Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki
Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Kulczycki in Turkish attire, Czartoryski Museum | |
| Born | 1640 Kulczyce, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (now in Ukraine) |
| Died | 19 February 1694 (aged 53–54) |
| Occupation(s) | Merchant, spy, diplomat, soldier, coffee-house proprietor |
| Known for | Heroism during the Battle of Vienna. Opening one of the first coffee houses in Vienna |
Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki of the Sas coat of arms (German: Georg Franz Kolschitzky, Ukrainian: Юрій-Франц Кульчицький, romanized: Yurii-Frants Kulchytskyi; 1640 – 19 February 1694) was a Polish nobleman, diplomat, and spy during the Great Turkish War of Ruthenian origin. For his actions at the 1683 Battle of Vienna, when he managed to get out of the besieged city to seek help, he was considered a hero by the local people. According to legend, he is often cited as starting the first café in the city in 1683, using coffee beans left behind by the retreating Ottoman Turks. However, more recent sources suggest that the first coffeehouse in Vienna was opened by the Armenian Johannes Theodat (aka Johannes Diodato or Deodat and Owanes Astouatzatur) in 1685.