Maria Piotrowiczowa (1839 – 24 February 1863) was a Polish January insurgent and a participant of the battle of Dobra (the Łódź province).

An idealist, Piotrowicz took teaching jobs at the time of partitions to promote national and liberation ideas among the youth of poorer classes.

February 24, 1863 Piotrowiczowa was deeply affected by news about the defeats, arrests, and imprisonments of insurrectionary troops and decided to support the fighting in person.

Together with her husband and some of the servants from the manor farm near Łódź, she joined Józef Dworzaczek's troops in the area.

She cut her hair and donned an insurrectionary czamara (men's long-sleeved, fitted, braided outer garment, fastened at the neck, worn by Polish noblemen during the 17th-19th century).

In the beginning, Piotrowiczowa was on auxiliary duty, collecting money for the troop and buying, weapons, food, and supplies.

She rejected the suggestion of surrender, given to her by Russian officers, because she recognized that such an attitude was incompatible with the dignity and honor of a Pole.

He took a candle out of his pocket, lit it, and put it at the feet of the heroine, and then he moved back to the corner of the chamber and, resting on his saber, was crying..." Konstanty Piotrowicz, Piotrowiczowa's husband, to the very end fighting at his wife’s side, was seriously injured in the battle.

Her servant Kacper Belka, who had been teaching Piotrowiczowa the art of shooting, horse riding, and swordplay from her youth, was also killed.

Despite his wounds, he was slowly recovering, convinced that Piotrowiczowa had survived and was being treated in her mother's manor house.

He died at the hands of a wife of an insurrectionary town commander, Mrs. Zajączkowska, repeating the prayer that he had asked her to say.

Piotrowiczowa's death caused a sensation in the entire country and was among the reasons why on 16 April 1863 the War Department of the National Government banned women from being accepted into front-line duty.