Klementyna Hoffmanowa, née Tańska (1798-1845), born in Warsaw, daughter of Ignacy Tańska and Marianna, née Czempińska, pedagogue and writer, considered the first woman in Poland to make a living from literary work. Thanks to her literary and pedagogical work, she occupied an important place in 19th-century Polish writing, although she often struggled with debts related to the publication of her works (Lipkowski, pp. 203, 254).

In 1829, Klementyna married Karol Hoffman, a legal advisor to the Bank of Poland, but their marriage did not live to see any offspring. After the defeat of the November Rising, in which her husband actively participated, the couple emigrated to the West, and from 1832 settled in Paris. There, despite the difficult conditions, Hoffmanowa continued her literary and pedagogical activities, becoming involved in the life of the Polish emigration.

She died on 21 September 1845 in Passy, near Paris, of breast cancer. Her death resonated with the Polish émigré community, and her funeral, held on 23 September, brought together numerous compatriots. After a service in the Passy parish church, her body was buried in the Père-Lachaise cemetery (Lipkowski, pp. 203, 254; Russkij Nekropol, p. 24; obituaries in DzN of 27.9.1845, DP of 4.10.1845, TM of 4.10.1845).

In 1848, thanks to contributions from Polish emigrants, a monument was erected on her grave with a bronze bust by Władysław Oleszczyński, surrounded by two children's sculptures. The bust was stolen in the early 1980s, but the monument was restored to its original form during conservation in 2008 (Inventaire gén., p. 232).

Klementyna Hoffmanowa was not only a writer, but also an inspiration to subsequent generations. In 1899, on the centenary of her birth, a ceremony was held at the Père-Lachaise cemetery to commemorate her contributions. On this occasion, Seweryna Duchińska, a Polish poet and émigré activist, organised a wreath-laying ceremony at her grave (Biesiada Literacka, T. 47, no. 20, 19 May 1899, p. 397).

Hoffmanowa's multifaceted activities ensured that her heart, according to her will, was laid to rest in Wawel Cathedral - a symbol of Polish identity and patriotism.

• Ferdynand Hoesick, Paryż, Warszawa bd., s. 128-130.
• Polski Słownik Biograficzny, t. 9, s. 573-576.