Aleksander Wielopolski (redirected from Alexander Wielopolski)

Wielopolski, Aleksander 

Born Mar. 13, 1803, in the village of Sedziejowice, Busko District; died Dec. 30, 1877, in Dresden. Marquis and Polish statesman.

From 1861 to 1863, Wielopolski held high positions in the administration of the Kingdom of Poland. He participated in the preparation and implementation of the reforms of 1861-62 (the replacement of the peasants’ corvee with payments in kind—the introduction of the obligatory czynsz). He tried unsuccessfully to crush the national liberation movement with repressive measures. The compulsory enrollment that was announced on Wielopolski’s initiative in January 1863 and that aimed at liquidating the cadres of the rebel organization precipitated the Polish Uprising of 1863-64. The failure of Wielopolski’s policy led to his resignation on Sept. 12, 1863, from the posts he had held.