One of the last great figures of this world was the German Emperor Wilhelm II Hohenzollern, an avid hunting enthusiast who visited Kliczków Castle several times.
The land of Lower Silesia also has an episode from the history of the Napoleonic campaign, which left a fairly strong mark on it, as French troops marched across Silesia in every direction. Napoleon Bonaparte himself also graced these lands with his presence, but today we will look at another person who was less friendly toward us Poles.
Does the name Kutuzov mean anything to you? Mikhail Kutuzov – field marshal, commander of the Russian forces and Prince of Smolensk.
It was he who set off in pursuit of Napoleon and his army when Napoleon was retreating, defeated, from the cold and hostile Russian land. And what was that field marshal doing in Bolesławiec?
Above all, he was pursuing the French army with his own troops, but let us start at the beginning.
In the second half of April 1813, Mikhail Kutuzov, together with Tsar Alexander I, continued toward Zgorzelec (Görlitz) after a brief stay in Chojnów, formerly Prussian Haynau. However, they stopped for a while in Bolesławiec (Bunzlau), where a special Orthodox service was held for the distinguished guests.
Already in Chojnów, Kutuzov felt unwell and grew weaker by the hour, but he disregarded his condition. He ordered pickled cucumbers to be brought to him and tried to restore his failing health with this treatment.
After leaving Bolesławiec, near St. Anne’s Chapel, which is now located beyond the Kutuzov Cemetery, in the direction of Brzeźnik, the field marshal felt very ill and could not continue the journey. The entire retinue turned back to Bolesławiec. Kutuzov was already well over sixty. Wounded in one of his battles, he had lost one eye, and his build was considerably overweight.
After returning to Bunzlau, he was lodged in the home of Major Fryderyk von Markt. When the residents of Bolesławiec learned that such a famous and distinguished guest was in their city, they decided to ease his suffering: they covered the street in front of the house where he was staying with straw to muffle the clatter and rattling of the metal rims on the wooden wagon wheels. In this way, the people of Bolesławiec wanted to ensure the prince’s peace and quiet.
Doctors were summoned to the sick man, but by then they could do little to help. Mikhail Kutuzov died of typhus on April 28, 1813. At that time, there was no effective medicine for this infectious disease. It was only in the 1920s that the Polish biologist Rudolf Weigl, a professor at Jan Kazimierz University in Lviv, developed an effective vaccine against it.
Kutuzov’s death was shrouded in mystery. It was not wanted for the news to spread among the Russian army, as this could have reduced its readiness to fight. After all, a great commander and hero of Russia, who had driven Napoleon away, had died. I do not entirely agree with this. Kutuzov was indeed a good strategist who acted unconventionally, but let us remember that winter and the severe frosts, which decimated the French army, had an enormous influence on Napoleon’s defeat in Russia.
After Kutuzov’s body was embalmed, it was placed in Master Jenki’s coffin and taken out of the city on May 9, 1813.
Legend has it that Tsar Alexander I kept watch beside the dying Kutuzov and reconciled with him, although during his lifetime he had not favored him and had treated him with reserve. This is not true, however. The tsar was not with him during his final moments; instead, his ally, Prussian King Frederick William III, visited the sick man.
Another legend is also associated with Mikhail Kutuzov’s death. Near St. Anne’s Chapel, just in front of it, on the hill where Kutuzov felt unwell and turned back to Bolesławiec, a monument was erected in his memory. Legend has it that the field marshal’s heart was buried beneath the obelisk, because he wished it to inspire Russian soldiers to fight.
Unfortunately, this story, particularly recalled during World War II to boost the morale of Soviet soldiers fighting in these areas, is not true. Beneath Kutuzov’s monument there may indeed have been a small tin coffin containing his internal organs, removed during the embalming of his body. Is it still there? That is unknown.
It is possible that after leaving Poland, the Russians took this “memento” of Kutuzov with them as well. We will never know.
In Bolesławiec, at Bolesława Kubika Street, a cast-iron black obelisk with gold lettering in honor of the field marshal still stands today. The monument was originally erected in Bolesławiec’s market square in 1819 to commemorate the great commander and strategist. However, in 1893, when German-Russian relations deteriorated, the monument was moved to a more secluded location near the city’s gardens. Of course, this decision was motivated by considerations other than political ones—namely, it was meant to improve traffic in the city center…
Today, both the Kutuzov monument with its dignified lions in the city and the obelisk on the hill are still standing, reminding us of Kutuzov’s presence. A cemetery for Soviet soldiers from the 7th Guards Tank Corps and the 31st Infantry Division was established beside the latter, on the outskirts of the city. Next to the Kutuzov monument stands another one, commemorating Sergeant Zaytsev, who during World War II covered a bunker opening with his own body, enabling his comrades to storm it.
It is surprising that Mikhail Kutuzov was revered in the USSR and that a Soviet cemetery was located beside his monument. After all, Kutuzov came from an aristocratic background and served in the tsarist army. This did not bother the Soviet authorities, however. Probably because great national achievements are worth remembering regardless of political affiliation.
In 1946, on the initiative of Red Army Colonel Aleksander Ipatov, the Kutuzov Museum was established in the now-Polish Bolesławiec. It was located in the building of today’s Museum of Ceramics, on Kutuzov Street.
The museum existed until 1991 and its collection included, among other things, the sofa on which the field marshal died. According to Soviet statistics, 1.5 million visitors visited it throughout its operation. If these figures are accurate, the number is indeed impressive.
Let us remember, however, that Kutuzov was merely a historical figure who spent an episode of his life in the City of Ceramics. Both the street and the cast-iron obelisk remind us of the era of the Napoleonic campaign, while Kutuzov himself was hostile toward everything Polish.
Paweł Skiersinis
The author is a blogger and history enthusiast, particularly interested in the history of Lower Silesia and Poland. Why Lower Silesia? As he puts it: “Why not? The most interesting history is the history around us, concerning ourselves and our ancestors.”
And he adds: “I try to present history from a different perspective, in an engaging way—not in the typical textbook style, full of dry dates and facts. My articles concern facts that we will not find in textbooks and well-known publications. The history of Lower Silesia is undoubtedly interesting and fascinating, so it is sometimes worth devoting even a brief moment to it.”