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XIV European Heritage Days in Greater Poland ”Napoleon and His Era” This year marks the 200th anniversary of the enthusiastic welcome given to Napoleon Bonaparte upon his arrival in Poznań in November 1806. Hence this edition of European Heritage Days, held in Greater Poland for the fourteenth time, is devoted to Napoleon and his era. For years, Heritage Days have been prepared by the Regional Centre for Historical Monument Studies and Documentation in Poznań, in cooperation with a growing number of self-governments, institutions and associations (including the Greater Poland Cultural Society) as well as assorted regionalists. This year, the organisation of the Days actively involves, albeit not for the first time, the ”Zamek” (Castle) Culture Centre, which will coordinate the ceremonies held in Poznań. The commune of Czerwonak is planning an extensive “Napoleoniska” to be organised in Owińska. We firmly believe that other ”Napoleonic” localities in Greater Poland, including the extremely important town of Kalisz, will join in. At the same time, we hope that dedicating the Heritage Days to Napoleon will not only promote the region but also alter the view held by the ”rest of the country” about the role played by Greater Poland in the pro-independence struggle. The majority of our compatriots is unaware of the fact that the burden of outfitting Polish troops accompanying Napoleon’s army was borne mainly by the inhabitants of Greater Poland, and that their economic and organisational efforts rendered the struggle waged for national independence possible. We would like to recall that the population of this particular region did not shy from sacrificing their lives, and that Greater Poland was the site of the first successful Polish uprising, when in 1806 Prussian forces were disarmed in the course of a few days, power was seized, Polish structures were set up, and a large-scale social fund raising campaign was commenced. All these initiatives were a response to the words addressed in Berlin to General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski and Józef Wybicki: ”I shall, see whether the Poles are worthy of being a nation. I am setting off to Poznań where my first view about its worth will be formed. The very existence and possession of a Homeland depends on you”. Dąbrowski and Wybicki made their way to Poznań, where they were greeted with great enthusiasm. Here, they resided at the Mielżyński palace in the Old Market Square, and the general issued a Proclamation to the citizens of Poznań , urging former officers and soldiers to form a national army since ”a rapid creation of a Polish armed force is decisive for the fate of our native land ”. On the following day the citizens of the departments of Kalisz and Poznań announced ”a recruit from each household, fully equipped, in uniform, and granted monthly pay”. On 22 November the gentry of Greater Poland proposed voluntary taxation for the needs of the army. Upon his arrival in Poznań four days later, Napoleon stated: ” I am pleased with your heretofore efforts. In Warsaw I shall proclaim your independence which, once I make the announcement, shall last . (…) Make use of the circumstances and prove that you are worthy of my intentions. If the blood of the brave Poles of old still flows in your veins, you shall take up arm and resolve to die or to regain freedom and become a nation – your fate is in your hands”. Enthusiastic reports about the deeds of the population of Greater Poland were reprinted in the Warsaw press in order to encourage the local community to embark upon an equally effective campaign. Nonetheless, the reaction of the Poles in the Russian and Austrian partition areas never equalled the sacrifices made by the residents of Greater Poland. The above mentioned facts are absent in history textbooks, literature and general awareness. By way of example, the copious catalogue accompanying the great exhibition on Napoleon in Poland, featured in Cracow in 2004, makes no mention of the participation of Greater Poland in the Napoleonic wars; the same holds true for Kozietulski i inni (Kozietulski and Others), the excellent novel by Marian Brandys. We would like to change this image by promoting our region, i. a. by means of ”The Emperor Napoleon trail in Greater Poland ”, created last year at the Regional Centre in Poznań as part of the ”Heritage trails” national programme launched by the Ministry of Culture. ”The Napoleon trail” is to bring closer both the figure of the brilliant strategist and one of the most uplifting moments in the history of the Polish state. The French Emperor left a permanent imprint in Polish hearts, literature and art. He appears in such diverse works as Popioły (Ashes), Pan Tadeusz (Master Thaddeus), Lalka (The Doll) or the children’s story Szatan z siódmej klasy (Devil from Seventh Form). The Napoleonic legend has survived the whole nineteenth century, reinforcing the conviction that the Poles are capable of regaining national