At the mercy of the Tsar. Kingdom of Poland
what the achievements of the Kingdom of Poland in the field of economy, culture and education were ;
what the assumptions of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Poland of 1815 were.
In 1815 the Duchy of Warsaw was abolished and replaced by the Congress Poland. It was a constitutional monarchy connected with the Russian Empire by a personal union. The internal system of the state was regulated by the Constitution of the Congress Poland, which was developed under the direction of Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski and based on the French model. The most liberal in Europe constitutionconstitution was respected neither by Grand Duke Konstantin nor by Polish politicians obedient to Russia. The brutal actions of the Russians and the violation of civil and national liberties by the Russian authorities aroused social resistance. In the aftermath of the Congress of Vienna, the cultural life of the country was revived. The Society of Friends of Learning, founded in 1800, played an important role in the intellectual life of the capital of the Congress Poland. The biggest Polish cities —= Warsaw, Cracow, Lviv and Vilnius —opened their own permanent theatres. A breakthrough in the history of the Congress Poland was the opening of the University of Warsaw in 1816. The Kingdom of Poland has also seen a rapid increase in the number of elementary schoolselementary schools and secondary schools. The Minister of the Treasury, Prince Franciszek Ksawery Lubecki‑Drucki, took care of the economic development of the country. Three industrial centres developed in the Kingdom of Poland: the Łódź Industrial Region, the Old‑Polish Industrial Region and the Dąbrowa Basin.
Recall if the Congress Poland differed from the Duchy of Warsaw in terms of the territory. Find on the map the Congress Poland and the areas annexed in 1815 to other partitioning countries: The Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. What are the names given to them? Find on the map the borderland of the former Republic of Poland (the so‑called Western Krai, i.e. Lithuanian‑Russian lands), annexed to the Russian Empire. Indicate Vilnius.
Listen to selected excerpts from the Constitution of the Congress Poland of 1815. What civil and national liberties did it guarantee?
The constitutional law of the Kingdom of Poland from November 27, 1815Art. 1. The Kingdom of Poland is connected with the Russian Empire forever.
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Art. 3. The crown of the Kingdom of Poland is hereditary for our descendants, heirs and successors according to the order of succession, established for the imperial‑Russian throne.
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Art. 10. […] The Polish army will never be used beyond the Europe.
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Art. 11. The Catholic‑Roman religion professed by the largest part of the residents of the Kingdom of Poland will be the subject of special government care, without offending the freedom of other religions, which all rites without the exclusion can be fully and publicly under the protection of the government celebrated. The diversity of Christian religions will not be an obstacle to the use of civil and political rights.
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Art. 16. Freedom of printing is guaranteed […].
Art. 17. The law extends its protection to all citizens without any difference in status and calling. […] Art. 19. No one will be detained without a reason, only according to norms and in cases marked by law.
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Art. 28. All public activities: administrative, judicial and military without any exclusion will take place in Polish language.
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Art. 31. The Polish nation will have for eternity a national representation in the Sejm composed of the king and two chambers, where the first will consist of the senate and the second one of deputies and councillors from municipalities.
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Art. 87. The ordinary sejm has a session every two years in Warsaw at the time indicated by the act of calling the session issued by the king. It will last thirty days. Only the King can extend, postpone or dissolve it.
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Art. 89. During the Sejm cadence, it is not allowed to detain or file a criminal lawsuit against a deputy unless it is authorized by the chamber to which he belongs.
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Art. 124. The king has the right to dissolve the chamber of deputies. When this law is used, the current Sejm does not exist anymore and the king orders new elections of deputies and councillors within two months.
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Art. 138. The judiciary system is constitutionally independent.
Art. 139. Independence of judge is understood as freedom in declaring his opinion in trial without being influenced by supreme and ministerial authorities or by any other reason. Any other term or translation of the judge's independence is considered as an abuse.
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Art. 156. The army will keep the colors of its uniforms, its proper outfit and everything regarding its nationality.
