The House of Branicki (plural: Braniccy) was a Polish

szlachta The ''szlachta'' (Polish: endonym, Lithuanian: šlėkta) were the noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth who, as a class, had the dominating position in the ...

(nobility) family. Since Polish adjectives have different forms for the genders, Branicka is the form for a female family member.

History

The Branicki family, also called the " Griffin Clan" (''Gryfici''), was a

magnate The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

family, originating from Branice and Ruszcza in the

Kraków Voivodeship Kraków Voivodeship may also refer to: *Kraków Voivodeship (14th century – 1795) * Kraków Voivodeship (1816–1837) *Kraków Voivodeship (1919–1939) *Kraków Voivodeship (1945–1975) *Kraków Voivodeship (1975–1998) The Kraków Voivodeshi ...

. One of the most prominent members of the family was Field and Great Crown

Hetman ( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military co ...

Jan Klemens Gryf Branicki. Jan was one of the most powerful and influential magnates in Poland during the 18th century. He was the owner of 12 cities, 257 villages, 17 palaces and two

primeval forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

s. In 1726, he built the Branicki Palace, the "

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...

Podlasie Podlachia, or Podlasie, ( pl, Podlasie, , be, Падляшша, translit=Padliašša, uk, Підляшшя, translit=Pidliashshia) is a historical region in the north-eastern part of Poland. Between 1513 and 1795 it was a voivodeship with the c ...

". He also laid out the central part of the town of

Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Białystok is located in the Białystok Up ...

with its triangular market. He started in the King's election of 1763–1764, but was beaten by his brother-in-law, Stanisław Poniatowski.

Coat of arms

The Branicki family used the

Gryf coat of arms Gryf (Polish for " Griffin"), also known as Jaxa, is a Polish coat of arms that was used by many noble families in medieval Poland and later under the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, branches of the original medieval Gryfita-Świebodzic fami ...

. file:Pieczec Izabeli Branickiej.png, Seal of

used by Izabela Branicka after the death of Jan Klemens Branicki with the initials IB and the

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late Latin, Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail ...

(beginning of the 18th century). file:POL Choroszcz COA.svg, Coat of arms of Choroszcz with the Griffin and Ciołek of Izabela Branicka née Poniatowska file:POL Choroszcz dawny COA.svg, Former coat of arms of Choroszcz with the initials KB (Jan Klemens Branicki) and the

Notable members

* Grzegorz Branicki (1534−1595), Łowczy,

burgrave Burgrave, also rendered as burggrave (from german: Burggraf, la, burgravius, burggravius, burcgravius, burgicomes, also praefectus), was since the medieval period in Europe (mainly Germany) the official title for the ruler of a castle, especial ...

of Kraków, married Katarzyna Kotwicz h. Kotwicz ** Jan Branicki (c. 1568−1612),

courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the official r ...

, Łowczy of Kraków,

castellan A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant o ...

Żarnów Żarnów is a historical village in Opoczno County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Żarnów. It lies approximately south-west of Opoczno and south-east of the regional capita ...

, married Anna Myszkowska h. Jastrzębiec ** Stanisław Branicki (1474-1520), Miecznik of the Crown, married Helena Tarło h. Topór, daughter of

Jan Tarło Jan Tarło may refer to the following Polish noblemen: * Jan Tarło (d. 1550), standard-bearer of Lwów * Jan Tarło (d. 1572), cup-bearer of the Crown, starost of Pilzno * Jan Tarło (1527–1587), voivode of Lublin, starost of Łomża and Pilzno * ...

h. Topór ***

Jan Klemens Branicki Count Jan Klemens Branicki (also known as Jan Kazimierz Branicki; 21 September 1689 – 9 October 1771) was a Polish nobleman, magnate and Hetman, Field Crown Hetman of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth between 1735 and 1752, and Great Crown ...

(died 1657), podkomorzy of

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, married Anna Beata Wapowska h. Nieczuja ****

(c. 1624−1673), Court Marshall of the Crown, married Aleksandra Katarzyna Czarniecka h. Łodzia, daughter of Hetman

Stefan Czarniecki Stefan Czarniecki (Polish: of the Łodzia coat of arms, 1599 – 16 February 1665) was a Polish nobleman, general and military commander. In his career, he rose from a petty nobleman to a magnate holding one of the highest offices in the Commo ...

h. Łodzia *****

Stefan Mikołaj Branicki Stefan may refer to: * Stefan (given name) * Stefan (surname) * Ștefan, a Romanian given name and a surname * Štefan, a Slavic given name and surname * Stefan (footballer) (born 1988), Brazilian footballer * Stefan Heym, pseudonym of German writ ...

