Born in 1788 Baron Dezydery Adam Chłapowski led a life of remarkable contrasts. He was a soldier a businessman a political activist and a pioneer of modern agriculture. This very street bears his name a testament to his enduring legacy in Poland.
Imagine a young Dezydery. At 14 his father placed him in a Prussian dragoon regiment. He simultaneously studied at the Berlin Inspection Officers Institute. He graduated in 1805 becoming a lieutenant. Dezydery’s military career intertwined with the Napoleonic Wars. He sought exemption from fighting Napoleon’s France. After Berlin’s occupation by the French Dezydery joined Napoleon’s honor guard. He gained Napoleon’s favor becoming a lieutenant. He fought bravely in the 1807 campaign. He received the Virtuti Militari cross and the Legion of Honour. Captured by Prussians during the siege of Danzig his military journey continued.
Following the Treaties of Tilsit he was promoted to captain. He became General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski’s adjutant. Summoned to Paris he became Napoleon’s orderly officer. He studied at the Paris École Polytechnique. He served in Spanish and Austrian campaigns. He earned the title Baron of the Empire for his role in the Battle of Regensburg. Head of a squadron in Napoleon’s Imperial Guard he participated in the invasion of Russia and the War of the Sixth Coalition.
However disillusionment grew. Napoleon’s plans to give the Duchy of Warsaw to the Tsar angered Dezydery. The hardships of war led to his request for dismissal in 1813. This was a controversial decision. Some accused him of desertion. Retiring as a colonel he went to Paris then to Great Britain. During Napoleon’s Hundred Days he returned to Greater Poland.
He settled in his hometown Turwia. He bought back his family’s estate. He implemented modern farming techniques. To improve his knowledge he travelled to England. Upon his return he introduced English farming practices. He paid off his debts and Turwia became a model farm. He introduced crop rotation and used an iron plow. He was invited to a Berlin conference on peasant emancipation. He allocated some of his land for peasants.
In 1821 he married Antonina née Grudziński. He served as a deputy in the provincial parliament of the Grand Duchy of Poznań. He co-founded a credit and fire insurance association. When the November Uprising erupted he rejoined the army. He developed an ambitious offensive plan. The plan was rejected. Only after Chłopiński’s removal did he receive command of a brigade.
He fought at Grochów leading a cavalry charge. Under General Antoni Giełgud he participated in a Lithuanian expedition. He was promoted to Brigadier General. Despite some victories Giełgud’s indecision led to defeat. The National Council promoted him to division general. He was to command in Lithuania but the news arrived too late. His unit crossed the Prussian-Russian border. As a Prussian subject he was sentenced to prison. His punishment was commuted to a fine. He served time in the Stettin fortress where he wrote a textbook On agriculture.
After his release Dezydery returned to Turwia. He worked with the Guide Agricultural and Industrial magazine. He planned an Agricultural University. He co-founded Przegląd Poznański and Sunday School. He resisted Germanization. He supported various enterprises and credit societies. He served in the national parliament. During the Greater Poland Uprising he organized insurgent troops. After the Spring of Nations he became a member of the Prussian House of Lords.
Despite his strictness and Catholic views his achievements earned him respect. He died on March 27 1879 buried in Rbin. His son Kazimierz published his diaries in 1899. Dezydery’s legacy lives on. His contributions to agriculture and Poland are remembered. This street a fitting tribute to a remarkable man.