Firlej (plural: Firlejowie) 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.

Magnates 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 ...

in the 15th and 17th century.

History

According to

Kasper Niesiecki Kasper Niesiecki (31 December 1682 – 9 July 1744), also known as Kacper Niesiecki, was a Polish heraldist, Jesuit, lexicographer, writer, theologian and preacher. Biography Niesiecki was born in Greater Poland to a burgher family. In 1699 ...

, Ostafi of

Lewart coat of arms Lewart is a Polish coat of arms. It was borne by several noble families of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Families that descended from the original medieval clan assumed this coat of arms, as well as those legally adopted into the clan. ...

came from

Franconia Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch''). The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper Fr ...

, Germany, to Poland, in 1317, to serve Polish king

Władysław Łokietek Władysław is a Polish given male name, cognate with Vladislav. The feminine form is Władysława, archaic forms are Włodzisław (male) and Włodzisława (female), and Wladislaw is a variation. These names may refer to: Famous people Mononym * W ...

. He was nicknamed Firlej, and the name became his family name. From the 15th to 17th centuries, the Firlej family was a powerful

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 in the

Lesser Poland Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a s ...

(''Małopolska'') region. A branch of the family became a vocal supporter of

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

in Poland. The family became extinct in the 18th century.

Notable members

* Piotr Firlej z Dąbrowicy (died 1499), judge and notary of Lublin, married to Jadwiga Osmólska h. Bończa ** Mikołaj Firlej (died 1526),

Great Hetman of the Crown Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

, married to Anna z Mielca h.

Gryf 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 ...

*** Piotr Firlej (died 1553),

voivode of Ruthenia The Ruthenian Voivodeship (Latin: ''Palatinatus russiae'', Polish language, Polish: ''Województwo ruskie'', Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: ''Руське воєводство'', Romanization of Ukrainian, romanized: ''Ruske voievodstvo''), als ...

, married Katarzyna Tęczyńska h. Topór ****

Jan Firlej Jan Firlej (c. 1521, Dąbrowica, Lublin County – 1574, Kock) was a Polish nobleman (szlachcic), and Calvinist activist. Jan became Great Marszałek, Marshal of the Crown in 1563 and starost of Kraków in 1572. He agreed with the candidature ...

(1521-1571),

Grand Marshal of the Crown Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and co ...

, married

Barbara Mniszech Barbara may refer to: People * Barbara (given name) * Barbara (painter) (1915–2002), pseudonym of Olga Biglieri, Italian futurist painter * Barbara (singer) (1930–1997), French singer * Barbara Popović (born 2000), also known mononymously ...

h. Mniszech, Zofia Boner h. Boner, Zofia Dzik h.

Doliwa Doliwa is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several ''szlachta'' families in the times of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. History Blazon Azure, on a bend sinister Argent, three roses proper. Notable bearers Notable bearers of thi ...

***** Mikołaj Firlej (died 1601),

voivode of Kraków Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...

, married

Elżbieta Ligęza Elżbieta or Elžbieta may refer to: * Elżbieta, Lublin Voivodeship, a village in eastern Poland * Elżbieta-Kolonia, a village in eastern Poland * Elżbieta, a Polish given name equivalent to Elizabeth * Elžbieta, a Lithuanian given name equ ...

h. Półkozic and

Agnieszka Tęczyńska Agnieszka is the Polish equivalent of the female given name Agnes (name). Notable people with this name include: *Agnieszka Arnold, Polish documentary filmmaker *Agnieszka Baranowska (1819–1890), Polish playwright and poet * Agnieszka Bednarek ...

h. Topór ****** Mikołaj Firlej (1588–1635),

voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...

Sandomierz Sandomierz (pronounced: ; la, Sandomiria) is a historic town in south-eastern Poland with 23,863 inhabitants (as of 2017), situated on the Vistula River in the Sandomierz Basin. It has been part of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Holy Cross Provi ...

, married Maria Amalia Mohyła and

Regina Oleśnicka Regina (Latin for "queen") may refer to: Places Canada * Regina, Saskatchewan, the capital city of the province ** Regina (electoral district) ** Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina France * Régina, French Guiana, a commune United States * ...

Dębno Dębno (german: Neudamm) is a town in Myślibórz County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship in western Poland. As of December 2021, the town has a population of 13,443. After the Migration Period, the area was populated by West Slavic peoples sinc ...

*******

Zbigniew Firlej Zbigniew Firlej (c. 1613–1649), of Lewart coat of arms, was a noble of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Starost of Lublin. Son of Mikołaj Firlej and Regina Oleśnicka. Married to Anna Wiśniowiecka, daughter of Michał Wiśniowiecki (a ...

(1613-1449), starost of Lublin, married Princes

Anna Wiśniowiecka Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...

