Walery Karłowicz Mroczkowski (6 April 1840 – 1 October 1889) was a Polish insurgent in the 1863

January Uprising The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...

. He was arrested and imprisoned by the Prussian authorities. Upon release in 1865, he was sent into exile and travelled to Italy, Switzerland,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and finally settled in France. While in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

he met

Mikhail Bakunin Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin (; 1814–1876) was a Russian revolutionary anarchist, socialist and founder of collectivist anarchism. He is considered among the most influential figures of anarchism and a major founder of the revolutionary ...

and became an

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...

and a member of the latter's close circle. He is also known as a portrait photographer in France, working under the pseudonym, "Ostroga" or "Valerien Ostroga".

Early life

Nothing is known, at present, of Mroczkowski's family background or childhood. As the earliest written record, the diary of his uprising colleague Szymon Kotylla published in 1907, indicates that he was a student at the Medical Academy 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 ...

(1860–1861), he would have had access to funds for his interrupted studies and for travel to Italy for military training. As a convinced patriot he went to

Cuneo Cuneo (; pms, Coni ; oc, Coni/Couni ; french: Coni ) is a city and ''comune'' in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the fourth largest of Italy’s provinces by area. It is located at 550 metres (1,804 ft) in ...

in Italy to attend the Polish military cadet school (1861–62), commanded by

Ludwik Mierosławski Ludwik Adam Mierosławski (; January 17, 1814 in Nemours, Seine-et-Marne – November 22, 1878 in Paris) was a Polish general, writer, poet, historian and political activist. Took part in the November Uprising of the 1830s, after its fall he emig ...

in preparation for a future uprising.
On his return to Poland in 1862 the National Central Committee despatched him to the

Augustów Governorate Augustów Governorate ( pl, Gubernia augustowska, lt, Augustavo gubernija, russian: Августовская губерния) was an administrative unit (governorate) of Congress Poland. It was created in 1837 from the Augustów Voivodship, and ...

, under cover of being a journalist with the ''

nom-de-guerre A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

'' "Wincenty Kamiński", to help organize military units. He was a

Biebrza Biebrza ( lt, Bebras, '' be, Bobra'', ''german: Bober'') is a river in northeastern Poland, a tributary of the Narew river (near Wizna), with a length of and a basin area of 7,092 km2 (7,067 in Poland).Plenipotentiary A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of his or her sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the word ...

for the ''Rada Narodowa'' (National revolutionary council) and was responsible for the purchase of armaments. The following year he took part in a series of skirmishes and in May 1863 he distinguished himself at the head of a relief party in the battle of

Kazlų Rūda Kazlų Rūda () is a city in Lithuania. It is located north from Marijampolė. The city is surrounded by forests, but a railway line crosses the city and divides it into almost equal parts. Former Soviet Army Kazlų Rūda airbase is northeast o ...

.
By November 1863 he was in

Eastern Prussia East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871 ...

where he was arrested and imprisoned in

Posen-West Prussia The Frontier March of Posen-West Prussia (german: Grenzmark Posen-Westpreußen, pl, Marchia Graniczna Poznańsko-Zachodniopruska) was a province of Prussia from 1922 to 1938. Posen-West Prussia was established in 1922 as a province of the Free ...

. In 1865 he was released and forced into exile.

Encounter with Anarchism

As an activist prior to his exile Mroczkowski was regarded as a democrat and an apostle of the

Emancipation of serfs Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...

. On a trip to Florence in 1865 he met Mikhail Bakunin who befriended him and suggested he accompany him on a trip to

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

. There he was introduced to princess Zoë

Sumarokov Sumarokov (russian: Сумароков) is a Russian masculine surname, its feminine counterpart is Sumarokova. It may refer to * Alexander Sumarokov (1717–1777), Russian poet and playwright * Ekaterina Kniazhnina (née Sumarokova, 1746–1797), R ...

, (born 1828). She was the estranged wife of Prince Alexei Obolensky with whom she had six children, and was living with them among revolutionaries escaped from Russia. She would become Mroczkowski's lover and later his wife and have two children with him. While staying on

Ischia Ischia ( , , ) is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about from Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures approximately east to west ...

with Bakunin in 1866, Mroczkowski together with his now partner, Zoë, produced a French translation of the Revolutionary Catechism, Bakunin's founding text for the secret "international revolutionary society" they were planning. Bakunin's

Pet name A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek: (), from (), 'to call by pet names', sometimes also ''hypocoristic'') or pet name is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as ''Izzy'' for I ...

for Mroczkowski was the affectionate diminutive, "Mrouk". In Polish "''mruk''" means the "grunter" or the "silent one".

A Swiss interlude

In 1867, they decided to settle in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. Initially they stayed in

Vevey Vevey (; frp, Vevê; german: label=former German, Vivis) is a town in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used. It was the seat of the district of ...

, then in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

. There they met the French geographer and theorist,

Élisée Reclus Jacques Élisée Reclus (; 15 March 18304 July 1905) was a French geographer, writer and anarchist. He produced his 19-volume masterwork, ''La Nouvelle Géographie universelle, la terre et les hommes'' ("Universal Geography"), over a period of ...

