The communicative of Michał Ignacy Boyanowski is simply a communicative about a man who has subjected his full life to the service of the local community and the nation. On the 1 hand, he was an active politician of the national camp, including a associate of the Legislative Parliament and Senator of the 1st term, and a host and organizer of social life in Mazowsze, operating in dozens of agricultural, educational and cooperative initiatives. His activities included both organic work in the field and speeches in parliament, in which he consistently defended the interests of villages and local governments.
Michał Ignacy Bojanowski was born on 23 February 1865 in the village of Włóki, in the territory of Płocki, in the property leased by his father, Paulin. The Bojanov household had profoundly rooted patriotic and Christian traditions. The father, inactive a nineteen-year-old young man, crossed the border illegally during the Spring of the Peoples to join as a volunteer for the Wielkopolska Uprising in 1848. Mother, Julia of the Świętochowska House, was known for her strict moral principles. Her words to her young boy were remembered: "Son, you know how much I love you, but I'd alternatively you were dead than find out you've done something dishonest.".
Michael's baptism was held in the parish church in Danishev, and the godparents were Francis and Albina Świętochowski. His early childhood was lost in the atmosphere of the house, in which memory of national breaks was cultivated and Polish language was cultivated despite extended rusification. He took his first lessons at home, which was a common practice in the families of the earth at the time.
In 1874, at the age of nine, he began studying in the pre-school philological gymnasium in Płock. This school was a place of intensive rusification – students were punished not only for speaking Polish, but even for having Polish books. This environment of repression has spawned a natural rebellion. Among the students, secret self-educational circles were spontaneously formed, in which forbidden literature was read and the past of the Homeland was learned. Bojanowski was not a top man. He passed his M.A. in 1884 with results alternatively average, but distinguished himself by interest in science, especially mathematics and physics. School education, although formally successful, left in it a bitter memory of the heartlessness of the Carician education system. At the same time, however, it shaped the awareness that actual national education takes place outside the authoritative school walls – in the family, in the circles of friends, in private discussions and in independent readings.
Student years and first national activity
After graduation in 1884, Michał Ignacy Bojanowski began his studies at the Institute of agrarian and Forestry in Puławy – 1 of the fewer agricultural universities in the Kingdom of Poland, enjoying a reputation and rich technological background. This direction corresponded both to household tradition and to Bojanowski's individual interests, who had shown a attraction to discipline and natural discipline for years.
However, Puławy was not only a place of science, but besides an crucial centre for the formation of patriotic awareness of young people. Although formally under the control of the Russian authorities, they pulsated intellectual and political life. Students organized popularized readings, “flying” clearly, and sold forbidden pamphlets and folk books. Bojanowski rapidly became 1 of the active participants of this environment. In January 1887 a secret Polish Youth Union was formed in the student circles, called “Zet”. It was an organization aimed at educating the young generation in a national spirit and preparing staff for future independent Poland. Bojanowski almost from the beginning became her associate and a hot supporter. This relation had a profound effect on his continuing life - style, permanently binding him to the national camp.
However, the political and civic activities of a young student rapidly attracted the attention of the Czarski authorities. In mid-1887, while Bojanowski took final examinations, student strikes broke out in Puławy against the repressive methods of the Inspector-Colonel. Bojanowski stood up for the rights of his colleagues, which ended in relegating him from the university without the anticipation of obtaining a diploma.
Not threatened by this blow, he decided to gain applicable experience. In the spring of 1889, after having completed a two-year agricultural practice, together with Władysław Płoski and Antoni Hempple, he leased the property in the village of Wrogocin (pockets). Their aim was to make a modern farm based on cooperative principles. They worked in the field side by side with agricultural workers, dividing profits equally. In parallel, they conducted educational and patriotic activities. In the property they organized a secret Polish school, in which they taught children to read and compose in Polish, their home past and the basis of accounts. Lessons were held in the court lounge, and children hid books and notebooks under their clothes to avoid confiscation. Their efforts resulted in tangible results, for within a year there were no illiterate students.
