Prince Augustyn Józef Czartoryski (10 October 1907 - 1 July 1946) was a Polish noble ( szlachcic). He was the son of Prince Adam Ludwik Czartoryski (and grandson of

Princess Marguerite Adélaïde of Orléans Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

) and Countess

Maria Ludwika Krasińska Countess Maria Ludwika Krasińska (24 March 1883 - 23 January 1958) was a Polish noblewoman, major heiress and landowner, and a significant art collector. Her art collection was the origin of the Krasinski Museum. Maria was married to Prince Ad ...

. After the death of his father, Prince Augustyn took over the running of the Family Museum and became

ordynat In English common law, fee tail or entail is a form of trust established by deed or settlement which restricts the sale or inheritance of an estate in real property and prevents the property from being sold, devised by will, or otherwise alien ...

of the

Sieniawa Sieniawa (; uk, Сеня́ва, Seniáva), is a town in southeastern Poland. It had a population of 2,127 inhabitants (02.06.2009). Since 1999, Sieniawa has been part of Subcarpathian Voivodeship. History Sieniawa's history dates back to the 17 ...

Ordynacja properties. On 12 August 1937, he married Princess Maria de los Dolores of Borbon y Orleans, daughter of Prince Carlos of Bourbon, Infante of Spain and Princess Louise of Orléans. Due to the prospect of

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

, the most precious objects were transported to Sieniawa Palace and walled up. The rest of the items were carried down to the Museum cellars, but in September as the bombs fell on

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

Prince Augustyn and Princess Dolores, who was pregnant, decided to leave Sieniawa for a better refuge. On 18 September

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

troops found the cases and looted them. After the Germans moved on, Prince Augustyn removed all the treasures to his cousin's estate in Pełkinie saving them from the

Workers' and Peasants' Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

, but the

Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one orga ...

traced all objects and removed all important cases from their hiding places. Soon after, Prince Augustyn and Princess Dolores were picked up by the Gestapo and put under arrest. After heavy negotiation, and thanks to their royal Italian and Spanish connections, they were deported and managed to reach Spain before the end of 1939. During his exile in Spain Prince Augustyn was very active in the Polish resistance, but his poor health and his desperation had its toll on his life. He died at the age of 39, leaving his young son Adam Karol to be brought up in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. In 1946, Prince Augustyn died and was buried in the crypt of the Silesian Church in

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

, Spain, along his son Ludwik Piotr who died at the age of one.

See also