Grand Prince Edward Przanowski (13 October 1845, Glanów - 6 February 1929, Nowa Wieà Â, Starogard Gdaà Âski) was a Polish soldier of the January Uprising, chief engineer and architect in Sà Âupca and à ÂÃÂczyca; chieftain and chairman of the à ÂÃÂczyca volunteer fire brigade; committee president of the Public Charity Council of the à ÂÃÂczyca County; council and chancellery supervisor of the II Credit Union in Warsaw. He was the child of Norbert Przanowski.
Edward Przanowski (1845âÂÂ1929) graduated the Men's Gymnasium in Piotrków (Present: Bolesà Âaw I the Brave High School in Piotrków Trybunalski) and was admitted to the newly established Szkoà Âa Gà Âówna Warszawska (Warsaw Main School) at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. Przanowski's studies was halted due to his involvement in the January Uprising. Edward fought in the party of General Edmund Taczanowski. On August 29, 1863, he was a part of the defeated forces of the battle of Kruszyna (Nieznanice) and was seriously wounded twice. According to his own testimony, the Cossacks (Ethnic group used for policing in the Russian Tsardom) went around the battlefield verifying that everyone apart from the insurgent was dead by piercing the bodies with pikes. Przanowski was one of the insurgent soldiers pierced. In his testimony, he details how, despite the pain, he was able to not make any noise or movement and thus survived. In 1864, Edward Przanowski practiced at the Road Administration of the Kingdom of Poland, and on December 22, 1868, he passed the exam and received the title of engineer-conductor.
At the age of 44, in 1889, Przanowski worked as an engineer in the cities of the Kingdom of Poland, which experienced regression in the second half of the 19th century as a result of tsarist post-uprising repressions. From 1866 to 1871, he was an engineer-conductor of the Sieradz district. In the years 1871âÂÂ1880, he was an engineer and a district architect in Sà Âupca. Przanowski was responsible, among others, for the technical infrastructure of the administered areas, road maintenance, renovation of public facilities, fire protection. In 1878, he was in charge of technical works on the construction of a church in the Evangelical-Augsburg parish in Zagórów near Sà Âupca.
In 1880, Edward Przanowski was appointed as engineer and architect of the à ÂÃÂczyca county. As a poviat engineer and architect, he drew up plans of towns in the à ÂÃÂczyca region. Four of the plans have been preserved since 1893 in the Cartographic Collection of the Central Archives of Historical Records in Warsaw. The plans of à ÂÃÂczyca, Grabów, Piàtek, and PoddÃÂbice was a valuable source of spatial and urban development of the county.
In the historical records of à ÂÃÂczyca county, Przanowski is noted as the architect and builder of the fire brigade headquarters. He made the architectural design and supervised the works. In order to construct the fire brigade headquarters, Przanowski made use of material from a partially demolished medieval castle. The neoclassic building besides hosting the fire brigade headquarters had a spacious theatre hall with capacity for an audience of over two hundred people. The building further hosted âÂÂseveral dozenâ of galleries and other stores. The building, preserved to this day, is still the headquarters of the à ÂÃÂczyca volunteer fire brigade.
Edward Przanowski was involved for many years with the à ÂÃÂczyca volunteer fire brigade, one of the oldest and largest fire brigades in the Russian Partition. At that time, it was the only Polish civic organization in à ÂÃÂczyca County. The à ÂÃÂczyca volunteer fire brigade moreover conducted cultural and social activities in the city.
In 1882, Przanowski was elected as vice-chief of the à ÂÃÂczyca volunteer fire brigade. In 1883, he was appointed as chief and chairman of the brigade. He stayed in the position continuously for 20 years, until 1903. Due to his engineering background, Przanowski was able to take care of the technical equipment as well as train the firefighters how to deal with technology. In 1888, he constructed the âÂÂclimbingâÂÂ, an observation tower in the castle's courtyard. He was awarded an honorary fire-axe during the organization's quarter-century jubilee in 1900. In 1904, he was given the title of an honorary member of the à ÂÃÂczyca guard - as the first in its history.
He acted as a representative of the alumni as well as current youth of the (Polish: ) and initiated various social and cultural activities. In 1868, in Sieradz, he took part in amateur theatrical performances for the hospital and orphanage, run by the Welfare Council of Charitable Plants of the Sieradz District.
For three consecutive terms: 1883âÂÂ1886, 1886-1889 and 1889âÂÂ1892, he was elected to the Public Charity Council of à ÂÃÂczyca County.
He initiated gymnastic exercises for a large group of children and teenagers. Przanowski denoted himself that the reason behind the initiative was âÂÂout of concern for the physical development of the young generationâÂÂ.
In March 1906, Przanowski was appointed as a member of the board of the Music and Drama Society in à ÂÃÂczyca, which he conjointly had founded.
He collaborated with the editorial office of the Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slavic countries - a work initiated by , Przanowski's friend from the Junior High School in Piotrków (Present: Bolesà Âaw I the Brave High School in Piotrków Trybunalski) and the Warsaw Main School. Przanowski was mentioned among those declaring help in providing materials about individual cities and settlements.
After retirement, he moved to Warsaw and in 1912, was appointed as a board member of the , located at 14 Erywaà Âska Street. The II Credit Union in Warsaw provided financial services and managed over 2 000 members assets.
Edward Przanowski lived with his son in Walewice near Góra Kalwaria, and from 1924 in Nowa Wieà  near Starogard Gdaà Âski with his son Stefan Przanowski. Edward Przanowski died on February 6, 1929, in Nowa Wieà  near Starogard Gdaà Âski and was buried in the parish cemetery in Starogard Gdaà Âski, with military honors of the (Polish: ). In the 1980s, thanks to the efforts of the Society of Lovers of the Kociewie Land (Polish: Towarzystwa Mià Âoà Âników Ziemi Kociewskiej), the destroyed tomb of Przanowski was restored; in 1984, a commemorative plaque was unveiled in Nowa Wieà Â, and a street was named after him in Starogard Gdaà Âski.