Guzów | |
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Village | |
Palace and church in Guzów
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Coordinates: 52°6′58″N 20°20′13″E / 52.11611°N 20.33694°E | |
Country | Poland |
Voivodeship | Masovian |
County | Żyrardów |
Gmina | Wiskitki |
Guzów [ˈɡuzuf] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Wiskitki, within Żyrardów County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi) north-west of Wiskitki, 10 km (6 mi) north-west of Żyrardów, and 47 km (29 mi) west of Warsaw. It is the birthplace of statesman and composer, Michal Kleofas Oginski (1765-1833).
In the late Middle Ages the lands of Guzów were a ducal estate owned by Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia. In the 17th century the settlement was promoted in importance to a rural bailiwick in the possession of Lukasz Opalinski (1612-1666), Grand Marshal of the Crown. After Opalinski the estate changed hands frequently until the early 18th century when the vast 6,000 hectare property came into the . Jan Prosper Potocki, starosta of Guzów was briefly the second husband of Paula Szembek , for he died early. She became 'starościna' and brought the immense estate with her in her dowry when she married thirdly the highly influential politician and courtier, Andrzej Ogiński . He is credited with introducing stability to the place by erecting an extensive late baroque manorial complex, of which only one 1855 print survives. It comprised an Orangery, an Italian garden and a theatre. Here were born his daughter, Józefa and son, Michał Kleofas Ogiński, insurrectionist, statesman and composer. His life was too much caught up in the political turmoil of the country to be focused on the estate. He emigrated.