Such a public violation of the Czarski regulations could not escape the attention of the authorities. In December 1891, Bojanowski and his companions were arrested and sentenced to six months in prison in the Pietropawłowski fortress in St. Petersburg. Staying in a Tsarian prison, though difficult, only strengthened his convictions and determination to proceed his national work. After his release in 1892, he returned to Mazovia, ready to start another phase of his activity – this time already in his family's property in Klicy, where his influence on the local community was about to increase.
Back to Klics and business development
After leaving prison in 1892, and a short period of stay in the household home, Michał Ignacy Bojanowski faced a choice of a further life path. He shortly decided to settle in the property of Klice in the territory of Ciechanowski, which he inherited from his father. These goods, formerly belonging to the Muscicki family, were acquired by his father from his brother-in-law, Faustyna Muscicki, who was the uncle of the future president of Poland, Ignacy Muscicki. Moving to Klic meant for Bojanów to enter a fresh phase – on the 1 hand they gave him unchangeable material facilities, on the another hand they obliged him to participate actively in the life of the local community.
That same year he married Jadwiga Teresa Rudowska, daughter of a landowner from Rumoka close Mława. The matrimony proved to be a lasting relation in which the wife not only ran the home but besides supported her husband in his social and educational activities. Together they engaged in local initiatives, and in subsequent years they raised a large number of children – 5 sons and 3 daughters.
The first years of management in Klicy were difficult. Bojanowski had to face the negligence of erstwhile tenants and introduce gradual reforms. He followed the rule of positivistic work at the base—starting by arranging his own estate, believing that a good example of the landowner would be the best argument in conversations with neighbors and surrounding farmers. He introduced modern farming methods, invested in agricultural equipment, improved animal breeding. He was free from the conservative prejudices of parts of the earth's environment, he could perceive to the needs of peasants and respected their experience.
At the same time, since 1893, Bojanowski became a associate of the National League – a secret organization leading the national movement in the Russian partition. Her activities were strictly conspiracy, and contacts were mainly maintained during meetings in private homes or at conventions in Warsaw. On behalf of the League, he worked with the National Education Society, which established secret nurseries and childcare facilities. Together with his wife, he initiated the establishment of specified facilities in the municipality of Regimin, and organized the spread across the Prussian border of forbidden books and press, including Krakow's “Polak”. Bojanowski besides worked in the structures of the Democratic-National Party, which has been the political arm of the national movement since the late 19th century. He was 1 of the party's signatories in 1897. After 1905, erstwhile the group could function semi-disciplinely, he supported them not only with organizational work but besides financially.
Due to his erstwhile conviction and patriotic reputation, he was under strict supervision by the Tsar police for the first years of his stay in Klicy. However, this did not discourage him from social work. In 1899, he initiated the creation of neighbourhood council circles that dealt with the exchange of agricultural experience, the reading of the professional press and the fight against illiteracy. Its aim was to convince residents that improving surviving conditions and agricultural production requires knowledge, cooperation and solidarity. In 1902 he established the first agricultural ellipse in the area under the name “Connection” Commercial Company. It was an initiative of a cooperative nature, modelled on akin projects from another regions of Poland, especially from Kielce. The company was engaged in the joint acquisition of tools, fertilizers and seeds, as well as the sale of agricultural produce at more favourable prices. specified activities broke the isolation of farms and taught farmers modern economical principles.
The years 1893–1905 were so a period of consolidation of Bojanowski's position as a local leader. At that time, he developed the reputation of a consistent, hardworking and honest man who does not limit himself to passwords but turns them into concrete actions. He combined patriotism with the host's pragmatism, and his initiatives in both agriculture and education had a lasting impact on the community of Ciechanów County. Soon, however, years of revolutionary shocks were coming, which put him at the center of events and forced him to face an open confrontation with the Tsaric authority.
Revolution of 1905 and II State Pride
The early 20th century brought expanding social and political tensions in the Russian Empire. The defeat in the war against Japan in 1905 revealed the frailty of the Tsar state and dared opposition movements in all partitions. The wave of strikes, demonstrations and speeches besides included the Kingdom of Poland. In many towns, the demands of autonomy, civilian liberties, freedom of the press and gatherings began to be raised, as well as the restoration of Polish language in offices and schools.
