Kolontaj, Hugo

Kolontaj, Hugo a Polish Roman Catholic theologian of note, was born in the county of Sandomir April 1, 1759; was educated at Pinczow and Cracow, and in 1774 became canon at the cathedral of Cracow. He was a decided opponent of the Jesuits, and did all in his power to purge the schools of Poland from Jesuitical aid or influence. In 1782 the University of Cracow, in recognition of his services, elected him rector for three years, but his opponents succeeded in driving him from the place after only two years of his term had expired. )During the Polish Revolution he worked earnestly in behalf of reform, and when the Revolution failed he was obliged to flee from the country, and thereafter he never held office again, though he was permitted to return to his native country. He died at Warsaw February 28, 1812. His works are all of a secular nature; their titles are given in Brockhaus, Conversations Lexikon (11th edition), 8:923.