, whose daughter would later become the companion of the Mroczkowskis' son, Felix. In 1868 having become members of the

First Internationale The International Workingmen's Association (IWA), often called the First International (1864–1876), was an international organisation which aimed at uniting a variety of different left-wing socialist, communist and anarchist groups and trad ...

and then of the central committee of the

League of Peace and Freedom The Ligue internationale de la paix (League of Peace and Freedom) was created after a public opinion campaign against a war between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia over Luxembourg. The Luxembourg crisis was peacefully resolved ...

, after the schism in the aftermath of the

Berne Convention The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, usually known as the Berne Convention, was an international assembly held in 1886 in the Swiss city of Bern by ten European countries with the goal to agree on a set of leg ...

, Mroczkowski and Bakunin formed a group to oppose the ideology of

Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

.
Mroczkowski was also involved in drawing up plans for the refurbishment of the villa, ''La Baronata'' perched above

Lake Maggiore Lake Maggiore (, ; it, Lago Maggiore ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh Maggior; pms, Lagh Magior; literally 'Greater Lake') or Verbano (; la, Lacus Verbanus) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest la ...

, a retirement retreat built for

Carlo Cafiero Carlo Cafiero (1846–1892) was an Italian anarchist, champion of Mikhail Bakunin during the second half of the 19th century and one of the main proponents of anarcho-communism and insurrectionary anarchism during the First International T ...

, who initially "gave" it to Bakunin, but on discovering that his fortune was leaching away, was able to get it back.

London episode

In 1869 they left Switzerland and travelled as a couple to London and for about two years moved there in revolutionary circles that included people such as

and Walery Wroblewski

A new career in photography

Since Prince Obolensky had forcibly abducted his children from his wife, Zoë, in 1869, her income dropped considerably. Having left Switzerland and now London, Mroczkowki and Zoë took up residence in

Menton Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border. Me ...

. There in 1871 Mroczkowski opened a photographic studio as "Walerian M.Ostroga", specialising in portraits. Eventually, he split his time working in

Trouville-sur-Mer Trouville-sur-Mer (, literally ''Trouville on Sea''), commonly referred to as Trouville, is a city of 4,603 inhabitants in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Trouville-sur-Mer borders Deauville across the Ri ...

during the Summer and Menton in Winter. Living in two places enabled him to justify extensive travel and disguise his anarchist activities. Work as a photographer helped him keep his family – his

Common-law marriage Common-law marriage, also known as non-ceremonial marriage, marriage, informal marriage, or marriage by habit and repute, is a legal framework where a couple may be considered married without having formally registered their relation as a civil ...

to Zoë and their two children, Félix (1867–1936) and Léonie (1871–1947). They were finally married after the death of Prince Alexei Vasilievitch, Zoe's husband, and were able to buy a villa, "les mouettes", that became "villa Ostroga". Walery Mroczkowski/Valerien Ostroga died on 1 October 1889 in Paris and was buried in the Vieux-Château cemetery in Menton.Tombe Menton
tombeauxpolonais.eu His children and descendants adopted the surname "Ostroga", being easier to write and pronounce in French.

Gallery

File:Alexandra Obolenskaya.jpg, Alexandra Obolenskaya née Djakov, sister-in-law of Zoë (1879) File:Carte photo W.M.Ostroga.jpg, Business addresses on the back of an Ostroga

Cabinet card The cabinet card was a style of photograph which was widely used for photographic portraiture after 1870. It consisted of a thin photograph mounted on a card typically measuring 108 by 165 mm ( by inches). History The '' carte de visite' ...

File:Paul Barthelemy Mirabaud (Valerien Ostroga, 1880).jpg, Paul Mirabaud (1880)

Bibliography

*Mroczkowski Walery (1840–1889) powstaniec 1863, emigrant. ''Polski Słownik Biograficzny'' vol. 22 p. 185 *Laskowski, Piotr. (2016) "Jedyny wybitny bakuninowiec"- Walerian Mroczkowski (1840–1889) dans ''Studia z Dziejów Anarchizmu (2) w Dwusetleciu Urodzin Michała Bakunina. Red. Skrzycki, Radosław. Szczecin: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego. p. 81–122

References

External links

Portrait

National Museum of Warsaw The National Museum in Warsaw ( pl, Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie), popularly abbreviated as MNW, is a national museum in Warsaw, one of the largest museums in Poland and the largest in the capital. It comprises a rich collection of ancient art (Eg ...

(Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie) *"Powstanie Styczniowe w illustracjach prasy epoki

Newspaper Illustrations of the January Uprising, featuring the battle at ''Kozłowa Ruda'', in which Mroczkowski took part and is mentioned in the text. See page 35
Group photo with Bakunin

Photos
on Gallica BnF
Photos

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...

Library
Un quatrième Walery photographe
Hugues Fontaine's Blog
"Ostroga" genealogy
on pierfitgeneanet {{DEFAULTSORT:Mroczkowski, Walery 1840 births 1889 deaths 19th-century atheists 19th-century French photographers Anarchist theorists Anarcho-communists Collectivist anarchists Critics of Marxism Critics of work and the work ethic January Uprising participants Libertarian socialists Materialists Members of the International Workingmen's Association Mikhail Bakunin People from Olonets Polish anarchists Polish atheists Polish nobility Portrait photographers Poles - political prisoners in the Prussian partition