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The Kosciuszko Mound |
The city of Krakow is home to four man made hills or mounds that honour some of the country's greatest leaders. One of the more recent mounds, the Kosciuszko Mound, was specifically created to mimic its more ancient inspirations, but cuts a no less impressive image of the Krakow skyline.
Completed in 1823, the Kosciuszko Mound is a well manicured corkscrew of a hill, surrounded by a brick fortification at its base. The mound was created to honour Polish nationalist Tadeusz Kosciuszko who was renowned and beloved for his battles against foreign powers in Poland.
No other historical figure has been so unanimously respected and even worshipped in Poland as Tadeusz Kosciuszko. The impact of this storied engineer, military general, and statesman, however spans much further. You will find streets named after him in every Polish town and village, of course, from the Tatras to the Baltic. Monuments to him stand across Poland, but also in West Point, New York and Solothurn, Switzerland. Australia's highest mountain bears his name as does this distinctive mound of earth just outside of Krakow.
Why is Kosciuszko so beloved in Poland? What made his glory spread so widely? And last but not least, how do you actually pronounce his name?
Tadeusz Kosciuszko was born in February 1746 in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, near Kosow ( now Kosava in present day Belarus ) . Although he came from a petty noble family he had a close affinity with the local peasant families and his respect and empathy for their hard life probably came from this period. He may also have been influenced by the ethnic and religious diversity of the commonwealth, which afforded a doctrine of religious tolerance.
While still a boy Kosciuszko became an avid reader of Cornelius Nepos' work, in particular, 'Lives of Illustrious Men ' , his favourite being Timoleon of Corinth. This fourth century Greek politician who had disinterestedly liberated his country from tyrants influenced Kosciuszko's character and later actions. For him the fatherland became the ultimate good, for which, he was prepared to sacrifice everything.
After two years study in Warsaw, Kosciuszko went on a royal scholarship to Paris, France in 1768. There he audited lectures and frequented the libraries of the Parisian military academies, where he learned engineering and fortification construction. At the same time, Kosciuszko pursued his interest in drawing and painting and took private lessons in architecture.
On returning to Poland in 1774, Kosciuzsko had little chance of finding a post in the Polish Army, despite his burgeoning reputation, as he could not afford to buy an officer's commission. Instead he took the position of tutor to the family of a magnate Josef Sosnowski and fell in love with his daughter Ludwika. Their elopement was thwarted by the young woman's father, who found Kosciuszko an ill-suited match for his daughter. ' Turltedoves are not for common sparrows and magnates, daughters are not for petty nobility', Sosnowski reportedly said. This event has been linked with Kosciuszko's discomfort with all forms of social division. In the aftermath of this lost love, Kosciuszko decided to emigrate, but Ludwika remained the love of his life.
In June 1776, Kosciuszko arrived in America, when he decided to join the American Revolutionary War. He would spend the next eight years serving as an officer in the ranks of the American army. He made his name as a brilliant engineer and builder of fortifications. He designed the blueprints for West Point, the key American military fortress. The plan for the battle of Saratoga was his, and it became the turning point of the American Revolution. In 1784, Kosciuszko returned to Poland, but despite his experience and fame as a great general, he once again failed to get a commission in the Commonwealth's Army. In 1789, however, he finally received a royal commission as a Major General. In 1791, the 3rd May Constitution was signed, which attempted to reform the country in the republican spirit of democracy. The next year, Kosciuszko, led the royal army to war in defence of the Constitution, but had to emigrate to France in the aftermath of losing the war. French revolutionaries subsequently made him an honorary citizen of France.
In March 1794, Kosciuszko returned to Poland. He announced a rebellion on 24th March in Krakow. This would become the first in a long line of Polish national uprisings against the occupying powers of Austro - Hungary, Russia and Prussia, from 1772. In the midst of the insurrection, Kosciuszko issued the so called Uniwersal Polaniek ( Manifesto of Polaniek ) , which attempted to eliminate serfdom and promised that peasants would own the land they cultivated. Peasants did join the national cause, enrolling in Kosciuszko's army. Kosciuszko also made sure that other social and ethnic groups joined the insurrection. For Jews, another disenfranchised group of Polish society, Kosciuszko was a ' messenger from God '. The cavalry unit formed by Berek Joselewitz during the insurgence is often considered the first exclusively Jewish unit since ancient times.
