Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Józef Alfred Henryk Potocki (8 April 1895 – 12 September 1968) was a Polish nobleman and diplomat who served as the

Polish government-in-exile The Polish government-in-exile, officially known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile (), was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent Occupation ...

's Ambassador to Spain.

Early life

Count Potocki was born on 8 April 1895 in Szepetowka, a city located on the Huska River in

Zaslavsky Uyezd Zaslavsky Uyezd (''Заславский уезд'') was one of the subdivisions of the Volhynian Governorate of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the southern part of the governorate. Its administrative centre was Iziaslav. Demographics At th ...

, one of the subdivisions of the

Volhynian Governorate Volhynia Governorate, also known as Volyn Governorate, was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Southwestern Krai of the Russian Empire. It consisted of an area of and a population of 2,989,482 inhabitants. The governorate ...

of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

(today in

Khmelnytskyi Oblast Khmelnytskyi Oblast (), also known as Khmelnychchyna (), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in western Ukraine covering portions of the historical regions of western Podolia and southern Volhynia. The Capital (political) ...

in western

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

). He was the second (and youngest) son of Count

Józef Mikołaj Potocki Józef Mikołaj Kazimierz Marian Alfred Jakub Potocki (8 September 1862 – 25 August 1922) was a Polish nobleman, hunter, traveller and writer. A collector of books, paintings and hunting trophies, he also bred Arabian horses on his Pilawin estat ...

(1862–1922) and Princess Helena Augusta Radziwiłł (1874–1958). His elder brother was Count Roman Potocki (who married Princess Anna Maria Światopełk- Czetwertynska). His paternal grandparents were Count Alfred Józef Potocki, the

Minister-President of Austria The minister-president of Austria was the head of government of the Austrian Empire from 1848, when the office was created in the course of the March Revolution. Previously, executive power rested with an Austrian State Council, headed by the emp ...

from 1870 to 1871, and Princess Maria Klementyna Sanguszko (heiress of the prominent Sanguszko princely family). His paternal uncle was Count

Roman Potocki Count Roman Potocki (16 December 1852 – 24 September 1915) was a Polish nobleman ( szlachcic) and politician. Early life Count Roman was born on 16 December 1852 at Łańcut in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, in what was then a part ...

(who married his maternal aunt Princess Elżbieta Matylda Radziwiłł), and among their children were Count

Jerzy Józef Potocki Jerzy is the Polish version of the masculine given name George. The most common nickname for Jerzy is Jurek (), which may also be used as an official first name. Occasionally the nickname Jerzyk may be used, which means "swift" in Polish. People ...

, was the Polish ambassador to the United States from 1936 to 1940. His maternal grandparents were

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Prince Antoni Wilhelm Radziwiłł and Marie de Castellane (daughter of French aristocrats

Henri de Castellane Henri Charles Louis Boniface, Marquis de Castellane (23 September 1814, Paris – 16 October 1847, château de Rochecotte) was a French politician and nobleman. Early life He was the eldest son of marshal Boniface de Castellane. Personal life H ...

and

Pauline de Talleyrand-Périgord Joséphine Pauline de Talleyrand-Périgord, Marquise de Castellane (29 December 1820 12 October 1890) was a French noblewoman. Early life Joséphine Pauline was born in Paris on 29 December 1820. She was the third legitimate child of the Edmo ...

). He graduated from

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

and a military school in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

Career

In 1914, Potocki was active in the Sanitary Aid Committee in Warsaw and, from 1915 to 1917, he served as a soldier in the

Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

, later of the Polish Corps in the East (under General Eugeniusz de Henning-Michaelis). From 1918 to 1919, he was an

attaché In diplomacy, an attaché () is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified ac ...

to the Polish National Committee in London. From May 1919 to May 1922, Potocki was Secretary of the Polish embassy in London. From 1922 to 1929, he served as an official of the Western Department of the Political and Economic Department of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

in Warsaw. From 1929 to 1932, he served as an adviser to the Embassy in London. In February 1934, he became deputy director of the Political Department before becoming head of the Western Department succeeding

Józef Lipski Józef Lipski (5 June 1894 – 1 November 1958) was a Polish diplomat and Ambassador to Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1939. Lipski played a key role in the foreign policy of the Second Polish Republic. Life Lipski trained as a lawyer, and joined th ...

(who became the Polish Ambassador to

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

). From 1939 to 1940, he served as the Minister Plenipotentiary in Paris and

Angers Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...

. On November 2, 1943, he was nominated as a Minister in Spain to replace Marian Szumlakowski, however, he refused to transfer parliamentary functions and Potocki took up his position in Madrid only on June 1, 1944, as ''

chargé d'affaires A (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador. The term is Frenc ...

'' he continued to be a delegate of the

Polish Red Cross Polish Red Cross (, abbr. PCK) is the Polish member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Its 19th-century roots may be found in the Russian and Austrian Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. On regaining its ind ...

to Portugal. The

Government of Spain The government of Spain () is the central government which leads the executive branch and the General State Administration of the Kingdom of Spain. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Ministers; the prime minister has the ...

maintained diplomatic relations with the Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile after 1945. Potocki held the mission in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

until November 1955.

