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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kazimierz Konopka (1769–1805 or 1809) was a Polish Jacobin, secretary of Hugo Kołłątaj, officer in the Polish Legions, aide-de-camp of Jan Henryk Dąbrowski. He gained notoriety for his involvements in the unrest and hangings in Warsaw during the Kościuszko Uprising.
Konopka was born in 1769 to a burgher family in Poznań.[1] He studies law in Kraków, where he was a lawyer applicant in the F. Barss legal practice.[1] Member of the Kołłątaj's Forge organization and one of the Polish Jacobins, and secretary to Hugo Kołłątaj; during Kołlataj's period as the Deputy Crown Chancellor (podkanclerz koronny) in 1791, Konopka held the position of the Secretary of the Lesser Seal (sekretarz pieczęci mniejszej).[1][2][3][4]
He participated in the Kościuszko Uprising, joining the cavalry.[1] During that period, around May and June 1794, he gained notoriety as one of the leaders of the demonstrations and riots in Warsaw.[1][2][5][6][7] In particular, he was involved in the "hanging of the traitors" incident around 28 June.[1][8][9] In this incident, not supported by the insurrectionist government, out of several people hanged, including insurrection opponents such as chamberlain Karol Boscamp-Lasopolski, prince Antoni Stanisław Czetwertyński-Światopełk and bishop Ignacy Jakub Massalski, the defense attorney and a prosecutor who attempted to stop the mob were also beaten and hanged; they included a friend of Tadeusz Kościuszko, advocate Michał Wulfers.[10][11][12] For his involvement in the incident, Koponka was sentenced by the insurrectionist court to an exile (banicja).[1][7][12]
Koponka left for France, where he joined French cavalry, and fought in Corsica.[1][6][7] In the aftermath of the final Third Partition of Poland, after Polish Legions were recreated under the French control in Italy, he became involved in the formation creation, reaching a rank of a captain or [9] major[13] (sources vary).[1][2][3][14] He commanded a squadron, and later, a baon. In 1801 he was an aide-de-camp of Jan Henryk Dąbrowski.[1]
He died in 1805 in Bari[1][14] (Pachoński mentions a sudden heart attack) or in 1809 (according to Rusinowa).[2]
Konopka is one of the figures immortalized in Jan Matejko's 1891 painting, Constitution of 3 May 1791. He is shown near the center, with an outstretched hand, holding the czekan (an ax- and hammer-like weapon) and with a French blue-white-red flower in his hat.[15]
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