Anna Henryka Pustowójtówna Loewenhardt

HOME | BKD | STAMPS | FAMILY TREE | PICTURES| HAIDAR-PASHA


Insurrectionary adjutant to Marian Langiewicz Anna Henryka Pustowójtówna (July 26, 1843-May 2, 1881) Polish Insurrection of 1863	Photograph: wearing her Nurses uniform with the French Red cross
Daughter of a tsarist general of Hungarian origin and a polish mother. She was educated as a Polish nationalist. Her parents divorced and her father died in 1858. She was arrested in 1861, but escaped with the help of friends. She lived in with a soldier family, where she was taught to fight. She took the name Michal Smok, returned to Poland and fought under Marian Langiewicz. Whether people knew she was a woman is uncertain. She was arrested by Austrians and then after her release traveled to Switzerland. She later settled in Paris in 1865. Here she sold artificial flowers, taught music in a monastery and, in 1871, worked as a nurse. She married, had four children of her own as well as rearing the children of her dead sister-in-law.	Photo from 1863, in full battle regalia.


I saw her also, when with taken out boardsword, she run in the volley of bullets after the refugees, beating with the flat of the sword and shouting: Shame yourselves, forward!!! Win or die! Shame yourselves! - such a description of actions of Miss Pustowójtówna, called Michałek, was left by one of participants in the battle of Małogoszcza.	Photo from 1863, in full battle regalia.

	Photo from the winter of 1863, in full battle regalia.
Anna Henryka was born in 1838 in Wierzchowiska near Lublin. Her father was a Russian officer, mother - the Pole. Henryka was conscientiously educated in the Institute for Young Ladies in Puławy. In Lublin, when she stayed with her grandmother Brygida Kossakowska, she involved herself in patriotic movement. Sentenced for that activity to exile, she escaped in man's disguise and hidden herself in Moldavia. When January uprising broke out, again in man's disguise, in February 1863, she forced her way to the camp of Marian Langiewicz in Staszów. Under pseudonym Michał Smok she fullfilled her duties as an adjutant of Dionizy Czachowski. The young girl showed energy and courage at battle fields. She attained food for the headquarters, delivered orders under the volley of bullets, kept up the courage of soldiers with both hearty words and her own example rousing them to fight. She was arrested together with the dictator Langiewicz, transported to Cracow and placed in jail "Pod Telegrafem" (Under the Telegraph) at Kanonicza street. Released from the jail, she left to Prague, where she organized a few, unfortunately inefficient attempts of Langiewicz escapes. From 1866 she lived in Paris. During Prussian - French war (1870/71) Henryka joined The Committee of United Women for the Defense of Paris and Bringing Help to Wounded and for eight months she worked as a nurse. In 1873 she married the former companion in arms from detachments of Langiewicz, the doctor Stanisław Loewenhardt. She died suddenly in 1881, orphaning four children. She was buried at Montparnasse cemetery in Paris. After the collapse of the January uprising in many houses albums with photographs of insurgents were completed. They included both the family members as well as portraits of famous commanders and heroes. Very often in those albums there were photographs of Henryka in an insurgent attire or a dress with elements of national mourning.	Family Tree Grandparents Her grandmother was Brygida Kossakowska (maiden name unknown) Parents Her mother Marianna Kossakowska was born in Poland, her father Trophimus Postowojtow (Theophilus Pustay) was a Russian officer of Hungarian descent, he died in 1858. Family Henryka Pustowójtówna. She was born July 26, 1838 in Wierzchowiska near Lublin. She married Stanislaw Loewenhardt (1838-1915). They were married 1873 and they had 4 children. She died in Paris, France. Children Helena Loewenhardt (eldest) unknown unknown Henry Loewenhardt (Physician)