In Mazowsz, in the territory of Ciechanowski, the strike movement was not as violent as in industrial centres, but there was a clear wave of political demands. In the spring of 1905, Michał Ignacy Bojanowski utilized the minute to introduce Polish to the municipal offices in place of the existing Russian. It was a bold and symbolic step, showing that the local administration could operate in Polish despite the regulations imposed from above. The Tsarist authorities reacted immediately – they imposed a advanced fine on him and ordered him to leave the country.
Threatened by arrest, Bojanowski left for Paris in the summertime of 1905. His stay on emigration did not last long – in autumn he returned to the country thanks to Tsar's amnesty. However, he returned to the Clice with fresh energy. In December of the same year, he took the lead of a delegation of the wheel managers of the Society of National Education and organized a solemn march from Gdańsk Railway Station to the National Philharmonic for the so-called. So Włoszański – the first event of this kind in the Russian election, aimed at demonstrating the solidarity of peasants and landowners in the fight for national rights. The success of the rally encouraged the organizers to decision forward. In Ciechanowski, influenced by Warsaw slogans, the introduction of the Polish language into local courts and municipal offices was passed in a fewer days. It was an unprecedented and highly irritating event for the Russian administration. In response, martial law was declared in the province, judges, jurors, mayors and municipal writers were arrested. Bojanowski intervened with the Płocki governor, which yet led to a softening of repression and the announcement of amnesty.
In parallel, his educational work was developing. In July 1906, he became a associate of the Supervisory Board of the Polish School Matrix, where he patronised the establishment of fresh schools in the district. From its own resources, he supported, among others, the commercial secondary school in Mława, as well as a network of agrarian general schools, which were created despite difficulties by the authorities.
During this stormy time, Bojanowski was besides active in Russian politics. In 1907, the Mazovian land elected him as an MP to the Second State Duma in St. Petersburg. It was a typical body with limited competence, but gave the chance to talk on behalf of Poles on national issues. Bojanowski joined the Polish ellipse (an informal club of Polish deputies) and in most cases he voted according to his line, although he could have a separate opinion on insignificant issues. As a Member, he was peculiarly curious in agriculture and self-government. In Duma, he became known as a spokesperson for the rights of the agrarian population and a defender of the interests of the landowners, frequently stressing the request to make agricultural rings and cooperatives. On his initiative, discussions were held on improving working conditions in agriculture, on access to credit for tiny farms and on the necessity of converging local administration.
The word of II Duma lasted briefly: it was disbanded by the Tsar after only a fewer months of sitting. Bojanowski did not search re-election to the III Duma, considering that he would benefit more from working in the field, where he could act straight and more effectively influence the lives of the people of his region. The 1905 Revolution and the period of his work in Duma were a breakthrough. Bojanowski first entered the arena of state policy, gained parliamentary experience and learned the mechanisms of the Russian administration. At the same time, he proved that he could effectively combine political activity with social and educational work. This skill was to be useful to him in the following years erstwhile he began organizing a wide network of agricultural rings, cooperatives and self-help institutions in Mazowsze.
Organizer of agriculture and cooperatives
After completing a short parliamentary adventure in the Second State Pride, Michał Ignacy Bojanowski returned to Mazovia with the belief that the top impact on the lives of the inhabitants could be exerted through systematic organizational work in the field. Its goal was to build a strong, modern network of agricultural and cooperative institutions that would improve the surviving and working conditions of both landowners and peasants.
In 1907, Bojanowski became president of the Department of Agricultural Circles in the territory Agricultural Society in Ciechanów. This function gave him a real impact on the improvement of local agricultural policy. With energy he moved to establish fresh circles in the districts of Ciechanowski, Mławski and Przysny. By 1913, a full of 47 specified facilities (15 in Ciechanowski, 26 in Mławski and 7 in Przasny were created on his initiative. Agricultural rings organized farm management courses, agricultural equipment shows, presentations of fresh farming methods and crops. They collaborated with the professional press, subscribing to “The Guide of Circles” and “The Christmas Paper”. Bojanowski attached importance to each ellipse being a place of applicable education and common assistance – farmers shared experiences, bought seeds or fertilizers together, and even laid down rules for selling their products to get better prices.