independence. This belief was expressed in paintings and illustrations depicting Napoleon and scenes from his life, on show in Polish palaces and manor houses. In their residence in Jurków (commune of Kościanki) the Morawski family kept 14 engravings with scenes from the Emperor’s life, the Skórzewski palace in Czerniejew (county of Gniezno) displayed a number of the Emperor’s portraits, and the manor house belonging to General Dąbrowski in Winna Góra featured The Entrance of General Dąbrowski to Poznań in 1806, a painting by Jan Gładysz (today: at the National Museum in Poznań). A cult of the Napoleonic era was propagated not only among the landowners. Illustrations and lithographs of Napoleon, Dąbrowski, and Prince Poniatowski, busts of the Emperor, painted porcelain embellished with battle scenes, etc. decorated numerous town salons. Up to this day the name of the Emperor is given to the napoleonka , a confectionery popular in Greater Poland and resembling the French mille-feuille (in Little Poland it is simply called cream pastry). The author of the trail project is Anna Jabłońska. Below, we list the most important sites in Greater Poland associated with the Napoleonic era, arranged in alphabetical order. Even though many of the objects from that period had been subsequently redesigned, their memory lives on. Hopefully, the list will be enlarged thanks to the assistance rendered by our readers. Błociszewo (commune and country of Srem) – Kalikst Kęszycki, having achieved the grade of captain of the Polish army, resided here upon his return from the Napoleonic wars . Bolechowo (commune of Czerwonak, county of Poznań) - a wooden so- called Napoleonic cross stands in a field next to the road from Poznań to Murowana Goślina, commemorating the site of the death of Napoleonic soldiers. Such objects were numerous in Poland - an old Napoleonic cross stands in a wood near the locality of Zduny – and are often associated with legends about buried treasures won during Napoleonic expeditions. Brodnica (commune loco, county of Srem) – the empty grave of Józef Wybicki from 1880 is located next to a Neo-Gothic church (1863-1870) with a tall tower visible from afar (to which the German name of the locality - Hochkirche – referred). Despite the fact that in 1923 the ashes of the author of the Polish national anthem had been transferred to the church of St. Wojciech (Adalbert) in Poznań, the grave in Brodnica continues to be a frequent destination of school excursions. The church contains an epitaph of the Chłapowski family from 1919 - the work of Mieczysław Lubelski, and the eclectic manor house from 1880 features a bust of Józef Wybicki (1980, sculpture by Grzegorz Kowalski). The manor house is surrounded by a landscape park from the eighteenth/nineteenth century (5,6 hectares), with trees-monuments of Nature. The residence is approached along a lane of chestnuts and linden trees (another natural monument). Buk (county of Poznań) – the church of St. Stanisław adjoins a mausoleum of Władysław Niegolewski, son of the famous Napoleonic soldier Andrzej (see: Niegolewo), whose ashes were transferred to Poznańska Skałka. Buk is also worthy a visit since here, according to legend , Mieszko I died under an oak tree. Bytyń (commune of Kaźmierz, county of Szamotuły) – the site of the famous Napoleonic tavern where Bonaparte met General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski in November 1806. Chalin (commune of Sieraków, county of Międzychód) – the manor house - the birthplace of Aleksander Zygmunt Kurnatowski, the country prefect of Międzyrzecz - stands amidst beautiful countryside. Chalin was the frequent destination of the Napoleonic officer Adam Turno. Chojno (commune of Wronki, county of Szamotuły) – village located on the right bank of the Warta at the edge of the Notecka Forest. A monumental boulder commemorating the Napoleonic soldiers who perished here in February 1813 stands opposite the local school. Cichowo (commune of Krzywiń, county of Kościan) – the “Soplicowo estate” from A. Wajda’s film Master Thaddeus fulfils the function of a Skansen museum popularising the works of A. Mickiewicz and, i. a. the Napoleonic period. Czarnków (county town ) – the Napoleonic armies passing through the town devastated it, destroying, i. a. the town hall and looting the church. Fiscal burdens and payments in kind for the maintenance of the expanding army and the stationing French troops hampered the growth of this frontier locality. Czerniejewo (commune seat, county of Gniezno) – in his palace Józef Egidiusz Lipski, general of the militia and, after the establishment of the Duchy of Warsaw, a member of the council of the Department of Poznań, gathered objects associated with the Napoleonic era, including portraits of the Emperor. Dobrzyca (commune seat, county of Pleszew) – here Augustyn Gorzeński played host to, i. a. Józef Wybicki, who also belonged to a Masonic lodge. Legend has it that the enrolment of new members took place in the pantheon.

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