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Oskar AwejdePolish lawyer, one of the leaders of the 1863 uprising.
Country:
 Poland |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- European Studies and Revolutionary Involvement
- Role in the 1863 Uprising
- Later Years
Early Life and Education
Oskar Awejde was born in 1836 in Poland to Edward Awejde, a lawyer, and Paulina Awejde (née Rutkowska). In 1847, the family moved to Suwałki, where Awejde attended the local gymnasium. In 1854, he enrolled in the Law Faculty of St. Petersburg University, graduating in 1858 with a Candidate of Law degree.
European Studies and Revolutionary Involvement
In 1859, Awejde received a scholarship to study abroad. He attended universities in Berlin and Heidelberg before spending several months in Paris. Upon returning home to Suwałki in October 1861, he became involved in preparatory work for an insurrection against Russian rule. He was a leading member of the "Reds" faction and edited the manifesto issued on January 22, the day the uprising began.
Role in the 1863 Uprising
Awejde served in the provisional National Government (Żąd Naródowy) during the 1863 Uprising. He was captured on September 3, 1863, and provided detailed confessions that were translated into Russian and circulated widely among investigators and Tsar Alexander II (later republished in 1961).
Later Years
Awejde was exiled to Vyatka Governorate, and after his sentence ended, he chose not to return home. Instead, he worked as a jury lawyer in Vyatka. His daughter, Maria Awejde, born in 1884, became a member of the Bolshevik Party and participated in the 1905 and 1917 revolutions. She was killed in the Russian Civil War in 1919.
