French teachers – the Motty Family
In the 19th century schools in Poznań employed mainly Polish and German teachers. The French family of the Mottys stood out from the rest. Jean-Baptiste Motty came from Paris as a young man and stayed in Miłosław. He began his teaching career as a children’s tutor in the house of the family of his protectors, the Mielżyńskis. Then, he taught science and French at Mary Magdalene Gymnasium. He filled in the gaps in knowledge on his own by studying the work of famous naturalists. He was an author of textbooks on natural history, botany and French literature. When he retired, he ran a private school for girls and a boarding house for boys.
Jean-Baptiste’s eldest son, Marceli Motty, followed in his father’s footsteps. After graduating from the University in Berlin, he took up a job at Mary Magdalene Gymnasium. In 1846, in the face of the Polish national uprising, school authorities tried to persuade him to inspect his students’ flats. He refused and was given notice. Marceli is also the author of Przechadzki po mieście [Strolls in the city], a series of columns in which he described old Poznań and its inhabitants.
Marceli Motty – teacher at St Mary Magdalene Gymnasium, author of the famous Przechadzki po mieście [Strolls in the city], public domain