Many remembered Bojanowski as a talker who could encourage them to act with examples of life. Today, they callback an anecdote from 1 of the meetings, erstwhile the peasant, persuaded to meliorate the acid meadow, told how neighbors laughter at his thought – and how, if he succeeds, “with this stick all the ridges will tear.” At that time, Bojanowski was to laughter warmly, appreciating his stubbornness and religion in future success.
His local activity was rapidly spotted in Warsaw. In December 1910 he entered the Central Council of the Agricultural Society (CTR), which coordinated the movement of agricultural rings throughout the Kingdom of Poland. He participated in discussions on changes to the Rules of Procedure and on the financing of CTR departments. He followed the democratisation of the organization and the greater participation of little wealthy members in its work. Bojanowski was known for his concrete proposals, among others, to request that part of government subsidies for experimental establishments be transferred to CTR for organisational purposes. Although his proposal passed by a minimum majority and sparked a dispute, he showed his determination to search funds for the improvement of agricultural institutions.
Already before, due to the fact that in 1905, Bojanowski contributed to the creation of the Agricultural Syndicate in Ciechanów – a joint stock company to facilitate the supply of machinery, seeds and fertilizers to farmers, as well as the sale of agricultural products. As a longtime board member, he ensured that the syndicate did not limit itself to large assets, but included smaller farms as well.
In 1913, he initiated the establishment of the debt and Savings Casino in Ciechanów, modelled on the Galician banks of Stefczyk. It was a cooperative credit institution that allowed farmers to get inexpensive loans for farm investments and besides to save in a safe way. Bojanowski besides engaged in the work of the Ciechanic Society of common Credit – an organization combining the earth's and the city's environment to counter usury. Although initially working together well, there were disputes over the principles of governance and representation of individual social groups. In 1914, after the landowners lost their election to the board of directors, Bojanowski and another members associated with the landowners gave up further participation in the institution.
The economical activity went with Bojanowski and education. At the meetings of the neighbourhood councils he spoke about the request to fight illiteracy and the function of subscription to the press in raising awareness of farmers. He financially supported local schools and organized shows of fresh machinery and management methods in his estate. He was convinced that agrarian prosperity required simultaneous economical and cultural development. By the outbreak of planet War I, Bojanowski built a network of agricultural and cooperative institutions in his region, which was an example for another counties. He could combine interests of various layers, i.e. landowners, medium-sized hosts, and richer peasants, avoiding class divisions typical of the era. As a result, his initiatives had sustained support and a real impact on the regular lives of the inhabitants of Mazovia.
The years 1907–1914 were the summit of his economical and organisational activities in peace conditions. Soon, however, clouds of the large war were hanging over the region, which posed completely fresh challenges and forced the transformation of many forms of activity to date.
World War I and German business
The outbreak of planet War I in August 1914 interrupted the period of comparative stabilisation and intensive improvement of agricultural organizations, which Michał Ignacy Bojanowski had been building for years. Mazowsze, located in the heart of the Kingdom of Poland, was initially not a direct theatre of war activities, but already the first months have brought economical crisis, deficiency of hands to work and collapse of the market. As the war progressed, however, the front moved closer and closer, and in 1915 the territory of Ciechanowski was under German occupation.
Even in 1914, in an atmosphere of uncertainty and deteriorating advocacy, Citizens’ Committees began to be established in many towns. In Ciechanów Bojanowski he joined the Regional Committee, whose task was to organize support for the families of the reservists, rise funds to support schools and care for refugees from the east. The Committee besides ran kitchens for the mediocre and distributed clothing for the needy. In time, Bojanowski besides became a associate of the Gubernian Citizens' Committee in Płock. He acted in the agricultural and educational section, trying to make the aid be directed not only to the residents of the cities, but besides to the villages that frequently remained out of scope of charity activities.
In the face of wartime chaos, Bojanowski actively participated in the work of the Earth's Self-Help Department at the Central Agricultural Society in Warsaw. This institution has served as a coordinator of support actions for farms without labour and stocks. Joint purchases of machinery and tools were organised, as well as the separation of seeds and feed, frequently obtained from abroad thanks to CTR contacts.
