Mieczysław Jałowiecki
Encyclopedia
Mieczysław Pieriejasławski-Jałowiecki (2 December 1876 - 1962 or 1963) was a Polish diplomat, agronomist
, writer and nobleman.
Mieczysław was born in his family manor in Saldutiškis
(Syłgudyszki) on the lands of the partitioned
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
(then in the Russian Empire
, now in Lithuania), or in Rostov-on-Don
. His mother, Anela, was a sister of Stanisław Witkiewicz; she was also a distant relative of the Piłsudski family. His father, Bolesław, was an engineer and a governmental official, the grandson of a Russian Army general who sided with the Polish 1830-31 insurgents during the November Uprising
and was sentenced to death, but pardoned.
He graduated from the Riga Technical University
, studying agronomics and chemistry
, finishing agronomics studies. He also served in the Russian army, and continued studies at the University of Bonn
. Before World War I
he worked for the Russian government (Ministry of Agriculture) as the agricultural consul in Germany, was a director or a board members of several organizations, including a local bank, and presided over the sejmik
of local nobility (szlachta
). His agricultural possessions (in Syłgudyszki and Otulany) were seen as model by many in Lithuania, he was frequently visited by other land owners interested in his methods; he also gave talks and presentations on the agronomic subjects.
During World War I he served in the civilian arm of the Russian Army, reaching the rank of colonel. After the war he found that his estates had been taken over by the German administration, whose representatives refused to turn them over to him. At the same time, he was worried by the worsening relations between Poles and Lithuanians. He was a vocal representative of the many among the local Polish nobility who wanted to reach a compromise solution with the Lithuanians (the krajowcy
); he was involved in direct negotiations with the Lithuanian president Antanas Smetona
. Machaliński, in his biographical sketch of Jałowiecki, writes that he was "shocked by the growing hostility of Lithuanians towards the Poles". Jałowiecki himself, after the failure of his attempt to reach a compromise with the Lithuanian authorities, wrote: "For me and many of my compatriotes... who were raised in the spirit of love for Lithuania, Lithuanian people... this new direction was totally incomprehensible." As the tensions between Poles and Lithuanians grew, he became involved in the organization of self-defense foces, and was one of the members of the delgation from the Vilnius region
to Józef Piłsudski in Warsaw
, requesting his aid (that would eventually take the form of the Vilna offensive
).
In Warsaw, he begun working for the government of Second Polish Republic
, employed as a diplomat for the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs; he was the Polish government's delegate to Gdańsk
(Danzig) in the years 1919-1920. In Gdańsk he was involved with Herbert Hoover
's American Relief Administration
. Afterwards, unable to return to his Lithuanian homeland, he bought a new estate in Kamień, near Kalisz
. The Syłgudyszki, looted during the war, was converted by the Lithuanian state into administrative offices and a primary school while the former barn was converted into a parish church.
After German invasion of Poland he left for the United Kingdom
, where he was a politician and social activist in the Polish government in exile
. He stayed in the UK after the war. Till his death he was involved in the activities of the British Polonia
, publishing books and brochures about agronomics and about his homeland. In 1962 he died near London
.
Mieczysław was also a writer, and has published several books in the Polish language about his diplomatic career and on agronomic subjects. He also wrote a diary trilogy, describing his life in Na skraju imperium, Wolne Miasto and Requiem dla ziemiaństwa.
year of death. Machaliński states that he died in 1962, as does Marek Jerzy Minakowski
in his genealology database, but other sources give the year 1963. Similarly, sources disagree on his place of birth. Machaliński and Minakowski both give Syłgudyszki, but Kulas names Rostov-on-Don
, and Rostov is mentioned as his place of birth in his biographical sketch in his diaries.
Agronomist
An agronomist is a scientist who specializes in agronomy, which is the science of utilizing plants for food, fuel, feed, and fiber. An agronomist is an expert in agricultural and allied sciences, with the exception veterinary sciences.Agronomists deal with interactions between plants, soils, and...
