Pilgrim, emigrant, refugee, or perhaps an outlaw?

Jean-Baptiste Oudry, "Portrait of King Stanisław Leszczyński in pilgrim garb", 1730, inv. no. MNW M.Ob. 698

In our story we will place special emphasis on political emigration. This kind of emigrant-pilgrim from Greater Poland was Stanislaw Leszczynski, the dethroned king of Poland, who waited years in exile for the opportunity to regain his throne. This is told to us in his 1730 portrait by J.Ch.Oudry, in which he is depicted with a traveling stick, a beaker and a cloak with St. James of Compostella shells. His pious journey through Europe leads him towards the brightness indicated on the horizon. He is, according to Maciej Forycki,

"the archetype of the Polish emigrant: And every Pole in pilgrimage is not called a wanderer, for a wanderer is a man wandering aimlessly; nor an exile, for an exile is a man banished by sentence of office, and a Pole is not banished by his office [...]. A Pole is called a pilgrim, that he has made a vow to wander to the holy land, the free homeland, vowed to wander as long as he finds it."

Adam Mickiewicz, The Books of the Polish Nation and Pilgrimage

It was a long road. And only a few were given the opportunity to reach its end. Among such fortunate ones was the last owner of Rogalin, Edward Bernard Raczyński, President of the Polish Republic in exile, who died in 1993, and who dedicated his entire long life to a free Poland in a united Europe.

A story about a certain royal family.

Walking through the interiors of Gołuchów Castle, we will tell the story of the Leszczynski family, who started the history of this place. The manor house, rebuilt into the Castle, was erected by the great-great grandfather of the Polish King Stanislaw Leszczynski – Rafal Leszczynski. On the map we will trace the fate of King Stanislaw, his path to the throne and his subsequent emigration to Lorraine and Bar. Together we will look for Leszczynski symbols in the architectural decoration of the Castle and portraits of representatives of this family.

Download: Lesson outline (PDF)

Emigrant or traveler? About Krzysztof Arciszewski.

portret Krzysztofa Arciszewskiego — Portrait of Krzysztof Arciszewski, by an unknown Dutch painter from the 17th century, inv. no. MNP Mo 739.

What does it mean to emigrate? Can an emigrant be a traveler? Or can a traveler become an emigrant? We will think together about these topics while learning about the fascinating life of Krzysztof Arciszewski, who was born in Rogalin.

Download: Lesson outline (PDF)