KOŹMIAN- MEMORIES OF KAJETAN KOŹMIAN Oddz.1-3 [complete] 1858

KOŹMIAN Kajetan

MEMOIRS OF KAJETAN KOŹMIAN

covering memoirs from 1780 to 1815

Division 1-3 [complete].

Poznan 1858-65, Circulated by Jan Konstanty Żupański, pp. XXII, [2], 345; [4], 440; [5],626, 1 p. of plates illustrated; format 14.5x21cm

Kajetan Koźmian (born December 31, 1771 in Gałęzów near Bychawa, died March 7, 1856 in Piotrowice), Polish poet, literary critic, memoirist.

He received a thorough legal education in Zamosc and Lublin, and later applied to the Lublin bar. He held many official and political positions:

Secretary of the Lublin Provincial Commission during the Kościuszko Uprising,
government administrator in the Duchy of Warsaw,
in 1812 appointed as Secretary of the General Council of the General Confederation of the Kingdom of Poland.
government administrator in the Kingdom of Poland,
senator - castellan of the Kingdom of Poland.
He was also associated with the Masonic lodge Temple of Isis and the Iks society. He was friends with many prominent personalities, including Zygmunt Krasinski, Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Rev. Stanisław Staszic,Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz and Chopin. He was among the greatest opponents of Romanticism, considering Mickiewicz a troublemaker. He was also an opponent of the November Uprising.

He died on March 7, 1856 in Piotrowice.

Literary works
As a poet, Koźmian made his debut with the fable Pine and Small Trees, which he wrote in 1800 and published in various periodicals three years later. For the first time a collection of his poems was published in Cracow in 1881 (Various Poems). Seven years later, Prose Writings was also published in Krakow. Koźmian also worked as a translator and publicist, and engaged in literary criticism. In addition, Koźmian wrote a memoir (it was published in Wroclaw in 1972 with a commentary by M. Kaczmarek).

"Memoirs" was published posthumously and is "the most valuable work of his [the author's] life [...]. The history of several generations contained in them, the clarity of style, the uncommon power of plasticity make them a valuable document of civilization and customs of society" (PSB).

HARDCOVER SEMI LEATHER OF PERIOD

Condition DB rubbing/edge tears, spine slightly damaged in one volume, owner's signature, paper yellowed, stains in places, taped loss to right margin (with minor damage to text) of first few dozen pages of vol. 3.