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Art. 160. Polish civil and military orders, which is: Order of the White Eagle, Order of Saint Stanislaus and the Order of the Military Cross are maintained.
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Recognizing in our conscience that this constitutional law corresponds to our fatherly intentions, striving to maintain peace in all classes subjected to our Kingdom Polish peace, harmony and unity so necessary for their free existence and to establish the happiness that we desire to win for them - we issue this constitutional law that we adopt for ourselves and for our successors. We also order to all public authorities to comply with it.
It happened in the Royal Castle in Warsaw on November 27, 1815 Alexander
Source: The constitutional law of the Kingdom of Poland from November 27, 1815.
Analyse data showing the state of elementary education in the Congress Poland. Evaluate the effects of personnel changes in the Ministry of Education carried out in 1820.
Years | Number of public schools | Number of students |
1816 | 720 | 23 101 |
1819 | 1202 | 37 296 |
1823 | 711 | 18 620 |
Read the information about the University of Warsaw and list the professions that its graduates could perform. Analyse the statistical material and determine in which year the university was most popular among students.
The University of Warsaw was established in 1816 as a result of the merger of the Law School established in 1808, the Medical School established in 1809 and the School of Administrative Sciences established in 1811. It had its own astronomical observatory, botanical garden and library. It educated in medicine, philosophy, science and fine arts, theology, law and administration.
Students of the University of Warsaw during the Congress Poland time
Academic years | Number of students |
1817/18 | 209 |
1819/20 | 404 |
1820/21 | 524 |
1821/22 | 568 |
1822/23 | 522 |
1823/24 | 602 |
1824/25 | 694 |
1825/26 | 779 |
1826/27 | 638 |
1827/28 | 653 |
1828/29 | 773 |
1829/30 | 964 |
Read the text below. List the achievements of Minister Ksawery Drucki‑Lubecki.
Napoleon's war with Russia in 1812 and the two‑year Russian occupation after his defeat in Moscow contributed to the destruction of the country and the weakening of its economy. The poor financial situation of society exacerbated the deadlock. Peasants were burdened with serfdom and high taxes. The nobility was indebted, and the wealthy bourgeoisie mostly lost their fortunes. The Congress Poland's well‑being was threatened by a large government deficit and financial claims of Austria and Prussia. The economic situation of the Congress Poland was saved by Prince Franciszek Ksawery Lubecki‑Drucki. He was the head of the Ministry of the Treasury, then known as the Ministry of Revenues and Treasury. He has negotiated favourable agreements with neighbouring countries on the financial obligations of the Congress Poland. He imposed high taxes and ensured their consistent collection (even through military requisition).
The government of the Congress Poland supported the introduction and settlement of craftsmen. It actively supported the development of the domestic textile industry by granting loans to open new plants. The development of the state mining was also taken care of. Three industrial centres developed in the Congress Poland: the Łódź Industrial Region, the Old‑Polish Industrial Region and the Dąbrowa Basin. The centre in Łódź consisted of cloth factories, and the Old‑Polish and Dąbrowa centres were the centres of mining and metallurgy. Government and private investment in industry and modernisation of the rural economy made possible creating two new institutions established by the Minister: Towarzystwo Kredytowe Ziemskie (Landowners' Credit Company) and Bank Polski (Bank of Poland), established in 1828.
Select the institutions and organisations established or the investments started in the times of the Congress Poland.
- Medical School
- Law School
- Society of Friends of Learning
- Vilnius University
- Landowners’ Credit Association
- Augustów Canal
- Government Institute for Female Education
- University of Warsaw
- Bank of Poland
Keywords
Congress Poland, Russian Partition, constitution
Glossary
konstytucja – prawo określające ustrój państwa oraz sytuacje prawną jednostki wobec władz; jest nadrzędna wobec innych praw
szkoła elementarna – dawne określenie szkoły podstawowej