Probably not many people outside of Poland are even aware that besides the French, German, and the Scottish Enlightenment there was also a Polish Enlightenment.
Perhaps one of the most famous representatives extraordinaire is Tadeusz Kościuszko (1746-1817). He together with the French Marquis de Lafayette, the German/Prussian Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, and the British Thomas Paine were contributing to the success of the American Revolution!
Marquis de Lafayette "is sometimes known as "The Hero of the Two Worlds" for his accomplishments in the service of both France and the United States." (Source) Such an epitaph applies to Kościuszko as well!
"... A close friend of Thomas Jefferson's, with whom he shared ideals of human rights, Kościuszko wrote a will in 1798, dedicating his U.S. assets to the education and freedom of the U.S. slaves. Kościuszko eventually returned to Europe and lived in Switzerland until his death in 1817. The execution of his testament later proved difficult, and the funds were never used for the purpose Kościuszko intended. ..."
Unfortunately, I do not have the time to explore this great and exciting subject in greater detail.
"The period of Polish Enlightenment began in the 1730s–40s, peaked in the reign of Poland's king, Stanisław August Poniatowski (second half of the 18th century), went into decline with the Third Partition of Poland (1795) ...
Ideas of that period led eventually to the Constitution of May 3, 1791 and other reforms (like the creation of the Commission of National Education, first ministry of education in the world) which attempted to transform the Commonwealth into a modern constitutional monarchy. Although attempts of political reform were thwarted by the civil war (Targowica Confederation) and military intervention of the Commonwealth neighbour, ending in the partitions of Poland, the cultural impact of that period persevered Polish culture for many years. ..." (Source)
The Enlightenment - Polish literature - Britannica
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Potocki (1761-1815)
Credits: Jan Potocki: Werewolf of the Enlightenment (The History Guy)
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