Jakub Ludwik Sobieski was born on 2 November 1667 in Paris, where Marie Casimire sojourned in a bid to restore her health and save the pregnancy. This decision was vindicated by its consequences: Jakub was her first son with Grand Marshal of the Crown Jan Sobieski and lived to what amounted to a ripe old age in his era. The boy’s godparents were Louis XIV and Henrietta Stuart, Duchess of Orléans, but he was actually held at baptism by Marie Casimire’s sister, Louise Marie. The departure of his wife prompted Sobieski to commit his feelings to paper—the longing and sadness, as well as the vivid interest in his first-born. Posterity owes this portrait of fatherly emotions, as well as a description of the little Jakub (a rare find in the literature of the era), precisely to this conjuncture.
In 1674, following his father’s election, Jakub became a prince in spite of the opposition of certain Lithuanian envoys seeking to forestall the coronation of Marie Casimire and the recognition of titles and rights of Sobieski’s children (that is, Jakub and his two sisters). The task of securing their progeny’s future would eventually prove daunting to the parents. The coronation of his father foreclosed a career as a senator or state official for Jakub, since children of monarchs were not allowed to serve the Commonwealth in any official capacity. Succession after his father was only a possibility—he would have to stand election. Though the example of the Vasas warranted a certain dose of optimism—back in their days, a son could ascend the throne after his father and a younger brother after an older sibling—the actions of Jan III and Marie Casimire suggest that they were far from certain of their son’s chances. One of the ways the Prince could justify a claim to the throne was through services to the Commonwealth. Thus, Jakub accompanied his father in all military expeditions—including the push toward Vienna and Hungary in 1683, as well as the Moldavian campaigns of 1686 and 1691. However, the latter two failed, cancelling the effort to portray the Prince as a courageous knight in countless panegyrics and propaganda plays, and lessening the stature of the entire family.
The parents sought to ensure the greatest possible support for their son in the election. Aware of the rivalry between Habsburgs and Bourbons, they tried to exploit it by seeking endorsement of either of the two houses. Marie Casimire believed that by marrying Jakub to a princess from one of these dynasties, she could obtain the necessary guarantees. She tried hard to make her son’s marriage possible, but was continuously rebuked.
After many years, the King’s first-born married Hedwig Elisabeth von Pfalz-Neuburg, a member of the excellently connected cadet branch of the house of Wittelsbach, and most of all, sister to Empress Eleonor. However, at the behest of Emperor Leopold I and Philipp Wilhelm, Elector Palatine (the father of the Duchess), the Sobieskis were to provide their son with a huge dowry, exceeding fourfold the future wife’s contribution. The money were invested in the Emperor’s estate at Oława in Silesia. In case of an electoral failure in Poland, the recently renovated and extended Piast residence would become home for the newly-weds. The marriage took place in 1691; based on extant historical sources, it is excruciatingly hard to decide whether the pair were happy together in general, but they clearly fell for one another early on. However, if relations between had gone sour at any point, it was clearly not because of Marie Casimire’s supposed machinations.
The newly-weds initially lived in Warsaw, sporadically visiting Oława. Marie Casimire and Jan III bought them the Casimir Palace, and when it succumbed to a fire in 1696, the Prince and his family moved to Marywil. In that period, Hedwig Elisabeth bore two daughters, Joanna Leopoldyna in 1693 (she died two years later) and Maria Kazimiera in 1695. Meanwhile, the Prince pursued Habsburg support during the impending election. While Empress Eleonor was dependable, some tried to sow fear in him by suggesting that she would side with her brother, Karl Philipp, Prince Palatine. Jakub also considered the possibility of seeking endorsement from the Swedish court, but the favourably inclined King Karl XI died at a critical moment. In the end, the Prince proved too passive, lacking in vigour or perseverance.
