Włodzimierz Dzieduszycki

Count Włodzimierz Ksawery Tadeusz Dzieduszycki (; 22 June 1825 – 18 September 1899) was a Polish noble, landowner, naturalist, political activist, collector and patron of arts of Ruthenian heritage. Włodzimierz became the first Ordynat of the Poturzyca estate. He was owner of the Poturzyca, Zarzecze, Kramarzowka, Markpol, Lachowice, Dobraczyn, Medowa, Jaryszow, Konarzewo, Gluszyn, Wiry and Szczytnik estates and a founder of the Natural History Museum in Lviv (Lwów). He was one of the first Polish magnates to replace serfdom on his estates.

Biography Dzieduszycki was born in Jaryszów in the Russian Podolia, the son of Józef Kalasanty (1776–1847) and Paulina Anna née Działyńska and was educated in Poland and from 1840 in Göttingen and Paris. Józef had been active in the Kościuszko Uprising and the Napoleonic campaign before settling at home and working as a bibliographer. Paulina was the sister of Tytus Działyński who was a keen naturalist and collector. In 1846 Wlodzimierz returned to Poland.

During the Spring of Nations in 1848, he became a member of the "Council of the Nation of Lwow" (Centralna Rada Narodowa Lwowska) and pro-Polish organisation Ruski (Ruskyi) Sobor (opposite to the Holovna Ruska Rada).

He was also a member of the "Economic Society of Galicia". In 1855 Dzieduszycki became a cofounder of the Dubliany Ploughing School (today Agricultural Academy). He supported publishing houses, spent money for scientific works and school books. Dzieduszycki was a great enthusiast of the Hutsul Arts The entomological collections were organized by Józef Dziędzielewicz.

He was also co-founder of the Museum of Industry of Arts (Muzeum Przemysłu Artystycznego) in 1874 in Lviv and founder the "Hunting Society of Lesser Poland" in 1885.

Wlodzimierz became a member the Sejm in 1865, 1874 and from 1895 until 1899; he served as Sejm Marshal from 7 March until 26 April 1876. He was also a member of the Herrenhaus from 1874.

He was author of several scientific works (nature and ethnography), and from 1894 Doctor Honoris Causa of the Lwów University.

Family

Włodzimierz married Alfonsyna Miączyńska on 19 September 1853 in Lwów and had four children:

Klementyna (1855–1929), married to Zygmunt Szembek Anna (1859–1917), married to Tadeusz Piotr Dzieduszycki Paulina (1861–1866) Maria (1863–1941), married to Tadeusz Celestyn Cieński Jadwiga (1867–1941), married to Witold Leon Czartoryski

Eponymy Dzieduszyckia, a genus of Devonian brachiopods, was named in his honour.