Tadeusz Rejtan
Encyclopedia
Tadeusz Reytan was a Polish
nobleman. He was a member of the Polish Sejm
from the constituency of Nowogródek (today Navahrudak, Belarus
). Rejtan is remembered for a dramatic gesture he made in September 1773, as a deputy of the Partition Sejm
. There, Rejtan tried to prevent the legalization of the first partition of Poland
, a scene that has been immortalized in one of the paintings of Jan Matejko
. He has been the subject of many other art works, and is a symbol of patriotism
. Despite his efforts, the partition of Poland was legalized soon afterwards.
) (date as given in the Polish Biographical Dictionary
, some other sources give other dates). He was the son of a minor, but relatively wealthy noble, Dominik Rejtan, podkomorzy of Nowogródek (today Navahrudak, Belarus
) and Teresa Wołodkowicz. He was likely the oldest of five brothers. His brother, Michał, would come to hold the position of the writer of Nowogródek. His grandfather, also Michał, was the skrabnik of Mazyr
. The family had been aligned to the powerful Radziwiłł family, and Tadeusz would also pledge his allegiance to them.
It is possible he attended the Collegium Nobilium
in Warsaw
(based on secondary sources only). Afterwards, he served in the Polish cavalry
, in a chorągiew
unit of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
. He might have participated in the Confederation of Bar (1768–72), but historians are not certain about the validity of that claim.
In 1773, in the aftermath of the War of the Bar Confederation, a special session of the Sejm
(Polish parliament) was convened in Warsaw
, capital of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
by its three neighbours (Russian Empire
, Prussia
and Austria
) in order to legalize their First Partition of Poland
. That Sejm became known as the Partition Sejm
. Rejtan was one of the deputies that tried to prevent the legalization of the first partition of Poland
, despite threats from the foreign ambassadores. For example, Russian ambassador, Otto von Stackelberg
, declared that in the face of refusal the whole capital of Warsaw would be destroyed by the Russians; other threats included executions, confiscation of estates, and increase of partitioned territory.
Rejtan was a deputy to that Sejm, from the constituency of Nowogródek, and the local sejmik
gave him very explicit instructions to defend the Commonwealth. On the Sejm's first day (19 April), and possibly even in the discussions on the previous days, Rejtan, working together with the Stanisław Bohuszewicz and Samuel Korsak, strongly protested against the proposal of Adam Poniński who wanted to form a confederated sejm
(such as sejm would be immune to the threat of liberum veto
). Rejtan's arguments were primarily legal; he argued that Poniński had no right to be the Sejm Marshal, and that there are no grounds to form a confederated sejm. He also appropriated one of the two Marshal's staffs. During a discussion with another deputy, Rejtan stated that he was aware that the foreign powers can force the issue, but his intention was to make it clear that any treaty they force through was not unanimously accepted. Rejtan was thus able to disrupt the proceedings on that day. He would attempt to delay and disrupt the proceedings, but he was ignored, overruled and threatened by other deputies, as on 20 April Poniński returned to the Sejm with an escort of Russian and Prussian soldiers. A quickly convened Sejm court begun deliberating on the potential illegality of Rejtan's actions, but little discussion occurred on that day.
The next day, the court sentenced him to imprisonment and confiscation of goods; that was challenged by Rejtan. Eventually, on 21 April, most of the deputies had signed the act of the confederation, which was accepted by the king. Troops made it difficult for the other deputies to be present in the Sejm chambers, although a dwindling number of deputies, including Rejtan, still were present. To finish forming the confederation and elect Poniński its marshal, some confederation deputies entered the Chambers, passed a motion, and were attempting to leave. This is when Rejtan, in a dramatic gesture, is said to have bared his chest and laid himself down in a doorway, blocking the way with his own body in a dramatic attempt to stop the other members from leaving the chamber where the debate was being held (leaving of the chamber signified the end of the discussion, and the acceptance of the motion). Others tried to block the passage too. Their gesture was dramatic but futile, as the leaving deputies just stepped over Rejtan, and in a commotion pushed through the others. Eventually, just a few deputies, including Rejtan, were left inside; they refused to leave, hoping to be removed by foreign troops, which would be a symbol of the foreign intervention. Around 22 April, Rejtan and the remaining colleagues left the Sejm chamber after about 36 hours of having little sleep and food (Rejtan is said to have refused to eat in the Sejm chamber, saying it would disrespect it). Eventually however, they left in return for a guarantee from the foreign diplomats that the sentence passed on him would be nullified, and no other repercussions would be carried out.
Rejtan would remain in Warsaw during the next few years (the Partition Sejm lasted till 1776), but his influence diminished.
