Antoni Dunin

Antoni Dunin (1907–1939) was a Polish nobleman (szlachta), a Hrabia (Count), and an army officer who received the Virtuti Militari award.[1]

Biography

The Granówko estate, Dunin's childhood home

Dunin was born on June 5, 1907, the youngest child of Lucia (Łucja) Taczanowska (1862–1917) and her second husband Count Rodryg Dunin (1870–1928). He grew up at the Granówko estate near Poznań, the youngest of ten children. He had six older siblings by his mother's first marriage to Stanisław Niezychowski, and two full sisters and one full brother, children of his own father Rodryg.[2][3] The Dunin family crest is the Łabędź (swan).[4]

On December 28, 1933, Dunin married Zofia Helena Werner (1910–1939), daughter of Poland's vice-Finance Minister Edward Werner,[5] and great-niece of Saint Raphael Kalinowski. They had three children: Krystyna, Stanley (Stanisław, named after Dunin's older brother), and Magda (Magdelena).[2]

Between 1933 and 1934 he served as an NCO in the Polish Army and graduated from the Cavalry Training Centre, where he was also awarded with the memorial badge of his home unit, the 15th Poznań Uhlan's Regiment.[6] Mobilized prior to the outbreak of World War II, Dunin was drafted into the Wielkopolska Cavalry Brigade under Gen. Roman Abraham. Serving in the rank of Porucznik (First Lieutenant) he commanded the march squadron of the 15th Poznań Uhlan's Regiment.[7] He joined the regiment with his unit on September 8, 1939, and took part in the Battle of Bzura.[7] Dunin was killed in combat at the age of 32 on September 16, 1939.[8] His wife was killed the next day, at the age of 29.[2]

Dunin's descendants were eventually able to escape Poland to France and finally to the United States in the 1940s.[9]

In popular culture

Dunin is one of the characters in the Italian novel "Il Guardiano dei Sogni" (The Guardian of Dreams) by Paolo Maurensig (ISBN 8-80-454976-9).

See also

References

  1. ↑ Wesolowski, Z (February 5, 1998). "Polish Order of the Virtuti Militari Recipients (1792-1992)". Federation of East European Family History Societies. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  2. 1 2 3 Dunin, Elonka (June 20, 2005). "Antoni Dunin (Hr.)". Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  3. ↑ Wojcierch Boguslawski. "Family Genealogy". Archived from the original on 2007-09-04. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
  4. ↑ "Labedz Clan Coat of Arms - Family Crest from Poland". Family-crests.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
  5. ↑ "Edward Werner, Ex-vice Minister of Finance of Poland had Lectured Here". New York Times. November 17, 1945.
  6. ↑ Juliusz S. Tym (2005). "Nadania odznaki pamiątkowej 15. pułku ułanów Poznańskich w latach 1923-1939" (pdf). Mars (in Polish) 19: 98. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
  7. 1 2 Juliusz Tym (2005). "Kawaleria w bitwie nad Bzurą (Cavalry in the Battle of Bzura)" (in Polish). Polonia Militaris. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
  8. ↑ Jerzy Korczak, "Cóżeś ty za pani", Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Poznań 1979, non-fiction, ISBN 83-210-0081-9, Pani Wojenka (Lady War)
  9. ↑ "Engagement of Countess Revealed". Detroit Times. April 23, 1957.
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