' Poland is finished! '. This one of the most famous quotations attributed to Kosciuszko, is most likely false and contrived instead by Prussian propaganda. Kosciuszko was supposed to have muttered the words - strangely, in Latin - in the final stages of the Battle of Maciejovice. He was taken captive and the uprising eventually lost it's momentum. Even though Kosciuszko denied having said the phrase, it became part of his legend. A year later, in 1795, the Third Partition erased Poland from the map of Europe.
In August 1797, Kosciuszko, now in exile after having been released from the Tsar's prison arrived in the United States once again. Here, he authored a document that some historians suggest may have changed the course of American history. Kosciuszko's last will and testament stipulated that the proceeds of his American estate - granted to him by Congress for his eight year engagement in the Revolutionary War - be spent on freeing and educating African American slaves. This included those of his friend Thomas Jefferson, who was named as the will's executor.
Throughout his life, Kosciuszko stood up for the rights of many social and ethnic groups. He became friends with Agrippa Hull, for example, a black man who served as aide-de-camp during the Revolutionary War. Kosciuszko's regard for Hull was regarded as very unusual at the time but it furthers the belief that he had a liberal and tolerant empathy with a wide cross section of society.
In 1798 Kosciuszko returned to Europe. Led on by false promises of the French government, Kosciuszko believed that Poland had finally found an ally. He met with Napoleon twice in 1799, but the two failed to reach an agreement, Kosciuszko disliked Napoleon for his dictatorial aspirations and called him the ' Undertaker of the French Republic '. Eventually Napoleon's rise to power dashed Kosciuszko's hopes of a unified and free Poland and he began to distance himself from politics.
He died in Solothurn, Switzerland, on the 15th October 1817 at the age of 71. His embalmed body was deposited in a crypt at Solothurn church only to be transferred to Krakow the following year. Eventually it was placed in a crypt in Krakow's Wawel Cathedral, among a pantheon of Polish kings and national heroes. Shortly before his death, Kosciuszko wrote up his last will and testament related to his Polish estate. In it, he stated that the serfs of the village of Siechnowicze were to be freed after his death - a wish that never came to fruition as it was disallowed byTsar Alexander.
To Poles, Kosciuszko soon became a saint-like figure. Portraits of him adorned the drawing-rooms in many polish houses and businesses. For several decades in Partitioned Poland, children were named Tadeusz, a manifestation of the patriotism of their parents. The name even made it to America, where Thaddeus Stevens, the most radical American abolitionist politician, was named after Kosciuszko, as a hero of the American revolutionary War.
Kosciuszko also appears in Jules Verne's novel ' 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ' ( 1869-70 ). His portrait hangs in the cabinet of Captain Nero on board the Nautilius, among others of historical figures who sacrificed their lives to a humanitarian cause.
In the decades that followed his death, physical monuments were also erected to honour Kosciuszko in places ranging from America to Australia. One of the more astonishing representations was built here in Krakow, within a few years of his death.
In the tradition of the Mound of Krakus and others in the area, in 1822, the people began to build a memorial hill. Funding was provided by Polish residents from all over the country and other outlying Polish settlements and people came from all over, bringing soil from their towns and villages to add to the mound.. Unlike the older mounds that had been built centuries earlier, which were simply rounded hill forms, this new mound was created with a distinct path winding up to the peak where a commemorative boulder had been placed.. Decades after its completion, a brick fort was built around the base while the elevated peak was used as a strategic military position.
We came here rather fittingly on Polish Independence Day, 11th November and I must say once I had read a bit about this monument I became obsessed with this wonderful story of a great Polish patriot. Part of the joy of being here is exactly this sort of outing. I must admit I did not think when it was explained to me that we were going to see a 'mound' that it would unveil such a fascinating story. A word of advice if you are to visit the Kosciuszko Mound...wear comfortable shoes....walk up from the very bottom...it is a great walk through a wood and afterwards try the tradition zurek soup in the cafe, it was delicious.
Now, finally, if you have problems pronouncing or spelling Kosciuszko's name, don't worry. President George Washington did too - he reportedly wrote Kosciuszko's name eleven different ways. As for the pronunciation, anything close to 'Kos-CHOOS -ko ' is fine. You can also take the easy rout e- like Me - She - Kin - No - Quak , Chief Little Turtle of the Miami Indians, who visited Kosciuszko in Philadelphia. He later told his tribe that ha had made friends with a righteous white, who he called ' Kotcscho '.