(1640–1709), Great Stolnik of the Crown,

Voivode of Podlasie Podlaskie Voivodeship or Podlasie Province ( pl, Województwo podlaskie, ) is a Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship (province) in northeastern Poland. The name of the province and its territory correspond to the historic region of Podlachia. The ...

, married Princes Katarzyna Scholastyka Sapieha h. Lis, daughter of Hetman Prince

Jan Kazimierz Sapieha Jan Kazimierz Sapieha the Elder ( lt, Jonas Kazimieras Sapiega vyresnysis) (?–1730) was a Grand Hetman of Lithuania since 1708 to 1709. He was the son of Franciszek Stefan Sapieha, father of Piotr Paweł Sapieha and Paweł Sapieha. A suppor ...

h. Lis ******

(1689–1771), Field and Great Crown Hetman, the last male representative of the Branicki of Gryf family. He married firstly Princess Katarzyna Barbara Radziwiłł h. Trąby, granddaughter of Hetman

Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł Prince Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł () (26 October 1625 – 14 November 1680) was a Polish– Lithuanian noble and magnate. He is sometimes referred to as ''the first'' Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł, to distinguish him from the othe ...

, secondly Barbara Szembek h.

Szembek Szembek or originally von Schönbeck is the name of an old Polish noble family of German origin, whose members held significant positions in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. History First mentioned at the beginning of the 14th century, th ...

and thirdly Princess

Izabella Poniatowska Countess Izabella Poniatowska (1 July 1730 – 14 February 1808) was a Polish noblewoman, sister of king Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski. Life She was the daughter of Stanisław Poniatowski and Konstancja Czartoryska. She was reportedly clo ...

h. Ciołek, sister of King

Stanisław August Poniatowski Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regnal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1764 to 1795, and the last monarch ...

***** Konstancja Tekla Branicka (1658–1720), married to Johann Heinrich von Altenbockum, mother of

Ursula Katharina Lubomirska Ursula Katharina of Altenbockum, divorced Princess Lubomirski, Lubomirska, married Duchess von Württemberg-Winnental ( pl, Urszula Katarzyna Lubomirska z domu Bokum; 25 November 1680 – 4 May 1743), later Imperial Princess of Teschen (germa ...

Anna Branicka Count Sebastian Lubomirski (c. 1546–1613) was a Polish–Lithuanian nobleman ( szlachcic). He was owner of Wiśnicz and Siercza. He was Żupnik of Kraków in 1581–1592, burgrave of Kraków since 1584, castellan of Małogoszcz since 1591 ...

(died 1639), married to Count

Sebastian Lubomirski Count Sebastian Lubomirski (c. 1546–1613) was a Polish–Lithuanian nobleman (szlachcic). He was owner of Wiśnicz and Siercza. He was Żupnik of Kraków in 1581–1592, burgrave of Kraków since 1584, castellan of Małogoszcz since 1591, ...

Jennah Karthes de Branicka, the German TV presenter and reporter of the Middle East with Lithuanian ancestors, *** Zenona Branicka (born in Warsaw 1941), Protests of 1968, belongs among others, to the last actual descendants of the noble family "Branicki". The Branicki family has made its name in the Polish history.

Palaces

image:Renaissance manor house in Branice by Maire.jpg, Renaissance manor house in Branice image:Choroszcz.jpg, Manor house in

Choroszcz Choroszcz () is a town in north-eastern Poland, located in Białystok County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, seat of Gmina Choroszcz. The Baroque palace in Choroszcz was the summer residence of the noble Branicki family, and is now part of the Museum o ...

File:150913 Branicki Palace in Białystok - 09.jpg, Palace in Białystok Image:Rycina 1752 Palac Branickich.jpg, Branicki Palace in Białystok (1752) image:2 Palac Branickich 01.jpg, Branicki Palace in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

file:Podlaskie - Tykocin - Tykocin - DW671 - Zamek - E - v-WSW - 20100724.JPG,

Tykocin Castle The Tykocin Royal Castle is a 15th-century castle located on the right bank of the river Narew in Tykocin, Poland. It fell into ruin in the 18th century and its reconstruction began in 2002. History The castle – then located on a border are ...

file:Kamienica Hetmańska i Amadejowska Krakow.jpg, The "Hetman" tenement house in Kraków (with the Gryf arms on the top) file:Odrzykon zamek 1.JPG, Ruins of the Kamieniec Castle near Korczyna

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Branicki Family (Gryf Coat Of Arms)