Was Krystyna Machlejd – the daughter of an entrepreneur and a pastor’s wife – a woman of success?

The pastor’s wife was an active participant of Protestant parish life. Being the first lady of the parish, not only as a housekeeper, she enhanced the position of her hus-band, a priest, in the local community, taking care of social activities among women in the Protestant church. Krystyna Machlejd (1880-1958) was a good example of this kind of wife. She was born to the Urlich family of well-known Warsaw horticulturalists. She was a well-educated woman of very broad intellectual horizons, as was customary in her time. She helped her husband in his religious activity, kept social contacts, travelled a lot, and took care of all her family with children and grandchildren. She was also a witness and participant of many important political events. She wrote substantial memoires The saga of Urlich – Machlejd families (Warsaw, 2006). Was she successful and satisfied with her life? According to what system of values? I try to answer these and other questions in this paper on the life and activity of Krystyna Machlejd.