, writer and nobleman.
Mieczysław was born in his family manor in Saldutiškis
Saldutiškis
Saldutiškis is a small town in northeastern Lithuania. According to the census of 2001, it had 389 residents.Its alternate names include Syłgudyszki , Saldutishkis, Trunkuny, and Saldatiškio....
(Syłgudyszki) on the lands of the partitioned
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
(then in the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, now in Lithuania), or in Rostov-on-Don
Rostov-on-Don
-History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...
. His mother, Anela, was a sister of Stanisław Witkiewicz; she was also a distant relative of the Piłsudski family. His father, Bolesław, was an engineer and a governmental official, the grandson of a Russian Army general who sided with the Polish 1830-31 insurgents during the November Uprising
November Uprising
The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
and was sentenced to death, but pardoned.
He graduated from the Riga Technical University
Riga Technical University
Riga Technical University is located in Riga, Latvia.- Riga Polytechnical Institute, 1862-1918 :...
, studying agronomics and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, finishing agronomics studies. He also served in the Russian army, and continued studies at the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
. Before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he worked for the Russian government (Ministry of Agriculture) as the agricultural consul in Germany, was a director or a board members of several organizations, including a local bank, and presided over the sejmik
Sejmik
A sejmik was a regional assembly in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and earlier in the Kingdom of Poland. Sejmiks existed until the end of the Commonwealth in 1795 following the partitions of the Commonwealth...
of local nobility (szlachta
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
). His agricultural possessions (in Syłgudyszki and Otulany) were seen as model by many in Lithuania, he was frequently visited by other land owners interested in his methods; he also gave talks and presentations on the agronomic subjects.
During World War I he served in the civilian arm of the Russian Army, reaching the rank of colonel. After the war he found that his estates had been taken over by the German administration, whose representatives refused to turn them over to him. At the same time, he was worried by the worsening relations between Poles and Lithuanians. He was a vocal representative of the many among the local Polish nobility who wanted to reach a compromise solution with the Lithuanians (the krajowcy
Krajowcy
The Krajowcy was a group of mainly Polish-speaking intellectuals from the Vilnius Region who, in the beginning of the 20th century, opposed the division of the former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth into nation states along ethnic and linguistic lines. It was a reactionary movement against growing...
); he was involved in direct negotiations with the Lithuanian president Antanas Smetona
Antanas Smetona
Antanas Smetona was one of the most important Lithuanian political figures between World War I and World War II. He served as the first President of Lithuania from April 4, 1919 to June 19, 1920. He again served as the last President of the country from December 19, 1926 to June 15, 1940, before...
. Machaliński, in his biographical sketch of Jałowiecki, writes that he was "shocked by the growing hostility of Lithuanians towards the Poles". Jałowiecki himself, after the failure of his attempt to reach a compromise with the Lithuanian authorities, wrote: "For me and many of my compatriotes... who were raised in the spirit of love for Lithuania, Lithuanian people... this new direction was totally incomprehensible." As the tensions between Poles and Lithuanians grew, he became involved in the organization of self-defense foces, and was one of the members of the delgation from the Vilnius region
Vilnius region
Vilnius Region , refers to the territory in the present day Lithuania, that was originally inhabited by ethnic Baltic tribes and was a part of Lithuania proper, but came under East Slavic and Polish cultural influences over time,...
to Józef Piłsudski in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, requesting his aid (that would eventually take the form of the Vilna offensive
Vilna offensive
The Vilna offensive was a campaign of the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1921. The Polish army launched an offensive on April 16, 1919, to take Vilnius from the Red Army. After three days of street fighting from April 19–21, the city was captured by Polish forces, causing the Red Army to...
).
In Warsaw, he begun working for the government of Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
, employed as a diplomat for the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs; he was the Polish government's delegate to Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
(Danzig) in the years 1919-1920. In Gdańsk he was involved with Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
's American Relief Administration
American Relief Administration
American Relief Administration was an American relief mission to Europe and later Soviet Russia after World War I. Herbert Hoover, future president of the United States, was the program director....
