Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac

A Lithuanian statesman

Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac (1621–1684) became one of the leading politicians of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the later seventeenth century. He held Lithuanian offices and served in parliamentary politics before becoming Grand Chancellor of Lithuania in 1658. The office controlled the Grand Duchy's seal and documents, making Pac significant in both domestic government and diplomacy¹².

Peace after invasion

Pac represented Commonwealth interests in the process leading to the Peace of Oliva. The Polish parliamentary library counts him among the treaty's makers. A Lithuanian chancellor's presence matters: the peace was made for a state comprising Crown and Lithuania, and Sweden's intervention in Lithuania had deeply affected the duchy¹³.

After the war Pac drew close to Marie Louise's court and took part in disputes over the future royal election. His family grew into one of the dominant political houses of Lithuania. He should not be confused with other members of the Pac family who held military offices².

Novel and film

Sienkiewicz's The Deluge concentrates on the fighting of 1655–56; Pac's diplomatic career forms a different part of the period's history. No distinct Pac role has been verified in Hoffman's film cast⁴⁵.