Stanisław August – the last king of Poland

The exhibition entitled ‘Stanisław August – The last king of Poland’ is to restore the late monarch’s reputation as one of Poland’s greatest rulers.
 
The purpose of the exhibition ‘Stanisław August – the last king of Poland’ is to remind people of the person of Stanisław August and his tragic fate, intertwined as it was with the collapse of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This is the main ‘contradiction’ around which various facets of the king’s activities are presented in the broadest possible context. Particular emphasis has been placed on his patronage of the arts, which remains a permanent testimony to his brilliant mind.

The choice of subject for the exhibition was influenced by the controversial nature of Stanisław August himself and the persistent tendency to evaluate him in a simplistic manner. That tendency has been reinforced by Poles’ attachment to historical traditions, usually devoid of any scholarly reflection. As the distinguished historian Emanuel Rostworowski wrote, ‘Stanisław August has been cast as a marionette in the national puppet show, be it as a nefarious traitor, a sagacious practitioner of “Realpolitik” or a rose-tinted Good King Staś. It’s time to de-mythologise him.’ That sums up the aim of the exhibition fairly well, which comprises more than 250 exhibits — works of art, historical mementoes and archival items.

Based upon a chronological narration, the exhibition has been designed to portray Stanisław August as one of the few elected 18th-century monarchs who thought in terms of the state, which was reflected in his cultural policy. That is one thread of the exhibition. The other focuses on the tragic fate of Stanisław August, a life-long believer in divine providence, who was forced to witness the catastrophic demise of his state. Did that fact make him an easy target for moralistic condemnation?
 
Did not holding him responsible for the collapse of the Commonwealth actually reflect the tarnished consciences of his accusers? The exhibition, which aims to overcome the stereotypes surrounding Poland’s last reigning monarch, is not intended to provide any final explanation of that dilemma. But it may help to view Stanisław August in a more multi-faceted way.
 
Exhibition ‘Stanisław August – the last king of Poland’
26th November 2011 – 19th February 2012
Warsaw’s Royal Castle
 
EXHIBITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC:
From Tuesday to Saturday — 10 AM to 4 PM
Sundays — 11 AM to 4 PM
Final visitors will be admitted one hour before closing.
 
Organiser: Royal Castle in Warsaw
The event is included in the calendar of the Polish Presidency’s Cultural Programme 2011.