Wizerunek twierdzy kamienieckiej w latach 1777-1779 w świetle listów Jana de Witte

Abstract

The article was to present the history of the most important border stronghold, the Kamieniec Podolski Keep, in the period of several years during which Jan de Witte was its commander. It was his letters written in 1777-79 addressed to various recipients who were significant political figures of that time that became the relevant source material for tracing the changes occurring not only in the Kamieniec Keep but also the life of the whole town. The letters cover various subject matters, however, owing to many interesting details it was monthly reports submitted by the commander to the Military Department and General Konarzewski, on the expenses of the stronghold’s maintenance and the garrison supplies, that turned out most useful in this case. Jan de Witte was considered a good lord who took good care of the keep. The scarse means allocated to strengthening the fortress were multiplied by him in many additional ways, not even refraining from issuing requests to the citizens of the Podole Province for money needed to do the most urgent repairs but also necessary materials and craftsmen. In the second half of the 18th century the condition of the Kamieniec Keep frightened not only the people responsible for the security of the Republic of Poland. Bad shape of the fortress, whose fortifications were in a disastrous condition, small and badly-paid army not even capable of maintaining itself (800 people stationed there when de Witte was in charge) and very poor supplies of cannons and weapons in the context of rather uncertain political situation in the neighbouring countries gave constant grief to the commander. In spite of frequent Seym decisions concerning funds for the Keep, the town was in permanent struggle for money, which would allow to keep the fortress in proper condition. Frequent floods of the Smotrycz river contributed to the destruction of the fortress. The efforts of the provident commander, who was pedantic in carrying out his duties, were not always well received by other people. Even the subordinate soldiers considered him extremely strict and an order to be put under his command was synonymous with a sentence to Siberia. Burghers frequently voiced their complaints to the king that he forced them to cover the Keep repair expenses. Although count F.A. Brühl, being his direct superior and visiting the Kamieniec Keep frequently because of his position evaluated de Witte rather negatively describing the fortress as one of the shabbiest little strongholds in Europe, in fact the eighteen-year period of de Witte’s rule (1768-1786) greatly contributed to making the old keep orderly. The purpose of the article was to present the past greatness of the Kamieniec Keep fading slowly and approaching its tragic end, much in the same way as the country which it had served for several centuries.