After the partition Rejtan withdrew from political life. He never married. He spent the rest of his days in a small estate at Hruszówka, where he died on August 8, 1780. His mental health deteriorated; according to some due to distress with the loss of a part of his homeland, but rumours about his erratic behavior date to soon after the Partition Sejm begun in 1773, before its final motions were passed in 1776. He is said to have been escorted by his brothers from Warsaw on 19 March, 1775. Eventually he committed suicide, cutting himself with glass (most detailed accounts say he swallowed it, to prevent being taken by imaginary Russian soldiers he thought were coming for him). His exact place of burial is unknown, and exhumation in Hruszówka in 1930 failed to conclusively find his grave.
Rejtan's dramatic attempt to prevent the partition earned him lasting recognition in Poland, one that began even during the proceedings, as he was lauded by some other deputies. His action was also praised as patriotic and respectable by the Prussian and Russian military commanders in Warsaw, who offered him a military escort to protect him from some confederates (particularly Poniński was holding a grudge against him). Soon, brochures and newspaper articles spread the information about his attitude throughout Poland and abroad. During the Great Sejm
of 1788–92, a decree was passed, commending Rejtan, and deputies discussed a project to put a plaque to his name in the Sejm Chambers. His gesture in the Sejm was less famously repeated by Jan Suchorzewski
during that period.
He was, and to the present day is, considered a shining example of a patriot. He has been the subject of many art works, poems, songs and books. Writers who mentioned him included Stanisław Staszic, Franciszek D. Kniaźnin, Adam Mickiewicz
, Józef Szujski
, Leon Wegner
, Seweryn Goszczyński
, Jan Lechoń
, Artur Oppman, Seweryna Duchińska, Maria Konopnicka
, Kazimierz Brończyk, Wiktor Woroszylski, Marian Brandys
, and Jerzy Zawieyski
. A bust of Rejtan was funded by his family in 1860, and is in the National Museum in Kraków. A small monument of him is said to have collapsed in Kraków
in 1946, soon after World War II
, and was not restored. A medal with his face was issued in the Grand Duchy of Poznań
in 1860. Several portraits of him exist, including one by Franciszek Smuglewicz
. However, his most famous depiction is that by Jan Matejko
, who showed a more fictionalized version of the events at the Partition Sejm in his 1866 painting, Rejtan na sejmie warszawskim 21 kwietnia 1773 – upadek Polski (Rejtan at the Warsaw Sejm of 21 April 1773 — the Fall Of Poland). Numerous schools, streets and military units in Poland bear his name as well.
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...
nobleman. He was a member of the Polish 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 ....
from the constituency of Nowogródek (today Navahrudak, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
). Rejtan is remembered for a dramatic gesture he made in September 1773, as a deputy of the Partition Sejm
Partition Sejm
The Partition Sejm was a Sejm lasting from 1773 to 1776 in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, convened by its three neighbours in order to legalize their First Partition of Poland. During its first days in session, that Sejm was the site of Tadeusz Rejtan famous gesture of protest...
. There, Rejtan tried to prevent the legalization of the first partition of Poland
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...
, a scene that has been immortalized in one of the paintings of Jan Matejko
Jan 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...
. He has been the subject of many other art works, and is a symbol of patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
. Despite his efforts, the partition of Poland was legalized soon afterwards.
Biography
Tadeusz Rejtan was born on 20 August, 1742 in Hruszówka (now, Hrushauka, BelarusBelarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
) (date as given in the Polish Biographical Dictionary
Polish Biographical Dictionary
Polski słownik biograficzny is a Polish-language biographical dictionary, comprising an alphabetically arranged compilation of authoritative biographies of some 25,000 notable Poles and of foreigners who have been active in Poland – famous as well as less well-known persons, from Popiel, Piast...
, some other sources give other dates). He was the son of a minor, but relatively wealthy noble, Dominik Rejtan, podkomorzy of Nowogródek (today Navahrudak, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
) and Teresa Wołodkowicz. He was likely the oldest of five brothers. His brother, Michał, would come to hold the position of the writer of Nowogródek. His grandfather, also Michał, was the skrabnik of Mazyr
Mazyr
Mazyr, also Mozyr is a city in the Homiel Province of Belarus on the Pripyat River about 210 km east of Pinsk and 100 km northwest of Chernobyl and is located at approximately . The population is 111,770 . The total urban area including Kalinkavičy across the river has a population of...
. The family had been aligned to the powerful Radziwiłł family, and Tadeusz would also pledge his allegiance to them.
It is possible he attended the Collegium Nobilium
Collegium Nobilium
-Olomouc:Following the Thirty Years' War, the education in Moravia was firmly in the hands of Jesuits. Moravian nobility were keen to expand the range of areas taught at the University of Olomouc beyond just theology and philosophy. Despite opposition from the Jesuits, the Emperor Leopold I...
