Stanislaw Staszic
Encyclopedia
Stanisław Wawrzyniec Staszic s (November 6, 1755 – January 20, 1826) was a Polish
priest
, philosopher, statesman
, geologist
, scholar, poet
and writer
, a leader of the Polish Enlightenment, famous for works related to the "Great" or "Four-Year Sejm" (1788–1792) and its Constitution of May 3, 1791
.
family in the town of Piła. He graduated from a Jesuit school in Poznań
and was ordained
a Catholic priest
. Between 1779 and 1781 he continued his theological
studies in France
and Germany
. He also spent some time abroad between 1790–1791 and 1794-1797.
Due to his burgher origin, he was barred from owning land and holding many official posts in the monarchical Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
, but due to the friendship of Józef Wybicki
he got a position of a tutor in the house of the great chancellor, Andrzej Zamoyski.
Staszic was a strong partisan of reforms and an ardent advocate of the interests of the lower classes, especially the peasants. A physiocrat
, monist
, pan-Slavist
(after 1815) and laissez-fairist
, he was a leading supporter of the reforms introduced by the May Constitution of Poland of 1791. He advocated the abolition of the second serfdom and improvements of the peasants fate (by granting them land and private rights). Founded the Hrubieszowskie Towarzystwo Rolnicze (Hrubieszów
Agricultural Society) in 1816, the first Polish cooperative
.
After the partitions of Poland
, he organized mining schools, societies of learning, departments of industry and arts. From 1808 he was director of the Society of Friends of Learning (Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk), predecessor to the Polish Academy of Sciences
(Polska Akademia Nauk). After the fall of the Duchy of Warsaw
in 1815, he became a member of the Council of State of the successor Congress Poland
.
He studied and wrote about geography
and geology
, discovered coal
in Dąbrowa Górnicza
, where he initiated the building of a coal mine. He was also an active supporter of industrial
development in Poland. Between 1816 and 1824, he was de facto minister of industry of the Congress Poland
and began construction of the Old Polish Industrial Area (Staropolski Okręg Przemysłowy), with steel and zinc mills around Kielce
and Sandomierz
. The Imperial Russian
authorities praised Staszic's accomplishments in Russian-administered Congress Poland.
He died in Warsaw in 1826. His testament left his property at Hrubieszów
to its tenants.
's 1891 painting, Constitution of May 3, 1791
. There is a statue of Stanisław Staszic in Łódź. In April 1951, he was honored on a postage stamp of the Republic of Poland
as part of the set issued for the First Congress of Polish Science.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, philosopher, statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
, geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
, scholar, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, a leader of the Polish Enlightenment, famous for works related to the "Great" or "Four-Year Sejm" (1788–1792) and its Constitution of May 3, 1791
Constitution of May 3, 1791
The Constitution of May 3, 1791 was adopted as a "Government Act" on that date by the Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Historian Norman Davies calls it "the first constitution of its type in Europe"; other scholars also refer to it as the world's second oldest constitution...
.
Life
Staszic was born into a burgherBourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
family in the town of Piła. He graduated from a Jesuit school in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
and was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
a Catholic priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. Between 1779 and 1781 he continued his theological
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
studies in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He also spent some time abroad between 1790–1791 and 1794-1797.
Due to his burgher origin, he was barred from owning land and holding many official posts in the monarchical 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...
, but due to the friendship of Józef Wybicki
Józef Wybicki
Józef Rufin Wybicki was a Polish general, poet and political figure.-Life:He was a close friend of General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski, and in 1797 he wrote Mazurek Dąbrowskiego , which in 1927 was adopted as the Polish national anthem.During the Kościuszko Uprising, he was counselor of the Military...
he got a position of a tutor in the house of the great chancellor, Andrzej Zamoyski.
Staszic was a strong partisan of reforms and an ardent advocate of the interests of the lower classes, especially the peasants. A physiocrat
Physiocrats
Physiocracy is an economic theory developed by the Physiocrats, a group of economists who believed that the wealth of nations was derived solely from the value of "land agriculture" or "land development." Their theories originated in France and were most popular during the second half of the 18th...
, monist
Monism
Monism is any philosophical view which holds that there is unity in a given field of inquiry. Accordingly, some philosophers may hold that the universe is one rather than dualistic or pluralistic...
, pan-Slavist
Pan-Slavism
Pan-Slavism was a movement in the mid-19th century aimed at unity of all the Slavic peoples. The main focus was in the Balkans where the South Slavs had been ruled for centuries by other empires, Byzantine Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Venice...
(after 1815) and laissez-fairist
Laissez-faire
In economics, laissez-faire describes an environment in which transactions between private parties are free from state intervention, including restrictive regulations, taxes, tariffs and enforced monopolies....
