Andrzej Leszczyński (1606–1651) was

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 ...

Dorpat Voivodeship The Dorpat Voivodeship ( pl, Województwo dorpackie or ''województwo derpskie'') was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Duchy of Livonia, part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, from 1598 until the Swedish conque ...

, Imperial Count and a supporter of

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 ...

Calvinists Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

. He was a son of

Rafał Leszczyński (1579–1636) Rafał Leszczyński (October 1579 – 29 March 1636) was a Polish–Lithuanian noble and Imperial count. He was the castellan of Kalisz starting in 1618, he became the voivode of Bełz in 1620, and the starost of Hrubieszów in 1633. He was ex ...

Biography

Educated abroad, skilled diplomat, poet, advocate of France, friend of French diplomat count

Claude d'Avaux Claude de Mesmes, comte d'Avaux (1595–1650) was a 17th-century French diplomat and public administrator. He was sent in various missions to Venice, Rome, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Poland by Richelieu. In 1635 he guided the negotiations ...

. After finishing his education in 1636, he returned to the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...

, and after the death of his father he inherited

Baranów Sandomierski Baranów Sandomierski is a small town in southern Poland, in the Subcarpathian Voivodship, Tarnobrzeg County on the Vistula River, with 1,420 inhabitants as of December 2021. Baranów lies near the Vistula river, along voivodeship road nr. 985, ...

and nearby lands in

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 ...

, Stary Czartorysk and Nowy Czartorysk in Wołyń Voivodeship, and starostwo dubieńskie. A Calvinist himself, he was tolerant of any religious minorities, and was a major protector of Calvinist churches in Baranów Sandomierski, Romanów and Beresteczko. On 3 March 1641 he became the voivode of the Dorpat Voivodeship, but never became too involved in politics. He was married three times: first with Anna Korecka, then (in 1643) with Katarzyna Niemirycz (a

Polish Brethren The Polish Brethren (Polish: ''Bracia Polscy'') were members of the Minor Reformed Church of Poland, a Nontrinitarian Protestant church that existed in Poland from 1565 to 1658. By those on the outside, they were called "Arians" or "Socinians" (, ' ...

), and finally with Krystyna Kalinowska, widow of

Konstanty Wiśniowiecki Prince Konstanty Wiśniowiecki (1564–1641) was a Ruthenian nobleman of Kingdom of Poland, voivode of Belz since 1636, of Ruthenia since 1638 and starost of Czerkasy and Kamieniec was a wealthy, powerful and influential magnate, experienced ...

. He had only one son, Samuel Leszczyński, born in 1637, who inherited his father's fortune. Though baptised Calvinist, his

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

uncle

Bogusław Leszczyński Bogusław Leszczyński, count of Leszno (1614–1659) from the Leszczyński Family of Holy Roman Empire counts, was a Polish noble (''szlachcic'') and politician from Wielkopolska region. Biography Traveled abroad from 1632-1636 with his tu ...

was his guardian, and brought up the boy as a Roman Catholic. He also closed down the Calvinist churches in Baranów Sandomierski and Beresteczko, which he saw as a threat to

Leszno Leszno (german: Lissa, 1800–1918 ''Lissa in Posen'') is a historic city in western Poland, within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seventh-largest city in the province with an estimated population of 62,200, as of 2021. Previously, it ...

References

1606 births 1651 deaths Polish Calvinist and Reformed Christians

Andrzej Andrzej is the Polish form of the given name Andrew. Notable individuals with the given name Andrzej * Andrzej Bartkowiak (born 1950), Polish film director and cinematographer * Andrzej Bobola, S.J. (1591–1657), Polish saint, missionary and ma ...

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