Abstract: | Although magnates living in the former Republic of Poland were criticized after it went into
decline, they retained their elite status in Polish society, especially under Russian and Austrian rule.
Descendents of aristocracy from the times of Stanisław August reign retained their status in memoires,
whereas those who aspired to be associated with magnates met with no appreciation. Such was their
treatment given by memoirists dwelling upon Stanisław August times. Less critical approach was taken
by memoirists writing in the 19th century and born after 1795, even though they too kept nostalgically
reminiscing about those bygone times. The former magnates were thus generally absolved; the 19th
century ones, however, still used to be treated in a more severe way. This might have been due to the
fact that 19th century memoirists endistanced themselves from the Stanisław August epoch, thus
a certain bearing could have been effaced effortlessly. Such potential gentleness was no longer relevant
to those magnates who aimed at controlling social as well as public life at that time.
Traits typical to magnates, both positive and negative ones, have not changed much. Yet those
aspects (very “humane” actually) attributed to them by memoirists, generally resembled those created
by their followers. However, having such juxtaposition of traits in mind one can draw a conclusion
that although the magnate group grew bigger (at least theoretically) as this status was relatively easy to
acquire after the decline of the Polish‑
Lithuanan Kingdom, especially in South‑
Eastern Borderlands of
the former republic, the number of unfavorable traits grew larger as well, although less concentrated
in particular individuals.
Nonetheless, there is no place for doubts that by 1830 magnates had been an elite category of
nobility, and such was their literary creation depicted by memoirists, including those dwelling upon
the Stanisław August times. |