View source for Rafał Leszczyński (1579–1636)

{{Short description|Polish-Lithuanian noble}}
{{No footnotes|date=October 2014}}
{{ infobox nobility
| name = Rafał Leszczyński
| image =
| caption =
| noble family = [[House of Leszczyński]]
| father = [[Andrzej Leszczyński (1553–1606)|Andrzej Leszczyński]]
| mother = Anna Firlej
| spouse = Anna Radzimińska<br/>Catherine Pociej
| birth_date = October 1579
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date|1636|3|29|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Włodawa]]
}}
'''Rafał Leszczyński''' (October 1579 – 29 March 1636) was a [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish–Lithuanian]] noble and Imperial count. He was the [[castellan]] of [[Kalisz]] starting in 1618, he became the [[voivode]] of [[Bełz]] in 1620, and the [[starost]] of [[Hrubieszów]] in 1633. He was extensively educated in law, humanities, theology, military science, natural sciences, and even studied under [[Galileo]]. He also traveled over much of Europe.
== Biography ==
Rafał started his political career in the [[Sejmik]] of the [[Sandomierz Voivodeship]]. He was an opponent of king [[Sigismund III Vasa]], but he never rose up in open rebellion like the participants in the [[Zebrzydowski Rebellion]]. He was [[Protestant]], and was a defender of Protestant rights and religious tolerance in the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], dedicating most of his political influence to matters of religion. He provided shelter for [[Moravian Church|Czech Brethren]] and refugees from [[Silesia]] during the [[Thirty Years' War]]. He sponsored many new Protestant churches and schools, and developed existing ones, like the school in [[Leszno]], under Czech pedagogue [[Jan Amos Komeński]]. He was called the "Pope of [[Calvinists]] in [[Poland]]." In foreign politics, he supported cooperation with both Catholic France and Protestant countries like Sweden.
He corresponded with [[Gabor Bethlen]] of [[Transylvania]] and [[George William, Elector of Brandenburg]]. George William of Brandenburg gave him a yearly donation of 3,000 [[Polish zloty|zlotys]], in exchange for his support for Protestant cause. After 1629 he also corresponded with [[Axel Oxenstierna]], the Swedish chancellor. He was a strong supporter of the marriage between [[Władysław IV Waza]] and a Protestant (Calvinist) princess. He took part in the 1635 negotiations with Sweden, where he worked with the French ambassador, count [[Claude d'Avaux]]. He advised the king against hostilities with Sweden, and after the peace of 1635, he wanted to direct Polish foreign policy towards Silesia.
During his life he gathered substantial wealth: 17 towns and over 100 villages in [[Wielkopolska]], [[Baranów Sandomierski|Baranów]] and nearby lands in [[Sandomierz Voivodeship]], [[Włodawa]] in [[Polesia]], [[Woronczyn]], [[Romanów, Greater Poland Voivodeship|Romanów]] and [[Beresteczko]] on [[Wołyń]] and [[Ruś, Podlaskie Voivodeship|Ruś]]. In 1612 founded the [[Wieniawa, Masovian Voivodeship|Wieniawa]] near [[Lublin]].
He was the son of [[Andrzej Leszczyński (1559–1606)|Andrzej Leszczyński]], voivode of Brezesc-Kujawski. From 1604 to 1635 he was married to [[Anna Radzimińska]] (1586–1635), the daughter of [[Stanisław Radzimiński]] of [[Brodzic coat of arms]].
Rafał's children:
*[[Rafał Leszczyński (1607–1644)]] a known supporter of Protestants;
*[[Andrzej Leszczyński (1606–1651)|Andrzej Leszczyński]], voivode of [[Dorpat]]
*[[Bogusław Leszczyński]] who inherited Leszno and who converted to [[Roman Catholicism]]
*[[Władysław Leszczyński]] supporter of Calvinists;
*[[Teodora Leszczyńska]], patroness of Calvinists married to [[Zbigniew Gorajski]]), a leader of Polish Calvinists in [[Małopolska]].
==Further reading==
*Kate Wilson, "The Politics of Toleration Among the Szlachta of Great Poland: Rafał Leszczyński (1579–1636) and Krzysztof Opaliński (1609–55)," ''Slovo: A Journal of Contemporary Soviet and East European Affairs'' 14 (2002), 134-155.
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leszczynski, Rafal}}
[[Category:1579 births]]
[[Category:1636 deaths]]
[[Category:Leszczyński|Rafal]]
[[Category:Polish Calvinist and Reformed Christians]]