Zofia Węgierska (1822–1869) – sukcesy i porażki dziewiętnastowiecznej publicystki

This paper presents the life of Zofia Węgierska, a mostly forgotten predecessor of modern journalism and the first foreign correspondent of the Polish press. She published news from Paris in such newspapers as “Biblioteka Warszawska”, “Bluszcz” or “Gazeta Codzienna”. She was also the author of books for children and teenagers. In Paris she established friendly relations with many significant personages of the literary circles and emigrants from the Polish aristocracy - first of all – with Cyprian Kamil Norwid. Her reports from the capital of France were of great interest to the readers, and her talent was recognized by other journalists, but she had written under a penname because of adverse life experiences: her unhappy marriage ending with annulment and her long-lasting involvement with Feliks Węgierski, which was legalized after many years. It was a reason why she was seen as a scandalous woman. Because of that, despite her great talent and devotion, she did not fit well with the conventional perception of what a woman should be, so she remained anonymous and forgotten.