At local level, Bojanowski supported the self-taxation of landowners in the territory of Ciechanowski, and the funds thus collected were utilized to repair schools, pay teachers and keep orphanages. It is mentioned that he was able to personally travel around neighboring estates, persuading owners to generously contribute, arguing that "The mediocre peasant will come back to you like a boomerang if we don't aid you today.”
In the autumn of 1915, after the German troops entered, Polish educational activity gained a small more freedom. Bojanowski together with another activists reactivated the Polish School Matrix in the territory of Ciechanowski. In little than a year, 10 fresh general schools were established in the municipalities of Regis, Leko, Grudusk and others. frequently these were modest chambers rented in private homes, but run by qualified teachers who taught in Polish. Bojanowski provided textbooks and technological aids and besides sought subsidies from local agricultural organizations. He besides supported the organisation of evening courses for adults, where they were taught to read, compose and base bills.
In 1916, Bojanowski became a associate of the local Committee of the Main Care Council (RGO) – an organization that carried out charity, commissioning and care activities throughout the Kingdom. In the territory of Ciechanowski, RGO dealt with, among others, the distribution of flour, groats and sugar provided by the business authorities, as well as the organisation of accommodation for homeless people. Bojanowski frequently intervened to mark stocks first to families with children and farms who lost the head of the household on the front.
During the war Bojanowski sat in the Sejm of the territory of Mławski, representing the interests of the Ciechanowski communes. He mainly dealt with issues of commissioning, road repairs and school maintenance. Seymikas under business conditions had limited powers, but Bojanowski could usage them to supply funds for the most urgent needs.
In 1918, erstwhile the German authorities agreed to establish a Council of State in Warsaw – quasi-parliament of the Kingdom of Poland, Bojanowski became an electoral commissioner in the Ciechanowski district. This function required the organisation and conduct of elections, which in the reality of business and the deficiency of a uniform legal strategy was a hard task. Nevertheless, a comparatively advanced turnout was ensured and elections were held in accordance with the applicable rules.
The years 1914–1918 were a period of intense social and organisational work for Bojanów under conditions of crisis. Its activities included direct assistance for those in need, reconstruction of education, support for agriculture and maintenance of local structures. He operated in respective organizations simultaneously, and his name was known throughout the region as synonymous with reliability and effectiveness. The ending war brought hope for the revival of the Polish state. Bojanowski, having already had the experience of a parliamentarian, self-government and social activist, was naturally among those preparing to take office in the fresh political reality of the Second Republic. He was about to sit again in the benches of parliament – this time in free Poland.
Legislative Sejm
Poland's regaining independency in November 1918 opened a fresh chapter in the life of Michał Ignacy Bojanowski. He was already a well-known figure in the national environment, valued organizer and self-government. He was naturally among the candidates of the People's and National Union for the first parliamentary elections in free Poland. In January 1919, he competed with list No. 8 in constituency No. 4, comprising Ciechanowski, Mławski, Pułtuski and Przasnyski districts. The election run was conducted by modest means, but was based on its long-standing presence in local life. Boyanowski didn't gotta introduce himself. The voters knew him from work in agricultural circles, cooperative organizations and self-help institutions. The consequence of the election confirmed his position: he obtained the mandate of an MP for the Legislative Parliament, which was to make the political foundations of the reborn state.
In the Legislative Sejm, Bojanowski sat on the Administrative Commission, the Approved Commission and the Labour Protection Commission. In each of them, he sought solutions that met the needs of the village and local government. He was convinced that a strong agrarian municipality was the basis of a healthy state system. He repeatedly spoke in discussions on local government laws, stressing that the fresh administration must be close to the citizen alternatively than duplicate bureaucratic centralism from the time of the partitions. On advocacy, he advocated the fast abolition of the regulation strategy and the free circulation of agricultural products, while providing support for the mediocre layers of the population. In the work of the Labour Protection Committee, he was peculiarly curious in the employment conditions in agriculture, which was a subject seldom addressed by another Members.
Bojanowski was an industrious but not media member. He seldom spoke in plenary on political issues, focusing on applicable and method issues. However, erstwhile he spoke, his speeches were factual and supported by economical experience. An example of this is his appeal on relief loans for farmers affected by the drought. He pointed out that without fast credit assistance, many farms would fall, which in turn would negatively affect the full food market. Another time he demanded that the agrarian Municipality Act should take more account of conventional forms of self-help and neighbouring cooperation, which survived in the Polish village despite the period of partitions.
