The unfulfilled dream of a child by Magdalena and Hieronim Radziwiłł: How to describe a painful problem

Abstract

The article analyses the sources pertaining to the marriage of Prince Hieronim Florian Radziwiłł and Magdalena Czapska, which ended with an annulment in 1753. It shows the problem of infertility and the absence of the heir to the vast Radziwiłł estate. The article analyses the letters by both spouses, the personal diary of the prince and the letters of Konstancja Czapska, Magdalena’s mother. It considers the presentation of information deemed to be taboo in the Old Polish culture. While Konstancja Czapska maintains a traditional stance by claiming that a child is the strongest bond for the marriage, the prince underlines the importance of mutual affection. That kind of opinion was evidence of gradual changes of mentality taking place in the first part of the 18th century.