Thaddeus Kosciuszko – our contemporary
An internet corner dedicated to the interdisciplinary project Thaddeis and the life and legend of Thaddeus Kosciuszko. On top of an epic poem (alas, currently only available in Polish, but we’re working on it), the project is rooted in rigorous research, fumbling through documents, and discovering semi-unknown places connected to Kosciuszko’s personal history and his cult.
On this website, I share my findings, hoping other researchers and enthusiasts will find them interesting or useful.
A. Szypowska
What will you find in here?
Research notes.
An eclectic collection of research scribbles (all accompanied by a comprehensive bibliography) on various topics revolving around Kosciuszko.
Thaddeis.
Epic poem, audio theatre excerpts & visual concept. Explore the portfolio of the interdisciplinary project based on the life and adventures of Thaddeus Kosciuszko.
Tracing his steps.
Planning a journey? See, if there isn’t anything Kosciuszko-related on your trail. This section catalogues places tied to Thaddeus’ personal history and his cult.
Cabinet of curiosities.
A curated collage of particularly bizarre and peculiar acts of Kosciuszko’s commemoration.
Thaddeus Kosciuszko
Soldier, engineer, adventurer. For half his life, he suffered from severe PTSD, drank exorbitant amounts of coffee, and had a knack for landing himself in trouble. Following his triumphant return from the US, he spent a solid five years struggling to find a single dignified job at home. According to his contemporaries, he was exceptionally kind and gentle in his personal relations. He compensated for that on the battlefield, where he would transform into a ferocious, bloodthirsty beast.
Contemporarily, he’s deemed a national hero of the majority of states that grew out of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, as well as of the US, where he spent about a decade. He’s been described as ‚the Commonwealth’s last knight and first citizen.’
After death, he became an all out bronze figure. Countless streets and schools were named after him.
In all likelihood, he would have found that dumb.
Author
Classicist, art practitioner, writer/translator. Originally from and currently living in Łódź, Central Poland, but grew up in the Opole region.
Graduated from Cambridge University (Classics, 2016) and College of Europe in Natolin (European Interdisciplinary Affairs, 2023), where she defended an MA thesis entitled Kosciuszko’s unfinished battle: the use of historical figures in shaping opposing national narratives in contemporary Belarus.
Wanderer and adventurer, just as Kosciuszko. She lived and worked in India and occupied Palestine, among others.
TADEUSZ KOŚCIUSZKO – nasz współczesny 