Leopold Jan Szersznik (1747-1814), Catholic priest, Jesuit, reformer, educator, scholar, collector and bibliophile. Educated in Olomouc, Brno and Prague. He worked for Cieszyn for nearly 40 years. His greatest contributions were in his educational and pedagogical activities, and educating young people in the spirit of the Enlightenment was his priority. He was active in many fields, e.g. as town treasurer he sorted out the town’s finances, which had been in a poor state for several hundred (!) years, led the rebuilding of Cieszyn after the great fire, established the botanical garden and worked in the town council. He initiated scientific research in the city in almost all areas of science, from mineralogy and prehistory to the study of language. In 1802, he opened up to the public the extremely valuable museum collections assembled over the years, as well as a library of several thousand volumes. He implemented innovative ideas from Western Europe and promoted them in publications, striving to improve the living conditions of the community by spreading access to science, culture and civilisational achievements. His accomplishments place him among the outstanding 18th-century reformers, his influence on the development of the city is invaluable, while the library and museum he founded are still of great value in many senses of the word.
Information
- Address: róg Regera i Limanowskiego, Cieszyn
