Bartosz Paprocki


Bartosz Paprocki was a Polish and Czech writer, historiographer, translator, poet, heraldist and pioneer in Polish and Bohemian-Czech genealogy. Among his many historical works, are the famous publications "Gniazdo Cnoty, Zkąd Herby Rycerstwa slawnego Krolestwa Polskiego..." in 1578 and "Herby rycerstwa polskiego" in 1584. Paprocki was active in Poland until the turn of the sixteenth to seventeenth century when for political reasons he became an émigré in Moravia and Bohemia. He is also founder of the Polish village of Bartoszowiny in Świętokrzyskie Province.

Biography

Paprocki was born in the parish of Paprocka Wola near Sierpc, Poland. He was the son of Jędrzej Paprocki and Elżbiety Jeżewska. Born into a noble family, Paprocki's family were members of the Polish nobility, who bore the Jastrzębiec Polish coat of arms.
Paprocki studied at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, then stayed with wealthy relatives, among others. He began writing poems and soon after dedicated himself to historiography and heraldry. His works devoted to the nobility of the Polish Crown "Gniazdo Cnoty" and "Herby rycerstwa polskiego" deepened and contributed to consolidating the knowledge of the genealogy of Poland's noble families. In 1584, Bolesław I the Brave was first mentioned in a book by Paprocki.
Paprocki married Jadwiga Kossobudzka, his wife was the daughter of a castellan from Sierpc and widow of her former husband named Wisniowski. Paprocki's wife was a wealthy woman and older than Paprocki. They had no children and his marriage was unfortunate; Paprocki was tyrannized by his wife. Paprocki's unfortunate marital experience, led him to flee his home, where he remained a fierce misogynist until his death.
Summoned to Warsaw, Paprocki worked in the court of Andrzej Taranowski, who was secretary to king Sigismund II Augustus and Polish ambassador to the court of Sultan Selim II in Constantinople. On returning home, Paprocki learned of his wife's death, which occurred in 1572. On his return he also received the dignity of cup-bearer of Dobrzyń Land, having settled there.
Between the years 1570-80 Paprocki aligned with the unfortunate political efforts of the Zborowski family, joined ranks with the Catholic Party and supported the Austrian Habsburg's candidacy of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor for the Polish throne. Paprocki supported the Danzig rebellion, and in 1577 participated in the Siege of Danzig. Following the unsuccessful efforts of Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria for the Polish crown and after the victory of Sigismund III Vasa in 1588 at the Battle of Byczyna, Paprocki was forced to leave Poland and went into political exile in Moravia.
Paprocki spent 22 years in Moravia and Bohemia. He learned the Czech language and wrote alongside new poems about the history and the coat of arms of Bohemia and Moravia. He also translated the poems of Jan Kochanowski. Later he received Bohemian indygenat. He was admirer of Michał Sędziwój's scientific achievements, whom he dedicated the third part of his book "Ogród królewski..." published in 1599.
In 1610 at the end of his life and stricken religious wars in the Czech lands, Paprocki returned to Poland. Destitute he lived in Wąchock and Ląd monasteries. Paprocki died suddenly on 27 December 1614 in Lviv, and was buried in a crypt at the Franciscan abbey in the city of Lviv. Paprocki is considered the father of Polish and Bohemian-Czech genealogy and a valuable source of Polish, Moravian and Bohemian-Czech heraldry. He was the author of many historical works, occasional poetry, satires, panegyrics and pamphlets.

Works

Polish