As a ZLN MP, Bojanowski was faithful to the club's political line, but he could besides have a different opinion, especially erstwhile matters afraid the local interests of his region. He did not engage in sharp organization conflicts, avoiding loud arguments and individual disputes. He valued cooperation over organization divisions, which earned him respect besides from political opponents.
The word of office of the Legislative Sejm was a period of intensive legislative work. The March Constitution of 1921, the Municipal Government Act, agricultural reform, the organisation of courts and many another fields were passed. Bojanowski, although not 1 of the most influential MPs, consistently sought to guarantee that the government contained provisions protecting the interests of the village. He stressed that agricultural improvement had to be carried out in an evolutionary way, without compromising the stableness of agricultural production and respecting the rights of landowners who were willing to cooperate in the parcellation.
After finishing his word in 1922, Bojanowski decided to proceed his work in parliament, this time in the advanced chamber. In the legislature election, he competed on list No. 8 in the Warsaw Voivodeship and obtained the mandate of Senator of the 1st term. This opened up a fresh phase in political activity in which he had the chance to work on laws in a different way, requiring more attention for legal and economical details.
In the Senate
The inclusion of the senator's mandate in 1922 was a natural extension for Michał Ignacy Boyanowski of his work in the Legislative Sejm. In the advanced chamber, where discussions were little stormy than in the parliament, he could focus more on developing the details of laws and defending the interests of agriculture and local government. As a Senator of the People's and National Union, he remained faithful to the program of the national camp, but as before he avoided ideological disputes, focusing on pragmatism and seeking compromises.
W The legislature sat on committees dealing with agrarian economy, finance and public administration. In the work of the Financial Committee, he raised the issue of excessive fiscalism of the state towards agriculture. He warned against imposing besides advanced taxes on farms, especially erstwhile many of them only rose after wartime destruction. He pointed out that unchangeable income for farmers is simply a prerequisite for rebuilding the full national economy. He was peculiarly heavy active in agricultural loans. In 1923, he sought a bill to facilitate farmers' access to long-term loans with low interest rates, arguing that investments in farms are essential to increase production efficiency and thus improve the food situation in the country. In this respect, he worked with representatives of another groups, which allowed to make a task acceptable to most senators.
Bojanowski did not forget about local governments, which he considered to be the basis of a viable state. He frequently recalled in the legislature that municipalities and districts request real competences and unchangeable funding, not just imposing fresh obligations on them. He pointed out that the expansion of schools, roads and water supply networks requires not only the enthusiasm of residents, but above all clear regulations and financial support from the state.
In the legislature work he was characterized by moderation and the ability to look at matters in the long term. He did not search swift, effective reforms, but for gradual, thoughtful changes. He frequently stressed that the state's economical policy should be based on agrarian realities, which inactive constituted a majority of the population and its needs differed from the problems of urban centres.
After the May coup in 1926, the political situation in the legislature changed. Sanation began to strengthen its position, and the influences of the People's-National Union gradually declined. Bojanowski, although critical of the methods of Piłsudski camp, did not participate in sharp political clashes. However, he opposed limiting the function of parliament and strengthening executive power at the expense of local governments. He felt that decentralisation was not only an component of Polish tradition, but besides a condition for effective state management.
He finished his senatorial word in 1927. He did not search re-election, explaining his desire to return to field work and pay more attention to economical matters. He continued to stay active in public life, acting in the structures of the National organization which was established in 1928 as a continuation of the ZLN program. His parliamentary experience was utilized in intra-party work, especially erstwhile formulating positions on agricultural and self-government policy. The years spent in the legislature strengthened Bojanowski's opinion as a balanced policy, which in public debate focuses on substantive arguments, and in political practice is guided by the interest of the local community and common sense. Although he was not 1 of the most recognizable figures of the political scene of the Second Republic, his work had a real impact on the shaping of laws and regulations concerning the village, and thus on the lives of hundreds of thousands of inhabitants of Mazowsza and another regions of the country.
