Plater, Emília

the Countess Emilia Plater - guerrilla commander

(1806 - 1831)


Emilia was born 13. November 1806 in Vilnius, in an old noble family, derived originally from Westphalia. When she was 9 years old, my parents got divorced and then adopted her parents of her mother. You have been through your the German origin of the great Polish patriots, and in this spirit was raised and my granddaughter. Already from early youth are vividly interested in mathematics and history. Inspiration found especially in the books about the Thaddeus Kosciuszkovi and Joan of Arc, your greatest pattern, however, found in the figure of the "Grazyny" from the novel And. Mickiewicz ,,Ballady i romanse” . Don't neglect or physical preparation, controlled shooting from the gun and ride a horse. In 1829 travelled with vlastivědnou company a large part of Poland and also visited Krakow and Warsaw. At that time her mother died, and Emilia was left alone. She devoted herself to writing poems and studying history.

After the outbreak of the the Polish uprising in November 1830 in Vilnius created a revolutionary committee in his support. Emilia then cut her long hair, put on her uniform and gathered the guerrilla section about the power of the 280-shooters, 60 cavalry and several hundred peasants armed with scythes. With them then at the end of march 1831 conquered Dvinskou strength and took control of the town Jezerosy. She said: "I'm a soldier in the meantime, until Poland will not be completely free".

The russians have sent to suppress the rebellion of considerable strength, and the rebels were forced in April to vacate all the territories which they seized. After being wiped out in marches were the partisans 4. may surrounded at Šadovace, but after a fierce fight managed to a small group of traps to escape. Was in her and Emilie Plater, who will then with the rest of his people joined the partyzánskému section in the vicinity of Poněvěže. 17. June then its section, which again has grown, occupied Vilkomir. If to the city at the same time arrived the Polish troops led by general Chłapowským, joined with the entire partisan section to his army. Emilia with the honorary rank of captain became a member of the general staff and commander 1. company 25. regiment. This unit is then moved to Kaunas, where Emilia for the first time met with the man so many admired – writer Adam Mickiewiczem. 19. June joined the battles for Vilnius, which the rebel forces, despite all the efforts and heavy losses, failed to conquer. Alone, Emilia was 27. June wounded during the retreat, and narrowly escaped Russian capture.

Defeat, that rose suffered in the attempt to seize Vilnius heralded the failure of the entire rebellion. Despite his injuries Emilia still participated in the 8. July attack on Šiaulaj, when kteréms saber in his hand showed great personal bravery and was cited in orders of the general staff. A week after the 13. July, was a general Chłapowski with the rest of your army forced to cross the border into Prussia, in order to avoid encirclement. Emilia faithful to its motto "... until Poland will not be completely free" refused to go to him and with a few faithful went towards the south. After eleven days vysilujího march lost consciousness, and friends around her after she hid under an assumed name on the estate of the princes Oblomovičových. When he recovered, he accepted the prince as a home school teacher of their children. Then, in October 1831, she learned about the defeat of the Polish uprising.

Her medical condition is, with winter coming worse every day and 23. December died from the common cold to cardiac weakness. Buried was in a small village Kopciow. The tsarist police didn't believe the report about her death, and yet in August of 1833, the vilnius governor-general, prince Dolgorukov in a secret report to the governor, Vitebsk prince Chovanskému writes that this "Lithuanian Joan of Aku" apparently escaped beyond the borders to further organize the resistance.

Emilia Plater was already in his lifetime a legend. Her death rendered this legend immortal. Already in 1842 was published in the United states book,The Life of Countess Emily Plater”, describing her heroic deeds. Adam Mickiewicz inspired by her story to write poems ,,Śmierć pułkownika”, translated into many languages around the world.

At the time of the second world war, was after her named woman rifle brigade, which was part of the 1. walking the Polish division in the USSR. In Warsaw bears her name one of the main classes..