EN
Reflecting on death is part of human life. It finds its expression not only in literature that takes up the theme of dying but also in people’s last wills, which over the centuries followed very precise rules. This article discusses the way Stanisław Żółkiewski brought up his children. The point of reference are the Hetman’s letters, especially his last wills and testaments. Frequently revised, before each of his military expeditions, they are a source of valuable information about the Hetman as a husband and father. In his testaments the author appears as a religious person, loyal to his king, critical of the situation in the Commonwealth, but above all, concerned for the well-being of his nearest and dearest. It was in those documents that Żółkiewski included guidelines for his wife and children regarding the latter’s upbringing and education. The decisions about his children’s future in a way reflect the tendencies in the 17th-century Poland. They are not, however, passive imitation but an attempt to find what is valuable and worthy of following. This is therefore a completely different look at the commander from Cecora.