Stanisław Dunin-Karwicki
Encyclopedia
Stanisław Dunin-Karwicki (c.1640-c.1725, also known as Stanisław Karwicki-Dunin or just Stanisław Karwicki) of the Łabędź coat of arms was a Polish noble, politician and political writer. He held the titles of Cześnik
from 1688 and podkomorzy of Sandomierz
from 1713 or 1714. He was involved with the Polish Reformed Church
. Deputy to several Sejm
s. Remembered for his reformist treatise De ordinanda Republica seu de corrigendis defectibus in statu Republicae Polonae.
and Opatów
. Little is known about his youth, including the specifics of his education. He traveled through Germany, Italy and possibly, France. He held the titles of Cześnik
from 1688 and podkomorzy of Sandomierz
from 1713 or 1714 to 1724. In Sandomierz, he held some various smaller, official positions, including judiciary ones. Władysław Konopczyński suggests that he was very involved in local matters, and cared about them more than the national honors and offices; thus he never attempted to become a member of the Senate of Poland
.
Deputy to several Sejm
s starting with 1674. He did not attend all Sejms, as he professed a belief in the not-always respected rule that one should not attend more than every third Sejm. He attended the Sejm in 1688, where he was remembered for vocal if futile opposition to liberum veto
. Another Sejm he attended was that of 1703. Near the end of his political career, he also attended the Sejms in 1712 and 1713.
He opposed Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki and supported Jan III Sobieski. After Sobieski's death, he supported the election of his son, James Louis Sobieski, and then, Augustus II of Poland (as he promised significant reforms). He joined the Sandomierz Confederation
in 1704 and was one of its leaders (konsyliarz). He took part in the Warsaw Congress in 1710.
His treatise De ordinanda Republica seu de corrigendis defectibus in statu Republicae Polonae, likely written in the period 1704-1710, advocated the need to reform the political system of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
. Even through it was not printed till 1871; according to Konopczyński it was likely too controversial. Some of his most controversial notions to his contemporaries where about the need to weaken the royal prerogatives, and the argument that landless nobles should have no vote, as they are easily bribed or influenced by wealthy magnates.
Jacek Jędruch
described it as the "harbinger of the reform movement of the eighteenth century in the [Polish] political sphere" and similar views have been expressed by others. It has been praised by few contemporaries (such as voivode of Sandomierz, Stanisław Morsztyn, bishop of Kraków
Kazimierz Łubieński, and Stanisław Konarski) and later in the 19th century by the Stańczycy faction. He was not very popular in the Great Sejm
period, as for the reformers, his criticism of the liberum veto would not go far enough, and his arguments for weakening the royal power would not be shared by many who desired to strengthen it. He proposed numerous fixes to the Sejm
. In a larger picture, he argued for the need of taxation of nobility in order to provide for a permanent army, limiting the kings power to distribute offices, limiting the liberum veto
, and increasing the frequency of the Sejm
s. He noted that the governance should stem from the nation (nobility), and he has been criticized for not seeing the need to enfranchise other classes, such as the townspeople or the peasants.
He was a collegue of Stefan Bidziński.
His date of death is uncertain. In October 1724 a new podkomorzy of Sandomierz was appointed, which may indicate his death, but Konopczyński in his later works notes that this is not certain, and some documents note his death in 1725. Thus he believes it is possible that Dunin-Karwicki have simply resigned his office in 1724, and died only in 1725.
Czesnik
Cześnik was a court office in Poland and Lithuania until the end of the 13th century. The holder was responsible for the wine-cellar of the King and for serving him cups with wine at banquets...
from 1688 and podkomorzy of 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...
from 1713 or 1714. He was involved with the Polish Reformed Church
Polish Reformed Church
The Polish Reformed Church, officially called the Evangelical Reformed Church in the republic of Poland is a historic Protestant church in Poland established in the 16th century, still in existence today.-Structure and organisation:An internal census showed that in 2004 the Polish Reformed Church...
. Deputy to several Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
s. Remembered for his reformist treatise De ordinanda Republica seu de corrigendis defectibus in statu Republicae Polonae.
Biography
He was born in 1639 or 1640 (source vary, with no explanation given), and owned several villages near StopnicaStopnica
Stopnica is a village in Busko County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Stopnica. It lies approximately east of Busko-Zdrój and south-east of the regional capital Kielce...
and Opatów
Opatów
Opatów is a town in Poland, in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. It is the capital of Opatów County. Its population is 7,833 .Tourist attractions include a 12th century Collegiate Church of St...