After the death of Jan III, relations within the Sobieski family became tense. Jakub may have thought that his mother would side with the French party, promoting the candidacy of Prince Aleksander. He also embarked on the pursuit of the funds left behind by the late King. However, Marie Casimire remained loyal to her eldest son and ignored the advice to endorse Aleksander, but the tense and inconsiderate conduct of the Sobieskis antagonised some electors. The fate of the election was sealed by the energetic campaign of magnates disposed against the court, who received support from the French ambassador and chose to oppose the Sobieskis against Louis XIV’s instructions, endorsing the French candidate. The drastically brutal electoral struggle—rich in promises of financial rewards and denouncement of the real and imagined vices of the rivals—resulted in a loss for both parties. The electors eventually chose Friedrich Augustus Wettin, Elector of Saxony, who entered the election practically at the last minute.
In spite of the promises he gave to the Sobieskis, the new ruler did not intend to admit Prince Jakub to his court, and continued to see him as a potential rival to the throne throughout his reign. This was due to the difficult situation in the country and the recurring plans for a new election, with Sobieski’s name usually trotted out—at times with his sanction, but often completely against the wishes of the Prince.
Following the electoral failure, Jakub and Hedwig Elisabeth moved to Oława. Prideful, the Prince took offence with the new king for titling him inappropriately; as a result, Jakub resigned from visiting the Commonwealth in 1698 and would not set foot in the country for the next two decades. In 1697, his third daughter was born—Maria Karolina; in 1699, Hedwig bore Jakub a son named Jan, who only survived a year. Maria Klementyna came into the world in 1702. In 1704 in Vienna, Jakub and Hedwig had their last child, Maria Magdalena, who died right after birth and was buried in the Habsburg capital. Jakub buried his son next to Jan III in the Capuchin church in Warsaw; the body was later moved to the Wawel together with those of the boy’s grandparents. The sickly Hedwig Elisabeth’s other pregnancies ended in miscarriage. Marie Casimire worried about the health of her son and his wife and embarked on a search for a medicine that would cure her. She also cautioned Jakub on his unhealthy lifestyle—irregular eating, a heavy and salty diet, too little sleep and too much coffee. Jakub also enjoyed drinking beer and smoking pipe—two passions he shared with his brother Konstanty.
Eventually, other means of securing the future of the eldest Prince and his family became apparent. Marie Casimire came up with the idea that the Habsburgs could grant him the Italian duchy of Piombino. The Emperor, in turn, offered Jakub the position of Governor of Styria, promising to bear the cost of the move to Graz and reward him financially. It seems that the Prince was initially inclined to accept the offer, but his head was turned by a dramatic shift in the political situation in the Commonwealth. After the outbreak of the Great Northern War, Karl XII appeared to favour a new election which would hand the crown to a hand-picked friendly ruler; Jakub suggested himself. It is not entirely clear who concocted the plot—the Swedish King or the Polish Prince. Augustus II watched anxiously as the Sobieskis solicited support of the opposition, particularly in Greater Poland. Foremost among the discontented was Rafał Leszczyński, the General Prefect of Greater Poland (subsequently Grand Treasurer of the Crown), a former associate of Marie Casimire. As the turmoil in the country reached a tipping point, and the Sobieskis prepared for a meeting with Karl XII, Wettin decided to strike. He ordered that Prince Jakub be imprisoned, with Prince Konstanty caught up in the event by accident. News of the Princes’ arrest shocked the nobles, whose dislike of the then-current monarch inclined them to express indignation—at first fervently manifested—but did not see them take any determinate action. Only Prince Aleksander engaged in an active effort to free his brothers, with extensive help from Hedwig Elisabeth, who intervened on his behalf in Vienna, and Marie Casimire, appealing to Papal diplomats for aid. Augustus II agreed for the Prince’s wife to visit her husband in the Saxon prison, but the Emperor forbade her to enter Saxony when she expressed a desire to see Jakub again.
Initially Jakub, fully convinced of the impending release, was not inclined to make concessions and declined condition that would force him to resign from pursuing the Polish crown ever again or engaging in any action against Augustus II. In time—and the princes spent almost three full years in prison—he warmed to the idea of a compromise. Relatives of the Prince—from the Habsburg and Pfalz-Neuburg families—acted as intermediaries in the negotiations. Eventually, the gates of the prison opened for the Sobieskis when Jakub accepted Wettin’s requirements, most importantly by promising no to seek to reclaim the crown that Stanisław Leszczyński vowed to return to him in 1704. The condition was most likely set by Karl XII.
When the Sobieski brothers were released, it turned out that they had become an object of interest for an entirely different political power—Russia. Pyotr I did not believe in Augustus II’s loyalty and feared Karl XII’s superiority; therefore, he pursued candidates who would accept the Polish throne as a gift from Russia and implement policies convenient to the Tsar—most likely consisting of resistance to the Swedish king. The offer received by Jakub included not only the crown, but also all necessary aid—military and financial—as well as a duchy within Russia in case his rule collapsed. The sheer amount of assurances involved inevitably sowed disbelief in the would-be monarch. Jakub eventually rejected the Tsar’s proposition, citing Joseph I’s demands and Karl VI’s threats as his reason. However, Pyotr I did not let the opportunity go so easily and renewed the offer repeatedly for several years, to both Jakub and Konstanty. In the process, the Tsar employed members of the Polish opposition. The last time Jakub Sobieski pondered the prospect of claiming the crown was already after the death of Augustus II in 1733, when local parliaments and private citizen queried him on his candidacy to the throne. The horrible war that ravaged the Commonwealth prompted a nostalgic longing for the times of Jan III’s reign. Not everyone was pleased with the prospect having Stanisław Leszczyński—elected in 1704 under Swedish pressure—or another Wettin on the throne. Prince Jakub travelled to Jasna Góra and, after long prayers and conversations with Primate Teodor Potocki, decided not to join the contest for the crown.
Ever since the Sobieskis moved to Oława, the city regained the rank of a ducal capital of a considerable stature. Guests from Germany and Poland were frequently entertained and often marvelled at the splendid gallery, richly equipped with paintings, the grand hall, and the imperial staircase leading to the so-called Ducal Chamber. Next to the palace at Oława were a bestiary and a pheasantry. The Prince believed that all that was left to him of his father’s reign was the splendour that he could surround himself with. Thus, he formed a rather sizeable court with his own guards and castle artillery. Like all Sobieskis, Jakub was passionate about music—he had a court orchestra and organised concerts attended abundantly by invited guests. Among his other favourite amusements was hunting.
Prince Jakub did not follow in his parents’ footsteps, attempting to secure the future of his progeny. He seemed to have left that matter in the hands of others—his own mother or the Empress. However, in 1718 Oława was visited by an envoy of the exiled Stuart of England, who offered to marry Jakub’s daughter. Against accepted custom, the youngest of the girls—Maria Klementyna—was chosen. The Prince relished the prospect of seeing James III installed back on his ancestral throne and Maria Klementyna crowned as his queen. Against the advice of the Empress and the wishes of her son, Karl VI, the Prince allowed his daughter to travel to Rome, where Stuart had been staying. She was accompanied by Hedwig Elisabeth. Along the way, at the order of the Emperor, both women were captured in Innsbruck. The Prince tried to intercede for his daughter and wife, hoping to convince the court in Vienna that Habsburgs would draw rich benefits from the planned marriage. He did not achieve much, though, and Maria Klementyna eventually escaped on her own (with the help of English envoys), making it to Italy, where she married Stuart. The pair found themselves under the protection of Clement XI, the godfather of Maria Klementyna. When news of this development reached the Emperor—an ally to the King of England George I—he expelled Jakub Sobieski from Oława and the castle was seized by imperial forces.
The Prince left Silesia and sought refuge in Jasna Góra, a place of particular esteem for members of his family. However, his prolonged stay caused the monks particular problems. The Prince was said to have travelled with a sizeable entourage. His arrival saw the monastery flooded by great numbers of nobles and even magnates. Augustus II, a generous protector of the monastery, observed all that with great unease. The monks would have happily discarded the unfortunate guest, but the cardinals interceded for him at the behest of the Pope. The Prince moved to one of the properties of the monastery, and eventually travelled to Germany. He wandered through Bavaria, moving from place to place. He often fell ill, causing much concern to his relatives. Throughout, he continued to plead for the exile order to be annulled. Empress Eleonor died within that period, meaning that the Sobieskis lost an important supporter. And yet, in 1722, Jakub was allowed to return to Oława due to his wife’s advancing illness. On 10 August of that year, Hedwig Elisabeth died. As she had persistently supported her husband’s case in Vienna, the Emperor allowed Jakub to remain at Oława following her demise. As a gesture of thanks to the Pauline monks who had hosted him, he sent a statue of Saint John of Nepomuk by Jan Jerzy Urbański (an accomplished Silesian artist) to Jasna Góra. During his exile and afterwards, he continued to question imperial authority over Oława. Efforts were made to expel him from the property, but the imperial treasury could not afford to pay off the Oława lien, that is, the sums previously deposited by Jan III.
After the demise of Hedwig Elisabeth, her daughters attempted to find suitors for themselves, with considerable aid from Maria Klementyna. The departed Empress’ plans of marrying them to Italian princes were discarded and attention was turned to France. However, for unspecified reasons, Jakub did not express any interest in these projects; some claimed that he intended to send his daughters to a monastery or that he lacked the necessary funds—or perhaps was simply stingy, since all of Europe believed he had inherited fabulous riches from Jan III. It was these riches that prompted the suitors to demand exorbitant dowries for the King’s granddaughters. The Prince was unable to meet their requirements. Living beyond their means, with no way of controlling their own properties (which dwindled due to mismanagement as well as ravages of war), the princes Sobieski had not had large financial resources for a long time. They were mired in debt and fruitlessly pursued repayment of debts owed by the Commonwealth to their parents. Thus, opulent dowries for the Prince’s daughters were out of the question. Even so, there were candidates who hoped for many riches after the wedding. The ladies pleaded with their father to accept their proposals, but another obstacle proved more difficult to surmount—the resistance of the Emperor, whose approval was necessary for the marriages to take place. No one dared to risk another scandal like that which Maria Klementyna suffered, least of all Prince Jakub. In the midst of her pursuit of a husband, Maria Kazimiera died. Shortly after her death, the Emperor allowed Maria Karolina to marry Duke de Turenne. However, her father did not agree to the marriage and did not attend his daughter’s wedding—given by her uncle Franz Ludwig, Bishop of Wrocław. Neither did he give his daughter a blessing. When she was widowed by her first husband and wed his brother, her father was not even informed. Since Maria Klementyna helped her sister obtain the required dispensation from the Pope, the Prince may have felt betrayed by his favourite and took offence with both daughters.
A while later, seeking to punish Maria Karolina, the Prince disinherited her and initiated proceedings to pass his estate to the sons of Maria Klementyna. His youngest daughter urged him to sell his properties and move to Italy, but Jakub, always given to doubt and indecision, proved unable to take that step, even while left completely alone after Konstanty’s death. In the 1730s, he left Oława and moved to Zhovkva. He tried to compile a history of his family. After the death of Maria Klementyna, Maria Karolina returned to Poland, hoping to reconcile with her father and claim her share of his inheritance, but the father only forgave her when she brought her daughter along. He fruitlessly plotted his granddaughter’s marriage to one of Augustus III’s sons or a Polish magnate, and eventually the young lady’s father summoned her back to France.
At odds with her husband, Maria Karolina stayed with her father until the end. Prince Jakub died as a result of paralysis on 19 December 1737. It is said that a storm had been raging over Zhovkva for two days, tearing the coat of arms off of the gate and breaking it into little pieces, while the clock in the castle tower rang ceaselessly. The body of the Prince was displayed in the collegiate church at Zhovkva, and his funeral gathered a mass of noblemen, magnates, and military officers, bidding farewell to the house of Sobieski.
Translation: Antoni Górny
