ADAM POTOCKI IN THE REVOLUTION OF 1848

Adam Potocki, son of Count Artur Potocki and Zofia née Branicka, owner of the 'Pod Baranami' Palace in Cracow and heir of Krzeszowice, was closely connected with the history of Cracow and Galicia for at least three decades of the 19th century. His contemporaries disagreed widely about him. He was liked, respected and even admired by some, while others blamed him with irresolution and opportunism. This article looks at his doings during the Revolution of 1848. Like never before in his youth he let himself be drawn into the mainstream of politics. In the heady atmosphere of 1848 he joined the debates in the Vienna Parliament and held talks with representatives of Polish emigré community. Adam Potocki has not yet found his biographer. A collection of documents which record Potocki's political activities can be found at the family archives at Krzeszowice. Another source are the memoirs and diaries of his contemporaries. The Revolution of 1848 enabled Potocki to gain a political profile for himself. When the revolutionary tide ebbed out, he started looking round for a political home. Eventually he found it with the Conservatives.