Awards

He was awarded the Order of the Revival of Poland, the Commander's Cross of the French

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

, the Portuguese Order of Christ, the Brazilian

Order of the Southern Cross The National Order of the Southern Cross () is a Brazilian Orders, decorations, and medals of Brazil, order of chivalry founded by List of monarchs of Brazil, Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, Pedro I on 1 December 1822. The order aimed to commemorate ...

, 3rd class (1934), the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau () is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has performed acts of special merits for ...

, the Decade of Independence Regained. He was twice awarded the Commander's Cross of the

Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland The Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland () is a Polish order of merit created in 1974, awarded to persons who have rendered great service to Poland. It is granted to foreigners or Poles resident abroad. As such, it is sometimes referred to as ...

and the Grand Cross of the Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

Personal life

On 8 October 1930, Potocki married Princess

Krystyna Maria Radziwiłł Krystyna is a Polish variant of name Christine or Christina. It may refer to: People with the name Krystyna * Krystyna Ambros (born 1961), Polish rower * Krystyna Ankwicz (1907–1985), Polish actress *Krystyna Bochenek (1953–2010), Polish jou ...

(b. 1908) in Warsaw. She was a daughter of Prince Janusz Radziwiłł, a Polish nobleman and politician, and Princess Anna Lubomirska. His wife's brother, Prince

Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł Prince Stanisław Albrecht "Stash" Radziwiłł (21 July 1914 – 27 July 1976) was a Polish prince, later a British citizen, as well as a socialite and a businessman. He served as director of the Olympic Airways. Career Radziwiłł was a ...

, married Caroline Lee Bouvier (sister to First Lady

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American writer, book editor, and socialite who served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A popular f ...

). Together, they were the parents of four children: * Countess Anna Potocki (1931–2000), who died in Paris. * Countess Dorota Potocki (b. 1935), who married Luis Arias y Carralón in 1965. After his death in 1970, she married Carlos Mazzuchelli y López de Ceballos in 1987. * Countess Isabella Potocki (b. 1937), who married Count Hubert d'Ornano, the owner of

Sisley Alfred Sisley (; ; 30 October 1839 – 29 January 1899) was an Impressionist landscape painter who was born and spent most of his life in France, but retained British citizenship. He was the most consistent of the Impressionists in his dedica ...

who was a son of

Guillaume d'Ornano Count Guillaume Marie Emmanuel Ludovic Rodolphe d'Ornano (25 June 1894 – 16 May 1985) was a French aristocrat and industrialist, who co-founded Lancôme in 1935, and was an owner-breeder of thoroughbred race horses. Early life Count d'Ornano was ...

, a co-founder of

Lancôme Lancôme () is a French perfume and cosmetics house that distributes products internationally. A subsidiary of L'Oréal, Lancôme offers skin care, fragrances, and makeup. History Founded in 1935 by Guillaume d'Ornano and his business partn ...

, in 1963. * Count Peter Stanislav Jozef Potocki (b. 1940), who married Maria Teresa Roca de Togores de Bejar, daughter of the Duke of Béjar, in 1969. Count Potocki died in

Lausanne Lausanne ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, city of the Swiss French-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway bet ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

on 12 September 1968.

Family estates

In 1913, his father received permission from the Royal Court to establish two

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

s for his sons: Antoninskaya ha (62,000 acres), for his elder brother Roman, and Koretskaya ha (60,000 acres), for Józef. In August 1919, the family's a

Neo-baroque Neo-Baroque may refer to: * Neo-Baroque music * Neo-Baroque painting, a painting style used by Christo Coetzee and others *Baroque Revival architecture * Neo-Baroque film *the Organ reform movement The Organ Reform Movement or ''Orgelbewegung'' ...

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

at Antoniny (which had been built in the 1870s by

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

n architects

Fellner & Helmer Fellner & Helmer was an architecture studio founded in 1873 by Austrian architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer. They designed over 200 buildings (mainly opera houses and apartment buildings) across Europe in the late 19th and early 20th c ...

) was burned to the ground in a fire set by

Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

. After the death of his father in 1922, Józef inherited the Korets ordynat. Under the terms of the March 1921

Peace of Riga The Treaty of Riga was signed in Riga, Latvia, on between Poland on one side and Soviet Russia (acting also on behalf of Soviet Belarus) and Soviet Ukraine on the other, ending the Polish–Soviet War (1919–1921). The chief negotiators o ...

(which ended the

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (14 February 1919 – 18 March 1921) was fought primarily between the Second Polish Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, following World War I and the Russian Revolution. After the collapse ...

), the Potocki brothers did not receive the ordynats promised to them.

References

External links

Online Archive of California In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity, and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed as "on lin ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Potocki, Józef Alfred 1895 births 1968 deaths Jozef Alfred Potocki Counts of Poland Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Polish diplomats Ambassadors of Poland to Spain People from the Second Polish Republic (1918–1939) Officers of the Order of Polonia Restituta