The Last Years of Life and a Legacy
After his work at the Bojanowski Senate, he did not retreat from public activity. In 1928, with many erstwhile collaborators from the People's and National Union, he joined the work of the recently formed National Party. Although he no longer aspired to parliamentary or senatorial functions, he participated in organization reunions, advised younger activists and supported organizational initiatives, especially those related to the village and local government. He was considered to be a man who brought to the discussion the experience gained both during the partitions and in the early years of independence.
However, he spent the most time working for the local community in the territory of Ciechanowski. He continued to head the agricultural rings department and engaged in cooperative activities. He maintained a lively relation with the Central Agricultural Society, supported training for farmers, encouraged modernisation of farms and the implementation of fresh crop methods. He was opposed to the isolation of villages from civilizational changes – he felt that agriculture should benefit from the achievements of technology, but at the same time preserve national tradition and customs.
After 1928 he placed expanding importance on the education of agrarian youth. He funded scholarships for capable students from mediocre families who wanted to proceed their education in advanced schools. He besides supported local scout teams, seeing in Scouting not only the form of physical education, but primarily the school of work and social work. His home in Klicy remained open to guests – both neighbors and young activists who came for advice or support.
Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to attend meetings of the region council and meetings of agricultural organizations. In his speeches he reiterated that Poland needs consent and organic work, and political disputes should give way to joint actions for the good of the country. His speech was little combative than in his youth, but he could inactive inspire listeners with his calm, factual kind of speech.
He spent the last fewer months of his life in a household property in Klicy. There, surrounded by his family, he had a minute erstwhile his children took over part of the farm and social responsibilities. 2 sons (Jan and Stanislaw) continued their political activities in the national spirit, and younger ones took care of the farm and social activity. He tragically ended the life of Simon Boyanowski, murdered in Katyn in April 1940, 1 of the most painful shadows of household heritage.
Michał Ignacy Bojanowski died on 9 January 1932 in Klicy, aged 66. The ceremony was held in Lekiowa, where he rested in the household grave. It was attended by representatives of local authorities, agricultural organisations, neighbors, erstwhile coworkers and residents of surrounding villages. Speakers saying goodbye to him at the grave emphasized his industriousness, honesty and consistency, as well as the fact that he never forgot his roots and responsibilities towards the local community.
His legacy includes not only concrete works specified as a network of agricultural circles, cooperatives and schools, but besides a model of citizenship. He was an example of a policy that could combine public activity with real, everyday work for people around it. In memory of the people of Mazovia he remained as a man who could talk in simple language about crucial things, and he realized his ideas not in large declarations, but in systematic, persistent work.
The life of Michał Ignacy Bojanowski is simply a image of the evolution of the Polish national activist from the time of deep enslavement under partitions, during a period of revolutionary shocks, to the construction of an institution of an independent state. Born in 1865, he grew up in an atmosphere of remembrance of national uprisings and upbringing in a spirit of work for the community. Already in his youth, he faced the repression of the Tsaric power – expulsion from the university, prison for educational activity and permanent police supervision shaped the feeling that working for the country needed courage and determination. Bojanowski was a kind of activist who was not limited to passwords or speeches. From the beginning, he combined political activity with applicable organization of social life. The agricultural circles, cooperatives, educational and credit societies he founded and supported had a tangible impact on the improvement of the surviving conditions of the inhabitants of Mazovia. His activity was characterized by pragmatism. He understood that agrarian improvement required both modernisation of the economy and training of people who would be able to benefit from fresh opportunities.
The period of independency brought him the mandates of a associate of the Legislative Parliament and Senator of the 1st term. In both chambers of parliament, he remained convinced that politics should service the community and the state must trust on strong local governments and healthy farming. He was not 1 of the most prominent politicians, but his work saw the reliability and care of legislative details that had a real impact on the regular lives of citizens.
Bojanowski was a politician and a socialist who understood that the strength of the nation was born from working at the base, from the tiny regular efforts put into education, economy and building social ties. In this sense, his life is an example of how ideals can be put into practice without falling into extremes, and patriotism can go hand in hand with economical foresight and social responsibility.
Rafał Skórniewski
