Joachim Lelewel is remembered not only as a political activist and patriot, but also as an outstanding historian. He was one of the most important figures in Polish intellectual life centred around the national thought of the 19th century. Among other things, his fate was linked to Brussels. The building in which the great Pole lived still stands in this city.

Biographical outline

Born in Toruń in 1786, Lelewel's exotic-sounding name to the Polish ear was most likely derived from his Germanic ancestors Lölhöffel von Löwensprung. He studied at Vilnius University. In later years he lectured at this university, gaining great popularity among his students. Among others, Adam Mickiewicz attended his classes.

Joachim Lelewel was a pioneer of the modern historical trend, striving to objectivise various points of view and reliably refer to specific sources. His activities, however, went far beyond the academic walls. He became actively involved in politics after the outbreak of the November Uprising (1830-1831). He became a member of the National Government as Minister of Education, and later became President of the Patriotic Society. He was a supporter of just social reforms and Polish independence.

After the fall of the uprising, he went into exile. Initially, he stayed in Paris. In exile, he remained politically active. He co-founded such organisations as the Polish National Committee and the Polish Emigration Union. He also continued his scholarly work, writing numerous historical, geographical and numismatic works, many of which were published in French.

After his expulsion from France in 1833, Joachim Lelewel settled in Brussels, where he spent almost thirty years until his death in 1861. In the last chapters of his life, he concentrated mainly on his academic work and political activity in exile.

Brussels

Lelewel initially lived at 26 Rue de Chêne, above the "Estaminet de Varsovie" inn. Eventually, however, he settled in a tenement at 58 Rue des Éperonniers near the city centre. It was here that he lived for almost three decades.

The Brussels years were not a time of affluence for Lelewel. Sources clearly speak of the not very favourable material situation he was in during the last years of his life. However, he did not relent in his libertarian activities. The democratic ideas he espoused and his commitment to the national cause had a huge impact on subsequent generations of Poles. He was the epitome of an intellectual for whom learning and service to the homeland were an inseparable whole.

The house in which he lived for most of his stay in Brussels is a bourgeois townhouse typical of the 19th-century Brussels aesthetic. The building, although preserved, is currently in a poor state of repair and has been protected by a safety net. Its character can be read more from archival photographs. These indicate a neo-classical or eclectic style.

On the façade of the building is a memorial plaque dedicated to the great Pole. Lelewel died in Paris. He went there for medical treatment. He was buried in the Montmartre cemetery. When Poland regained its independence, his remains were moved to Vilnius (in 1929), where his tomb still exists today (Ross cemetery).