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Gustaw Potworowski A Polish landowner and politician. Born on
June , 1800 at Bielewo in the Grand Duchy of Poznan. Potworowski
studied law and chamber music at universities of Bonn, Heidelberg,
and Berlin where he belonged to a secret students' organization
Polonia. then he settled down in a family landholding
Gola in the Grand Duchy of Poznan. In 1831, he took part in the
November Rising in the congress kingdom where he distinguished
himself with his courage and was promoted to second lieutenant. At
the terminal stage of the rising he crossed the Russo-Prussian
border and was interned near Klaipeda from where he escaped and
returned to the Grand Duchy of Poznan. Once back home he
concentrated on managing his land and serving his community by
promoting agricultural developments and working in Polish volunteer
organizations. In 1843 he became an envoy to the provincial Diet.
During the Poznan rising of 1848, Potworowski headed the national
committee. He agreed to serve on the committee in order to control
the radical insurgents. He was opposed to revolutionary methods as
threats to the existing social order. He frequently acted as an
intermediary during arguments between the committee members. He
forsook the notion of Poland's independence when it turned out that
the independence had to be fought for against the Prussians. He
opposed the program of an armed fight for freedom and supported the
concept of autonomy for the Grand Duchy of Poznan. After the
rising had collapsed, Potworowski concentrated on his activity in
the Polish League. Between 1848 and 1860 he was an envoy to the
Prussian Landtag where he frequently supported the
Polish minority's political right. He presided over the Polish
circle in the Landtag and was very stringent in
demanding his colleagues' solidarity in voting at the parliament
sessions. Potworowski distinguished himself among his compatriots
in the Grand Duchy of Poznan with his patriotism, readiness to
sacrifices in the name of public causes, and consistency in
practicing legal opposition towards the Prussian politics.
Potworowski died on February 23, 1860 in Poznan.
Witold Molik