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...
(based on secondary sources only). Afterwards, he served in the Polish cavalry
Polish cavalry
The Polish cavalry can trace its origins back to the days of Medieval mounted knights. Poland had always been a country of flatlands and fields and mounted forces operate well in this environment...
, in a chorągiew
Choragiew
Chorągiew was the basic administrative unit of the Polish cavalry from the 14th century. An alternative name until the 17th century was Rota.The name may derive from Slavic word Khorugv ....
unit of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
. He might have participated in the Confederation of Bar (1768–72), but historians are not certain about the validity of that claim.
In 1773, in the aftermath of the War of the Bar Confederation, a special session 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 ....
(Polish parliament) was convened 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...
, capital 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...
by its three neighbours (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...
, Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) in order to legalize their First Partition of Poland
First Partition of Poland
The First Partition of Poland or First Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in 1772 as the first of three partitions that ended the existence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. Growth in the Russian Empire's power, threatening the Kingdom of Prussia and the...
. That Sejm became known as the Partition Sejm
Partition Sejm
The Partition Sejm was a Sejm lasting from 1773 to 1776 in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, convened by its three neighbours in order to legalize their First Partition of Poland. During its first days in session, that Sejm was the site of Tadeusz Rejtan famous gesture of protest...
. Rejtan was one of the deputies that tried to prevent the legalization of the first partition of Poland
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...
, despite threats from the foreign ambassadores. For example, Russian ambassador, Otto von Stackelberg
Otto Magnus von Stackelberg (ambassador)
Reichsgraf Otto Magnus von Stackelberg was a diplomat of the Russian Empire, an envoy in Madrid from 1767 to 1771, ambassador in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1772 to 1790 and in Sweden from 1791 to 1793....
, declared that in the face of refusal the whole capital of Warsaw would be destroyed by the Russians; other threats included executions, confiscation of estates, and increase of partitioned territory.
Rejtan was a deputy to that Sejm, from the constituency of Nowogródek, and the local 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...
gave him very explicit instructions to defend the Commonwealth. On the Sejm's first day (19 April), and possibly even in the discussions on the previous days, Rejtan, working together with the Stanisław Bohuszewicz and Samuel Korsak, strongly protested against the proposal of Adam Poniński who wanted to form a confederated sejm
Confederated sejm
Confederated sejm was a form of sejm in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 18th century. After 1764, sejms were frequently confederated...
(such as sejm would be immune to the threat of 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...
). Rejtan's arguments were primarily legal; he argued that Poniński had no right to be the Sejm Marshal, and that there are no grounds to form a confederated sejm. He also appropriated one of the two Marshal's staffs. During a discussion with another deputy, Rejtan stated that he was aware that the foreign powers can force the issue, but his intention was to make it clear that any treaty they force through was not unanimously accepted. Rejtan was thus able to disrupt the proceedings on that day. He would attempt to delay and disrupt the proceedings, but he was ignored, overruled and threatened by other deputies, as on 20 April Poniński returned to the Sejm with an escort of Russian and Prussian soldiers. A quickly convened Sejm court begun deliberating on the potential illegality of Rejtan's actions, but little discussion occurred on that day.
The next day, the court sentenced him to imprisonment and confiscation of goods; that was challenged by Rejtan. Eventually, on 21 April, most of the deputies had signed the act of the confederation, which was accepted by the king. Troops made it difficult for the other deputies to be present in the Sejm chambers, although a dwindling number of deputies, including Rejtan, still were present. To finish forming the confederation and elect Poniński its marshal, some confederation deputies entered the Chambers, passed a motion, and were attempting to leave. This is when Rejtan, in a dramatic gesture, is said to have bared his chest and laid himself down in a doorway, blocking the way with his own body in a dramatic attempt to stop the other members from leaving the chamber where the debate was being held (leaving of the chamber signified the end of the discussion, and the acceptance of the motion). Others tried to block the passage too. Their gesture was dramatic but futile, as the leaving deputies just stepped over Rejtan, and in a commotion pushed through the others. Eventually, just a few deputies, including Rejtan, were left inside; they refused to leave, hoping to be removed by foreign troops, which would be a symbol of the foreign intervention. Around 22 April, Rejtan and the remaining colleagues left the Sejm chamber after about 36 hours of having little sleep and food (Rejtan is said to have refused to eat in the Sejm chamber, saying it would disrespect it). Eventually however, they left in return for a guarantee from the foreign diplomats that the sentence passed on him would be nullified, and no other repercussions would be carried out.
