Andrzej Kotula

Who was Andrzej Kotula?

Andrzej Kotula was a Polish lawyer and activist from Cieszyn Silesia.

He was son of Józef, peasant. Kotula finished gymnasium in Cieszyn and philosophical high school in Pressburg. In 1848 he graduated in law from the University of Vienna. In the same year Kotula participated in Slavic Convention in Prague.

Later he worked as a clerk in Hungary and notary in Frysztat. In 1867 Kotula came back to Cieszyn, where he ran his notary office until his death. He collaborated with Tygodnik Cieszyński and Gwiazdka Cieszyńska magazines. Kotula was interested in botany - he was collecting plants, mushrooms, beetles and butterflies.

He was secretary of Czytelnia Ludowa, member of several organizations and one of the founders of Macierz Szkolna Księstwa Cieszyńskiego. Kotula wrote poems, fairy tales and ballads.

His sons were botanist Bolesław, engineer Andrzej and bookseller and publisher Jerzy.