Józef Zajączek

This article is about the 19th century general. For a 20th century one, see Józef Zając.

Prince Józef Zajączek (Coat of arms of Świnka), (1 November 1752, Kamieniec Podolski — 28 August 1826, Warsaw) was a Polish general and politician.

His first important military post was that of an aide-de-camp to hetman Franciszek Ksawery Branicki. Before the partitions of Poland in 1795 he was a deputy to the 4-year Sejm (1788–1792), one of the secretaries of the Assembly of Friends of the Government Act, commander of a division during the Polish-Russian War of 1792, hero of the battle of Zieleńce (for his valor he received the highest decoration of Polish military: Virtuti Militari, becoming the 5th person to receive this award (instituted that year)[1]) and a Polish Jacobin[2]. He was a general and the commander of the Kościuszko Uprising in 1794 after Tadeusz Kościuszko was imprisoned. He is criticised for his poor military skill in preparing defence of Warsaw against Russian invasion. Just before Warsaw fell he escaped to Polish Galicia where he was interned by Austrians. Due to his wife's influence, he was released one year later.

After the uprising was subdued, Zajączek like many other Polish soldiers joined the Polish Legions in Italy led by Jan Henryk Dąbrowski, which were part of Napoleon's army. He later took part in the Revolutionary Wars and the Egyptian Expedition. At this time he decided to break all ties with his homeland during this time as a result of criticism of his person in Poland [3].

When the Polish state was recreated as Duchy of Warsaw by Napoleon, Zajączek believed he should be put in charge of war department; when his demands were not granted, he refused to wear a Polish uniform [4], and was forced to do so only on direct orders of Napoleon. His constant disputes and demands were problematic for Polish government, and there was even a proposal to give him some sort of bribe so that he would stop [5]. He particularly insisted on being granted land and possessions, going as far as addressing Napoleon himself [6]. He was put in charge of the so-called Northern Legion, composed primarily of Poles. During Napoleon's Invasion of Russia in 1812 Zajączek commanded the 16th infantry division of la Grande Armée until a wound at Berzina claimed his leg and he was taken prisoner by the Imperial Russian Army in Wilna.

Zajączek on a portable miniature portrait

In captitvity through contacts gained by Princess of Łowicz, Zajączek managed to contact Russian Grand Duke Constantine, which helped to place him on Russian created committee on military organisation. Thereupon he was presented to the Emperor Alexander I; his desire to serve the emperor resulted in appointment as his representative in Congress Poland in 1815, becoming the first Namestnik of Kingdom of Poland. He adopted the position of utmost servility towards Aleksander I, who bestowed on him the title of a 'Prince of Poland' in 1818. [7]. He was the only man to receive the title from the Russian emperor. Other princes of Poland were the brothers of the previous King of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski (Kazimierz, Andrzej and Michal), who were awarded the hereditary title by the Polish Sejm (parliament) before Russia invaded and conquered Poland.

His wife Aleksandra Pernet, though of advanced age, was known for her youthful looks. They had no children, and the princely title went extinct upon Zajączek's death, which happened in Warsaw's palace called Pałac Namiestnikowski (Regent's Palace), nowadays a seat of the President of Poland. He was buried in Opatówek near Kalisz, but his heart was placed in the Bernardine Church in Warsaw. The choice of Opatówek was not accidental, because he contributed a lot to the economic growth of the town.

Honours and awards

This article incorporates information from the Polish Wikipedia.

• Commander's Cross of the Virtuti Militari (1807)
• Order of the White Eagle (1815)
• Order of St. Andrew (1816)
• Order of the Black Eagle (Prussia, 1819)
• Commander's Cross of the Legion of Honour (France)
• Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russia)
• Order of St. Anna (Russia)

External links

• Biography in Polish

References

This article incorporates material from the public domain 1906 Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary.