John potocki biography

Polish nobleman, writer (creating in French), traveler, politician and historian

Count Jan Potocki (Polish pronunciation:[ˈjanpɔˈtɔt͡skʲi]; 8 March 1761 – 23 December 1815) was a Polish nobleman, ethnologist, linguist, traveller and author of the Enlightenment period, whose life and exploits made him a celebrated figure in Poland.

He is known chiefly for his picaresque novel, The Manuscript Found in Saragossa.

Born into affluent Polish nobility, Potocki lived abroad from an early age and was primarily educated in Switzerland.

John potocki biography wikipedia

He frequently visited the salons of Paris and toured Europe before temporarily returning to Poland in 1778. As a soldier, he fought in Austrian ranks in the War of the Bavarian Succession, and in 1789 was appointed a military engineer in the Polish army.

During his extensive voyages he actively documented prevailing customs, ongoing wars, revolutions and national awakenings, which made him a pioneer of travel literature. Fascinated