husband and brother who saw it as an advancement, since Charles had prospects for the Polish throne. She and
August Aleksander Czartoryski
Prince August Aleksander Czartoryski (9 November 1697, Warsaw4 April 1782, Warsaw) was a member of the Polish nobility (), magnate. He is the founder of the Czartoryski family fortune.
Life
August became major-general of the Polish Army in 17 ...
insisted that the marriage be made legitimate and public. However abroad, outside Polish
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 the ...
circles, it was considered a
Morganatic marriage
Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...
. During the interregnum of 1763-64, she supported the candidacy of Charles for the throne, while attempting to build a bridge between the
Patriotic Party
, colorcode = #E4433E
, leader1_title = Leaders
, leader1_name = Ignacy PotockiAdam Kazimierz Czartoryski Stanisław Małachowski
, foundation =
, dissolution =
, headquarters = Kraków
, ideology = Pro-ReformConstitution ...
, which she represented, and the
Familia (political party)
The Familia ("The Family", from Latin ''familia'') was the name of an 18th-century Polish political faction led by the House of Czartoryski and allied families. It was formed towards the end of the reign of King of Poland Augustus II the Strong ...
of her ally, Czartoryski. During the
Radom Confederation Radom Confederation ( pl, Konfederacja radomska, lt, Radomo konfederacija) was a konfederacja of nobility (''szlachta'') in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth formed in Radom on 23 June 1767 to prevent reforms and defend the ''Golden Liberties'' ...
, she visited
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 ...
with her niece, Franciszka. She negotiated with
August Czartoryski and
Grand Guardian of the Crown
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 ...
,
Stanisław Lubomirski (1722–1782)
Prince Stanisław Lubomirski (born 25 December 1722 in Kraków; died 12 August 1782 in Łańcut) was a Polish nobleman. He was awarded Knight of the Order of the White Eagle on 3 August 1757 in Warsaw, and later was also awarded the Order of Sai ...
, her brother-in-Law, to ally them both to the Confederation in 1769-70. She kept in close contact with her older cousin,
Adam Stanisław Krasiński
Adam Stanisław Krasiński (1714–1800) was a Polish noble of Ślepowron coat of arms, bishop of Kamieniec (1757–1798), Great Crown Secretary (from 1752), president of the Crown Tribunal in 1759 and one of the leaders of Bar Confederation (17 ...
,
Bishop of Kamieniec
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kamianets-Podilskyi ( la, Dioecesis Camenecensis Latinorum) is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Ukraine. Maksymilian Leonid Dubrawski O.F.M is the current bishop of the diocese. He was appo ...
.
She produced two political commentaries about Polish politics in 1770, in which she argued for the reform of the rights of the nobility as well as to reform the civil and judicial court systems. She spent most of her life on her domains in Opole,
Przeworsk
Przeworsk (; uk, Переворськ, translit=Perevors'k; yi, פּרשעוואָרסק, translit=Prshevorsk) is a town in south-eastern Poland with 15,675 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. Since 1999 it has been in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship ...
and
Dobromił, where she reformed farming and stock management. She set up a vast
Textile mill
Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...
with the help of foreign expertise. After the fall of the
Radom Confederation Radom Confederation ( pl, Konfederacja radomska, lt, Radomo konfederacija) was a konfederacja of nobility (''szlachta'') in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth formed in Radom on 23 June 1767 to prevent reforms and defend the ''Golden Liberties'' ...
, she lived in her palace in Przeworsk with Franciszka Krasińska, whom she eventually reunited with her husband, Charles in Opole in 1775. They managed to have one surviving daughter,
Maria Christina whose descendants became members of the
Italian Monarchy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...
. In 1781, she hosted
Grand Duke Paul of Russia in disguise, as ''Monsieur du Nord'', in Opole, then king
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 monarch ...
in 1787.
Administrator and entrepreneur
Zofia refurbished the buildings, especially the palaces on her estates, with the help of leading architects and designers. In the town of Przeworsk aside from the textile factory she set up a silk production making the famous ornate bands favoured by many Polish noblemen, ''
Pas kontuszowy
Kontush belt ("kontusz sash" or the ''Slutsk sash''; lt, kontušo juosta, be, слуцкi пояс) was a cloth sash used for girding a kontusz (a robe-like garment). It was one of the most distinctive items of male dress of Polish and Lithua ...
''. She was known as a patron of the arts, especially of literary authors. After the death of her first husband, Jan, she founded a new hospital in Opole. With her second husband, Antoni, she founded a church and convent for the congregation of the
Sisters of Charity
Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity in their name. Some ''Sisters of Charity'' communities refer to the Vincentian tradition, or in America to the tradition of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, but others are unrelated. The ...
in Przeworsk.
[Siostry Miłosierdzia, "Sisters of Charity" (2016). ''Historia domu w Przeworsku'', history (in Polish) of the Przeworsk convent, with portraits of the two founders http://www.krakow.szarytki.pl/?p=1132, etrieved 2018-11-21/ref>
She died a widow 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 ...
on 27 October 1790.
References
Bibliography
* Biography in the 1972 vol. XVII of the Polish Biographical Dictionary
''Polski Słownik Biograficzny'' (''PSB''; Polish Biographical Dictionary) is a Polish-language biographical dictionary, comprising an alphabetically arranged compilation of authoritative biographies of some 25,000 notable Poles and of foreigners ...
, PSB or online: www.https://ipsb.nina.gov.pl/a/biografia/zofia-lubomirska
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lubomirska, Zofia
1718 births
1790 deaths
18th-century Polish women
Zofia
Radom confederates
18th-century Polish–Lithuanian businesspeople
Polish industrialists
18th-century women landowners
Polish philanthropists
Zofia
Zofia
18th-century philanthropists
18th-century Polish–Lithuanian landowners
18th-century women politicians
18th-century Polish nobility