Description:
Teresa of Moszczeński Kazimierzow Raczyńska (1745-1818) In 1761, the 16-year-old Teresa of Moszczeński, daughter of the Santock castellan, married Kazimierz Raczyński, who was six years older. The builder of the Rogalin palace “married a rich, young, ugly and simple-hearted relative. He quickly forgot about her after the wedding for love affairs and business.”[1].
Kazimierz, involved in political and diplomatic activities, showed indifference to his wife. Teresa reciprocated her husband with beautifulness. Left practically to herself, she arranged her free time at her own discretion. Soon, she followed her husband’s footsteps and discovered the pleasure of casual love affairs. After a rather buxom and gossipy early period of common life, they spent the last years of their life together in peaceful comity. Unfortunately, Teresa did not give Kazimierz the longed-for son. She gave birth to two daughters: Magdalena and Michalina. The lack of a male descendant was so painful to Raczyński that he began his persistent search for his successor. The group of relatives whom he surrounded with care and protection in the hope of future adoption, Teresa contemptuously called “the kin”.[2].
She described her husband’s actions in the political field as insignificant. She did not show much interest in them. Immersed in the whirlpool of social meetings, she did not find much time for her daughters either. The elder of them married, according to her father’s will, a wealthy man from a noble family, but not very virtuous, even a troublemaker – Michał Lubomirski, her mother’s lover [3].
Teresa Raczyńska was not considered beautiful. Over time, her face acquired subtlety, and the marshal’s lady gained recognition thanks to her numerous mental virtues. She was particularly appreciated by representatives of the intellectual elite. She was able to conduct interesting disputes. In the chronicle of arrivals, Antoni Felicjan Nagłowski calls Teresa of Moszczeński Raczyńska – “literatka”. He attributes to her the authorship of a poem titled “Kazimierz Poniatowski’s Szolec Palace”[4]. The thorough knowledge for the numerous debates was drawn by Lady Marshal from the rich collections of her home library. She carefully supplemented it with the desired positions of the current novelties from the social circles regarding history, philosophy and art. In one of the preserved letters to her grandson – Atanazy Raczyński of November 1, 1817, she asked him for help in obtaining a copy of the memoirs of the Duke de Lauzun. The French aristocrat, who took part in the revolution, describing the details of life and scandals from the higher circles, including Izabella Czartoryska [5].
Teresa, from a wealthy aristocratic family, thanks to the efforts of Kazimierz Raczyński, soon became a Countess and a representative of one of the most distinguished Polish noble families. Despite her social position and acquired comprehensive knowledge, she seemed to express herself in a simple and unpretentious way. In a letter to Atanazy we read: “As for Karolka [at that time the recently born grandson of Teresa], I wish him to be healthy, but I have nothing to tell him, because I can not express my friendship to someone who does not understand it”. [6]
In 1789 Kazimierz Raczyński bought the Czarnolas estate. From 1818 its owner was Teresa Raczyńska. She settled here permanently. She set herself the goal of preserving the heritage of Jan Kochanowski. According to local tradition, it was she who was supposed to find the iron doors of the poet’s original residence, which are still exhibited in the museum dedicated to him [7]. After her mother’s death, the work commemorating the poet was continued by her elder daughter – Magdalena.
In the same year 1818 Teresa from Moszczeńska Raczyńska died as a result of complications after a broken leg. Exactly when it came to her to leave this world, her granddaughter – Teresa Jabłonowska, daughter of Magdalena bearing the name of her grandmother, gave birth to her son Władysław [8].
The fate of Teresa and Kazimierz’s younger daughter, Michalina Raczyńska, will be presented to you in March.