Anyway, whether it is ' Kotcscho ' or ' Ko - CHOO - ko is not really important. What is important however, are the achievements and humanity shown by this great and humble Polish national hero.
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Gunner on tour |
In June 1776, Kosciuszko arrived in America, when he decided to join the American Revolutionary War. He would spend the next eight years serving as an officer in the ranks of the American army. He made his name as a brilliant engineer and builder of fortifications. He designed the blueprints for West Point, the key American military fortress. The plan for the battle of Saratoga was his, and it became the turning point of the American Revolution. In 1784, Kosciuszko returned to Poland, but despite his experience and fame as a great general, he once again failed to get a commission in the Commonwealth's Army. In 1789, however, he finally received a royal commission as a Major General. In 1791, the 3rd May Constitution was signed, which attempted to reform the country in the republican spirit of democracy. The next year, Kosciuszko, led the royal army to war in defence of the Constitution, but had to emigrate to France in the aftermath of losing the war. French revolutionaries subsequently made him an honorary citizen of France.
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Part of the lower fortification |
' Poland is finished! '. This one of the most famous quotations attributed to Kosciuszko, is most likely false and contrived instead by Prussian propaganda. Kosciuszko was supposed to have muttered the words - strangely, in Latin - in the final stages of the Battle of Maciejovice. He was taken captive and the uprising eventually lost it's momentum. Even though Kosciuszko denied having said the phrase, it became part of his legend. A year later, in 1795, the Third Partition erased Poland from the map of Europe.
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The corkscrew path up to the top of the mound |
Throughout his life, Kosciuszko stood up for the rights of many social and ethnic groups. He became friends with Agrippa Hull, for example, a black man who served as aide-de-camp during the Revolutionary War. Kosciuszko's regard for Hull was regarded as very unusual at the time but it furthers the belief that he had a liberal and tolerant empathy with a wide cross section of society.
In 1798 Kosciuszko returned to Europe. Led on by false promises of the French government, Kosciuszko believed that Poland had finally found an ally. He met with Napoleon twice in 1799, but the two failed to reach an agreement, Kosciuszko disliked Napoleon for his dictatorial aspirations and called him the ' Undertaker of the French Republic '. Eventually Napoleon's rise to power dashed Kosciuszko's hopes of a unified and free Poland and he began to distance himself from politics.
He died in Solothurn, Switzerland, on the 15th October 1817 at the age of 71. His embalmed body was deposited in a crypt at Solothurn church only to be transferred to Krakow the following year. Eventually it was placed in a crypt in Krakow's Wawel Cathedral, among a pantheon of Polish kings and national heroes. Shortly before his death, Kosciuszko wrote up his last will and testament related to his Polish estate. In it, he stated that the serfs of the village of Siechnowicze were to be freed after his death - a wish that never came to fruition as it was disallowed byTsar Alexander.
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On the top and suffering a wee bit of vertigo |
Kosciuszko also appears in Jules Verne's novel ' 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ' ( 1869-70 ). His portrait hangs in the cabinet of Captain Nero on board the Nautilius, among others of historical figures who sacrificed their lives to a humanitarian cause.
In the decades that followed his death, physical monuments were also erected to honour Kosciuszko in places ranging from America to Australia. One of the more astonishing representations was built here in Krakow, within a few years of his death.
In the tradition of the Mound of Krakus and others in the area, in 1822, the people began to build a memorial hill. Funding was provided by Polish residents from all over the country and other outlying Polish settlements and people came from all over, bringing soil from their towns and villages to add to the mound.. Unlike the older mounds that had been built centuries earlier, which were simply rounded hill forms, this new mound was created with a distinct path winding up to the peak where a commemorative boulder had been placed.. Decades after its completion, a brick fort was built around the base while the elevated peak was used as a strategic military position.
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The path to the top |
Now, finally, if you have problems pronouncing or spelling Kosciuszko's name, don't worry. President George Washington did too - he reportedly wrote Kosciuszko's name eleven different ways. As for the pronunciation, anything close to 'Kos-CHOOS -ko ' is fine. You can also take the easy rout e- like Me - She - Kin - No - Quak , Chief Little Turtle of the Miami Indians, who visited Kosciuszko in Philadelphia. He later told his tribe that ha had made friends with a righteous white, who he called ' Kotcscho '.
Anyway, whether it is ' Kotcscho ' or ' Ko - CHOO - ko is not really important. What is important however, are the achievements and humanity shown by this great and humble Polish national hero.
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Tadeusz Kosciuszko |
