Józef Elsner

Józef Elsner was born 1 June 1769 in Grottkau (Grodków), Herzogtum Neisse (Duchy of Nysa), near Breslau (Wrocław), Kingdom of Prussia, to German Silesian Catholic parents Franz Xaver Elsner and Anna Barbara Matzke.

His mother was from the famous Matzke family of Glatz, which had intensive contact with Czech culture in Bohemia.

Józef Elsner was initially educated for the priesthood at Breslau's Dominican monastery school, St. Matthew's Gymnasium, and a local Jesuit college, but chose the music field.

After completing his studies at Breslau (Wrocław) and being a violinist at Brünn (Brno), in 1792 he became 2nd Kapellmeister at the German Opera[3] in Austrian-ruled Lemberg (Lviv/Lwów).

Elsner's ethnicity should not be evaluated in terms of 19th- and 20th-century national identity, as he continued to refer to himself primarily as a Silesian.

On 18 April 1854, Elsner died at his estate named for himself, Elsnerów, which now lies within the Warsaw city limits.