, he was a leading supporter of the reforms introduced by the May Constitution of Poland of 1791. He advocated the abolition of the second serfdom and improvements of the peasants fate (by granting them land and private rights). Founded the Hrubieszowskie Towarzystwo Rolnicze (Hrubieszów
Hrubieszów
Hrubieszów is a town in southeastern Poland, with a population of 18,661 . It is the capital of Hrubieszów County. Since 1999 Hrubieszów has been part of Lublin Voivodeship . Earlier, 1975–98, it had been part of Zamość Province...
Agricultural Society) in 1816, the first Polish cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
.
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...
, he organized mining schools, societies of learning, departments of industry and arts. From 1808 he was director of the Society of Friends of Learning (Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk), predecessor to the Polish Academy of Sciences
Polish Academy of Sciences
The Polish Academy of Sciences, headquartered in Warsaw, is one of two Polish institutions having the nature of an academy of sciences.-History:...
(Polska Akademia Nauk). After the fall of the Duchy of Warsaw
Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw was a Polish state established by Napoleon I in 1807 from the Polish lands ceded by the Kingdom of Prussia under the terms of the Treaties of Tilsit. The duchy was held in personal union by one of Napoleon's allies, King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony...
in 1815, he became a member of the Council of State of the successor Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
.
He studied and wrote about geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, discovered coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
in Dąbrowa Górnicza
Dabrowa Górnicza
Dąbrowa Górnicza is a city in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in southern Poland, nearby Katowice. The north-east district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - metropolis with the population of almost 3 millions...
, where he initiated the building of a coal mine. He was also an active supporter of industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
development in Poland. Between 1816 and 1824, he was de facto minister of industry of the Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
and began construction of the Old Polish Industrial Area (Staropolski Okręg Przemysłowy), with steel and zinc mills around Kielce
Kielce
Kielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship...
and Sandomierz
Sandomierz
Sandomierz is a city in south-eastern Poland with 25,714 inhabitants . Situated in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship , previously in Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship . It is the capital of Sandomierz County . Sandomierz is known for its Old Town, a major tourist attraction...
. The Imperial Russian
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...
authorities praised Staszic's accomplishments in Russian-administered Congress Poland.
He died in Warsaw in 1826. His testament left his property at Hrubieszów
Hrubieszów
Hrubieszów is a town in southeastern Poland, with a population of 18,661 . It is the capital of Hrubieszów County. Since 1999 Hrubieszów has been part of Lublin Voivodeship . Earlier, 1975–98, it had been part of Zamość Province...
to its tenants.
Remembrance
He is one of the figures immortalized in Jan MatejkoJan Matejko
Jan Matejko was a Polish painter known for paintings of notable historical Polish political and military events. His most famous works include oil on canvas paintings like Battle of Grunwald, paintings of numerous other battles and court scenes, and a gallery of Polish kings...
's 1891 painting, Constitution of May 3, 1791
Constitution of May 3, 1791 (painting)
Constitution of May 3, 1791 is a late 19th century Romantic genre painting by the Polish artist Jan Matejko, commemorating the centenary of an important event in the history of Poland. It is an oil painting on canvas measuring 247 x 446 cm, and like many of Matejko's works, is a large and crowded...
. There is a statue of Stanisław Staszic in Łódź. In April 1951, he was honored on a postage stamp of the Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
as part of the set issued for the First Congress of Polish Science.
Works
His best-known works include:- Remarks upon the Life of Jan ZamoyskiJan ZamoyskiJan Zamoyski , was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman, magnate, 1st duke/ordynat of Zamość. Royal Secretary since 1566, Lesser Kanclerz ) of the Crown since 1576, Lord Grand-Chancellor of the Crown since 1578, and Grand Hetman of the Crown since 1581...
(Uwagi nad życiem Jana Zamoyskiego, 1787) - Warnings for Poland (or Warnings to Poland, Przestrogi dla Polski, 1790)
- On the Origin of Mountains in Former Sarmatia and Later Poland (O ziemorództwie gór dawnej Sarmacji, potem Polski, 1815)
- On the Reasons of Jewish Noxiousness (O przyczynach szkodliwości Żydów, 1818)
- Humankind (Ród Ludzki, 1820)
- A Polish translation of Homer's IliadIliadThe Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
(1815).
See also
- Friedrich Wilhelm von RedenFriedrich Wilhelm von RedenFriedrich Wilhelm von Reden was a German pioneer in mining and metallurgy. He was born in Hamelin in the Electorate of Hanover and died in Michelsdorf in Prussian Silesia.- Life :...
- Hugo Kołłątaj
- Piotr SkargaPiotr SkargaPiotr Skarga was a Polish Jesuit, preacher, hagiographer, polemicist, and leading figure of the Counter-reformation in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was called the "Polish Bossuet" due to his oratorical abilities.He was born February 2, 1536 in Grójec, to a family of lesser landless gentry...
- History of philosophy in Poland