Jędrzej Kitowicz facts for kids
Jędrzej Kitowicz (born November 25, 1728; died April 3, 1804) was a Polish historian and diarist. He is remembered for writing important books about Polish life and history in the 1700s.
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Who Was Jędrzej Kitowicz?
Jędrzej Kitowicz was born in 1728 into a middle-class family in a part of Poland called Greater Poland. As a young man, he worked for wealthy priests. This gave him a close look at important people and events of his time.
His Role in the Confederation of Bar
Kitowicz became a leader, known as a rotmistrz, in a group called the Confederation of Bar. This group was a movement of Polish nobles who formed in 1768. They aimed to defend Poland's independence and traditional freedoms. Kitowicz was active with this group in Greater Poland.
Life as a Priest
In 1771, Kitowicz decided to join a religious seminary. This was a school for people training to become priests. He continued to work for Antoni Kazimierz Ostrowski, who was the bishop of Kujawy. Bishop Ostrowski later became the primate of Poland, which is the highest-ranking bishop in the country.
Kitowicz took his Holy Orders in 1777, officially becoming a priest. In 1781, he became the provost (a type of church leader) of a town called Rzeczyca. He lived there for the rest of his life.
Kitowicz's Important Writings
Jędrzej Kitowicz is best known for two books, even though he didn't finish either of them. These books are very valuable because they tell us a lot about Poland's past.
Description of Customs
His first major work was called Description of Customs during the reign of August III (in Polish, Opis obyczajów za panowania Augusta III). This book was published in 1840, long after he died. It tried to show what daily life and culture were like in Poland during the first half of the 18th century. It gives us a picture of how people lived, dressed, and behaved back then.
Memoirs, or History of Poland
His second important book was Memoirs, or History of Poland (Pamiętniki, czyli Historia polska). Parts of this book were published in 1840, but the full version came out much later, in 1971. This book was like a diary or a detailed record of events from 1743 to 1798. Kitowicz paid special attention to the Confederation of Bar in this work.
Kitowicz's writings, especially Description of Customs, are very important for understanding Polish history and literature. He had strong opinions and sometimes spoke out against people like Stanisław August Poniatowski, who was the last king of Poland, and other reformers. He died in Rzeczyca in 1804.
