Le patrimoine culturel sarmate dans l’espace social du Duché de Lorraine et de Bar sous le règne du roi Stanislaw Leszczynski (1737-1766), expression de l’identité culturelle polonaise
The Sarmatian Cultural Legacy within the Cultural Space of the Duchy of Lorraine and Bar under King Stanisław Leszczyński (1737-1766): A Manifestation of Polish Cultural Identity

Summary/Abstract: In the mid-18th century, no Pole enjoyed such fame among Europeans as King Stanislaus Leszczynski. Entangled in the web of “European political games” and having losing the Polish throne, he obtained lifelong possession of the duchy of Lorraine and Bar, located on the French-German border. Through the Polish monarch and his Polish entourage, elements of Polish cultural identity – profoundly anchored in the Sarmatian background – began to permeate into the social space of the new homeland of Lorraine. The aim of the article is to discuss the Sarmatian cultural transfer to the social space of Lorraine as an expression of the Polish cultural identity of the king of Poland, duke of Lorraine and Bar, Stanislaus Leszczynski, a European and a citizen of the world. Leszczynski’s prolific contributions in his new homeland had its roots in the Sarmatian culture, one in which he grew up and which became ingrained in his consciousness. The values he had been instilled, which may be construed as cultural (national) identity, would prompt numerous artistic and institutional undertakings, even the approach the new ruler of Lorraine adopted as a person. As an example of successful transfer into Western Europe, one could cite the cult of St. Stanislaus, whose veneration was an important component in Polish culture. Emblems derived from Polish heraldry are still visible today in Lorraine, having been introduced by Leszczynski into the artistic program of embellishing its edifices. Also, the cult of Holy Mary – which enjoyed tremendous following in King Stanislaus’ homeland and was propagated during his reign in Lorraine – played a key role in the transfer of culture from Central and Eastern Europe to the West.

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