. Afterwards, unable to return to his Lithuanian homeland, he bought a new estate in Kamień, near Kalisz
Kamien, Kalisz County
Kamień is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ceków-Kolonia, within Kalisz County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately south-west of Ceków-Kolonia, north-east of Kalisz, and south-east of the regional capital Poznań.The village has a...
. The Syłgudyszki, looted during the war, was converted by the Lithuanian state into administrative offices and a primary school while the former barn was converted into a parish church.
After German invasion of Poland he left for the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where he was a politician and social activist in the Polish government in exile
Polish government in Exile
The Polish government-in-exile, formally 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 of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which...
. He stayed in the UK after the war. Till his death he was involved in the activities of the British Polonia
Polonia
The Polish diaspora refers to people of Polish origin who live outside Poland. The Polish diaspora is also known in modern Polish language as Polonia, which is the name for Poland in Latin and in many other Romance languages....
, publishing books and brochures about agronomics and about his homeland. In 1962 he died near London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Mieczysław was also a writer, and has published several books in the Polish language about his diplomatic career and on agronomic subjects. He also wrote a diary trilogy, describing his life in Na skraju imperium, Wolne Miasto and Requiem dla ziemiaństwa.
Works
- Some Facts about Poland By Major Macdonald Jałowiecki, Londyn 1944, Free Europe, s.20, seria: Free Europe Pamphlet No 6.
- Ameryka Południowa bez Brazylii, Londyn 1946.
- Afryka Południowa. Warunki życia i pracy, oprac. Londyn 1946, nakł. Oddział Szkolnictwa Zawodowego Sztabu Głównego, s.116.
- Uprawa szczegółowa roślin gospodarskich, Londyn 1946, nakł. Oddział Szkolnictwa Zawodowego Sztabu Głównego s.191.
- Przewodnik rolniczy angielsko-polski w sześciu częściach, Londyn 1946, Ministerstwo Wyznań Religijnych i Oświecenia Publicznego, s. 2,206.
- Dawne Wilno i ludzie zapomniani, Londyn 1955, Wydawnictwo Klubu Londyńskiego Społeczności Akademickiej Uniwersytetu Stefana Batorego, s.16.
- Wizerunki dworów polskich, wyd. na emigracji. Zbiór 1500 akwarel autorstwa Mieczysława Jałowieckiego.
- Wspomnienia, raporty i sprawozdania z Gdańska (1919-1920) wstęp i opracowanie Zbigniewa Machalińskiego, Gdańsk "Marpress" 1995.
- Na skraju imperium, Warszawa Czytelnik 2000, wybór i układ tekstu Michał Jałowiecki.
- Gaudeamus - Szkice z lat minionych, Warszawa 2002, Biblioteka Arkonii.
- Wolne Miasto, Warszawa Czytelnik 2002, wybór i układ tekstu Michał Jałowiecki.
- Requiem dla ziemiaństwa, Warszawa Czytelnik 2003, wybór i układ tekstu Michał Jałowiecki.
year of death. Machaliński states that he died in 1962, as does Marek Jerzy Minakowski
Marek Jerzy Minakowski
Marek Jerzy Minakowski is a Polish philosopher, historian and genealogist, author of the "Wielką genealogię". Graduated from the Jagiellonian University with the dissertation which was the result of collecting all traces of the use of formal logic in Greek writing prior to 350 B.C...
in his genealology database, but other sources give the year 1963. Similarly, sources disagree on his place of birth. Machaliński and Minakowski both give Syłgudyszki, but Kulas names Rostov-on-Don
Rostov-on-Don
-History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...
, and Rostov is mentioned as his place of birth in his biographical sketch in his diaries.
Further reading
- "Wspomnienia, raporty i sprawozdania z Gdańska (1919-1920)" w opracowaniu Zbigniewa Machalińskiego "Marpress" Gdańsk 1995