Francusowie w XIX i na początku XX wieku – historia chłopskiej rodziny ze Śląska Cieszyńskiego

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of the history of the Francus family, which settled in Gułdowy, near Cieszyn, at the end of the 18th century. They can be seen as the representatives of the middle class among the local peasants. Stimulated by the political changes brought on by the 1861 constitutional reforms as well as through intermarriage with wealthy peasant families (the siedlaks), they became major social and national activists. The most well-known members of the Francus family include Jerzy (1839–1909), a social activist and amateur sculptor; his brother Andrzej (1841–1909), a social and national activist; and his son Franciszek (1870–1962), a teacher and a writer whose works include the popular play "Wesele na wsi" ("A Country Wedding").