Jan Czyński

Jan Kazimierz Czyński (1801–1867) was a Polish independence activist, lawyer by education, writer and publicist, a life-time fighter for the emancipation of the Jews, trade supporter, utopian socialist, radical democrat.

He was born on 20 January 1801 in Warsaw, Prussian partition of Poland, South Prussia province of the Kingdom of Prussia, in a Polish Jewish family of Frankists (followers of Jacob Frank - Jews who converted to Roman Catholicism). After finishing his studies at the University of Warsaw, Czyński became a lawyer and activist in Lublin, supporter of Polish Jacobins and member of Patriotic Society (Towarzystwo Patriotyczne). In 1830, he participated in the November Uprising (1830–1831) as an adjutant to the local Polish commander, Col. Wincenty Szeptycki. He became known as one of most vocal supporters of the Uprising and the founder of the first daily newspaper in Lublin, "Kurier Lubelski". After the Uprising was defeated, the Russian government issued a bounty (1,000 chervonets) for his capture; Czyński went into exile, escaping to Prussia and eventually joining the Great Emigration in France.

In Paris, France, he became one of the important activist of the Polish emigrants, where he successfully merged the Polish independence and pan-European thought (particularly Fourierist utopian socialism). Early coworker of Joachim Lelewel. Member of Polish National Committee. Co-organizer of Polish Democratic Society (Towarzystwo Demokratyczne Polskie). Disagreed with Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, as well as with the messianism of Adam Mickiewicz. Supporter of emancipation of the Jews and eventually of the Polish positivists, with whom he agreed that through education of society Polish independence can be secured. Member of French Institute of History and Literary Society. Author of many publications, editor of several newspapers: editor in chief of "Postęp" and "La Pologne", co-editor of "Północ" with Szymon Konarski, contributor to "Archives Izraelites" and "Gazeta Narodowa", publisher of "La Russie Pittoresque", publisher and editor of "Echa Miast Polskich"". After some time he moved from Paris to London, England, where he died on 30 January 1867.

Selected publications

• Question de Juifs Polonais (Question on Polish Jews), Paris, 1831
• Le Reveil d'Israel, Paris, 1847
• Le Fils de la Juive, Paris, 1848
• Israel en Pologne, Paris, 1861

References

• Abraham G. Duker, Jewish Emancipation and the Polish Insurrection of 1863: Jan Czyński's Letter of 1862 to Ludwik Królikowski, Proceedings of the American Academy for Jewish Research, Vol. 46, Jubilee Volume (1928-29 / 1978-79) [Part 1]. (1979 - 1980), pp. 87–103., JSTOR
• CZYNSKI, JAN (JEAN) in Jewish Encyclopedia
• (Polish) Czyński Jan

Further reading

• Michael Sibalis, Jan Czynski: Jalons pour la biographie d'un fouriériste de la Grande émigration polonaise, Cahiers Charles Fourier 6 (1995):58-84.
• Adam Gałkowski, Polski patriota – obywatel Europy. Rzecz o Janie Czyńskim (1801-1867), 2004, ISBN 83-88973-96-7