Erazm Otwinowski

Who is Erazm Otwinowski?

Erazm Otwinowski was a Polish Renaissance poet, Calvinist and Socinian activist.

Born at Liśnik Duży, Poland to a noble family. He was sent as a boy to the Wiśnicz Castle where he received his early education. There he came in contact with Protestants. Later he served for a Polish magnate Stanisław Tęczyński as secretary and diplomat. Tęczyński sent him with many diplomatic missions abroad.

In 1555 Otwinowski adopted Calvinism, but after 1570 until his death became an ardent supporter of the nontrinitarian Polish Brethren Church. In 1564 he became famous because of his public “blasphemy” against the Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation during the Corpus Christi procession in Lublin.

After Tęczyński’s death in 1561, Otwinowski returned to Poland for good, where he remained active as a humanist, theologian, and Renaissance poet. He wrote numerous Polish-language verse forms based on biblical, social, and erotic motives. He died in poverty in his estate in Liśnik Duży.