. Little is known about his youth, including the specifics of his education. He traveled through Germany, Italy and possibly, France. He held the titles of Cześnik
Czesnik
Cześnik was a court office in Poland and Lithuania until the end of the 13th century. The holder was responsible for the wine-cellar of the King and for serving him cups with wine at banquets...
from 1688 and podkomorzy of 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...
from 1713 or 1714 to 1724. In Sandomierz, he held some various smaller, official positions, including judiciary ones. Władysław Konopczyński suggests that he was very involved in local matters, and cared about them more than the national honors and offices; thus he never attempted to become a member of the Senate of Poland
Senate of Poland
The Senate is the upper house of the Polish parliament, the lower house being the 'Sejm'. The history of the Polish Senate is rich in tradition and stretches back over 500 years, it was one of the first constituent bodies of a bicameral parliament in Europe and existed without hiatus until the...
.
Deputy to several Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
s starting with 1674. He did not attend all Sejms, as he professed a belief in the not-always respected rule that one should not attend more than every third Sejm. He attended the Sejm in 1688, where he was remembered for vocal if futile opposition to liberum veto
Liberum veto
The liberum veto was a parliamentary device in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It allowed any member of the Sejm to force an immediate end to the current session and nullify any legislation that had already been passed at the session by shouting Nie pozwalam! .From the mid-16th to the late 18th...
. Another Sejm he attended was that of 1703. Near the end of his political career, he also attended the Sejms in 1712 and 1713.
He opposed Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki and supported Jan III Sobieski. After Sobieski's death, he supported the election of his son, James Louis Sobieski, and then, Augustus II of Poland (as he promised significant reforms). He joined the Sandomierz Confederation
Sandomierz Confederation
The Sandomierz Confederation was a confederation formed on May 20, 1704 in defense of the King of Poland, August II the Strong. It was formed in reaction to the Warsaw Confederation. Its marshal was Stanisław Ernest Denhoff. The confederation lasted until 1717, when it was disbanded by the...
in 1704 and was one of its leaders (konsyliarz). He took part in the Warsaw Congress in 1710.
His treatise De ordinanda Republica seu de corrigendis defectibus in statu Republicae Polonae, likely written in the period 1704-1710, advocated the need to reform the political system of the 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...
. Even through it was not printed till 1871; according to Konopczyński it was likely too controversial. Some of his most controversial notions to his contemporaries where about the need to weaken the royal prerogatives, and the argument that landless nobles should have no vote, as they are easily bribed or influenced by wealthy magnates.
Jacek Jędruch
Jacek Jedruch
Jacek Jędruch was a Polish-American nuclear engineer and historian of Polish representative government.-Life:During World War II he participated in the Polish Resistance movement...
described it as the "harbinger of the reform movement of the eighteenth century in the [Polish] political sphere" and similar views have been expressed by others. It has been praised by few contemporaries (such as voivode of Sandomierz, Stanisław Morsztyn, bishop of Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
Kazimierz Łubieński, and Stanisław Konarski) and later in the 19th century by the Stańczycy faction. He was not very popular in the Great Sejm
Great Sejm
The Great Sejm, also known as the Four-Year Sejm was a Sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth that was held in Warsaw, beginning in 1788...
period, as for the reformers, his criticism of the liberum veto would not go far enough, and his arguments for weakening the royal power would not be shared by many who desired to strengthen it. He proposed numerous fixes to the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
. In a larger picture, he argued for the need of taxation of nobility in order to provide for a permanent army, limiting the kings power to distribute offices, limiting the liberum veto
Liberum veto
The liberum veto was a parliamentary device in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It allowed any member of the Sejm to force an immediate end to the current session and nullify any legislation that had already been passed at the session by shouting Nie pozwalam! .From the mid-16th to the late 18th...
, and increasing the frequency of the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
s. He noted that the governance should stem from the nation (nobility), and he has been criticized for not seeing the need to enfranchise other classes, such as the townspeople or the peasants.
He was a collegue of Stefan Bidziński.
His date of death is uncertain. In October 1724 a new podkomorzy of Sandomierz was appointed, which may indicate his death, but Konopczyński in his later works notes that this is not certain, and some documents note his death in 1725. Thus he believes it is possible that Dunin-Karwicki have simply resigned his office in 1724, and died only in 1725.