Rejtan would remain in Warsaw during the next few years (the Partition Sejm lasted till 1776), but his influence diminished.
After the partition Rejtan withdrew from political life. He never married. He spent the rest of his days in a small estate at Hruszówka, where he died on August 8, 1780. His mental health deteriorated; according to some due to distress with the loss of a part of his homeland, but rumours about his erratic behavior date to soon after the Partition Sejm begun in 1773, before its final motions were passed in 1776. He is said to have been escorted by his brothers from Warsaw on 19 March, 1775. Eventually he committed suicide, cutting himself with glass (most detailed accounts say he swallowed it, to prevent being taken by imaginary Russian soldiers he thought were coming for him). His exact place of burial is unknown, and exhumation in Hruszówka in 1930 failed to conclusively find his grave.
Legacy
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...
of 1788–92, a decree was passed, commending Rejtan, and deputies discussed a project to put a plaque to his name in the Sejm Chambers. His gesture in the Sejm was less famously repeated by Jan Suchorzewski
Jan Suchorzewski
Jan Suchorzewski was a Polish noble of the Zaremba coat of arms, soldier and politician. He held the title of the wojski of Wschowa. He was a deputy from Gniezno to the Sejm of 1786 and deputy from Kalisz to the Great Sejm of 1788-1792. He would be best remembered for his dramatic, theatrical...
during that period.
He was, and to the present day is, considered a shining example of a patriot. He has been the subject of many art works, poems, songs and books. Writers who mentioned him included Stanisław Staszic, Franciszek D. Kniaźnin, Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Bernard Mickiewicz ) was a Polish poet, publisher and political writer of the Romantic period. One of the primary representatives of the Polish Romanticism era, a national poet of Poland, he is seen as one of Poland's Three Bards and the greatest poet in all of Polish literature...
, Józef Szujski
Józef Szujski
Józef Szujski was a Polish politician, historian, poet and professor of the Jagiellonian University....
, Leon Wegner
Leon Wegner
Leon Wegner was a Polish economist and historian, co-founder of Poznań Society of Friends of Arts and Sciences.-References:...
, Seweryn Goszczyński
Seweryn Goszczynski
Seweryn Goszczyński was a Polish Romantic prose writer and poet.Goszczyński did not receive a thorough education because his parents were not well off. He studied with breaks in different schools, the Basilian School in Humań being the one where he stayed the longest period of time. At this school...
, Jan Lechoń
Jan Lechon
Leszek Józef Serafinowicz was a Polish poet, literary and theater critic, diplomat, and co-founder of the Skamander literary movement and the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America.-Life:Lechoń studied Polish language and literature at Warsaw University, by...
, Artur Oppman, Seweryna Duchińska, Maria Konopnicka
Maria Konopnicka
Maria Konopnicka nee Wasiłowska , was a Polish poet, novelist, writer for children and youth, a translator, journalist and critic, as well as an activist for women's rights and Polish independence.Maria Konopnicka also composed a poem about the execution of the Irish patriot, Robert...
, Kazimierz Brończyk, Wiktor Woroszylski, Marian Brandys
Marian Brandys
Marian Brandys was a Polish writer and screenwriter born in Wiesbaden.-External links:...
, and Jerzy Zawieyski
Jerzy Zawieyski
Jerzy Zawieyski, born Henryk Nowicki, was a Polish playwright, prose writer, Catholic political activist and amateur stage actor...
. A bust of Rejtan was funded by his family in 1860, and is in the National Museum in Kraków. A small monument of him is said to have collapsed in 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...
in 1946, soon after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and was not restored. A medal with his face was issued in the Grand Duchy of Poznań
Grand Duchy of Poznan
The Grand Duchy of Posen, or the Grand Duchy of Poznań was part of the Kingdom of Prussia, created from territories annexed by Prussia after the Partitions of Poland, and formally established following the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. Per agreements derived at the Congress of Vienna it was to have...
in 1860. Several portraits of him exist, including one by Franciszek Smuglewicz
Franciszek Smuglewicz
Franciszek Smuglewicz or Pranciškus Smuglevičius, October 6, 1745 – September 18, 1807) was a Polish-Lithuanian draughtsman and painter. Smuglewicz is considered a progenitor of Lithuanian art in the modern era. Some consider him as a spiritual father of Jan Matejko's school of painting....
. However, his most famous depiction is that by Jan Matejko
Jan 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...
, who showed a more fictionalized version of the events at the Partition Sejm in his 1866 painting, Rejtan na sejmie warszawskim 21 kwietnia 1773 – upadek Polski (Rejtan at the Warsaw Sejm of 21 April 1773 — the Fall Of Poland). Numerous schools, streets and military units in Poland bear his name as well.