Korybut Kaributas (''Koribut'', ''Korybut'', baptized ''Dmitry''; after 1350 – after 1404) was a son of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and reigned in Severian Novgorod until 1393. Kaributas was born some time after 1350 (exact date is unknown) ...

and Katarzyna Opalińska h. Łodzia ***** Andrzej Firlej (died 1609),

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 ...

Radom Radom is a city in east-central Poland, located approximately south of the capital, Warsaw. It is situated on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), having previously been the seat of a separate Radom Voivodeship (1975–1 ...

, married Barbara Kozińska and Marianna Leszczyńska h. Wieniawa ****** Andrzej Firlej (1583-1649),

voivode of Sandomierz Sandomierz Voivodeship ( pl, Województwo Sandomierskie, la, Palatinatus Sandomirensis) was a unit of administration and local government in Poland from the 14th century to the partitions of Poland in 1772–1795. It was part of the Lesser Polan ...

, married Helena Rohostajska h. Leliwa and HH Przyjemska h.

Rawa The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) (Persian:جمعیت انقلابی زنان افغانستان, ''Jamiʿat-e Enqelābi-ye Zanān-e Afghānestān'', Pashto:د افغانستان د ښڅو انقلابی جمعیت) ...

*****

(died 1614), Great Treasurer of the Crown, married Gertruda Opalińska h. Łodzia ******

Henryk Firlej Henryk Firlej (1574–1626) was a Polish szlachcic, bishop of Łuck (1616–1617), Archbishop of Gniezno and Primate of Poland from 1624; Deputy Chancellor of the Crown Chancellor of Poland ( pl, Kanclerz - , from la, cancellarius) was one ...

(1599-1635),

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John ...

***** Piotr Firlej (died 1619), voivode of Lublin, married Jadwiga Włodek h. Prawdzic ****** Stanisław Firlej (died after 1659), castellan of

Lublin Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of t ...

, married Dorota Leśniowolska h. Roch II *******

, member of the

Sejm The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of t ...

, married Teresa Warszycka h. Awdaniec ****** Piotr Firlej, castellan of Wojnice, married Agnieszka Bal z Boisk h. Gozdawa ****** Mikołaj Firlej (1605-1640), married Zofia Skotnicka h.

Bogorya Bogoria is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several szlachta families in medieval Poland and later under the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, branches of the original medieval Bogoriowie family as well as families connected with the Clan ...

*******

(died 1701), castellan of

Sanok Sanok (in full the Royal Free City of Sanok — pl, Królewskie Wolne Miasto Sanok, rue, Санок, ''Sanok'', ua, Cянік, ''Sianik'', la, Sanocum, yi, סאניק, ''Sonik'') is a town in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship of south-eastern ...

, married Weronika Wichrowska z Wichrowa *****

(1574-1626),

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Gniezno Gniezno (; german: Gnesen; la, Gnesna) is a city in central-western Poland, about east of Poznań. Its population in 2021 was 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. One of the Piast dynasty's chief cities, ...

**** Mikołaj Firlej (died 1588), voivode of Lublin, married Anna Sierzchowska z Sierzchowy h. Nałęcz *****Zofia Firlej, married landlord of Wola Boguszowa Mikołaj Bogusz z Ziemblic h. Półkozic *****Katarzyna Firlej, married

wojski A ''wojski'' (Medieval Latin: ''tribunus'', hence sometimes rendered into English as tribune) was an officer in medieval Poland, responsible for the security of voivodeships or districts at times when voivods and castellans had accompanied the '' ...

Krzemieniec Kremenets ( uk, Крем'янець, Кременець, translit. ''Kremianets'', ''Kremenets''; pl, Krzemieniec; yi, קרעמעניץ, Kremenits) is a city in Ternopil Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center o ...

Teodor Sieniuta h. Sieniuta **** Andrzej Firlej (c. 1537-1585), Royal Secretary and castellan of Lublin, married Barbara Szreńska h. Dołęga ***** Dorota Firlej (1563-1591), married voivode of Witebsk and

Troki Trakai (; see names section for alternative and historic names) is a historic town and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. ...

Prince

Stefan Zbaraski 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 ...

and

Grand Chancellor of the Crown Chancellor of Poland ( pl, Kanclerz - , from la, cancellarius) was one of the highest officials in the historic Poland. This office functioned from the early Polish kingdom of the 12th century until the end of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwea ...

and

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 ...

Lew Sapieha Lew Sapieha ( lt, Leonas Sapiega; be, Леў Сапега or Lieŭ Sapieha; 4 April 1557 – 7 July 1633) was a nobleman and statesman of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He became Great Secretary of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1580, Gr ...

h. Lis *****Anna Firlej (died 1588), married voivode of Brześć Kujawski Andrzej Leszczyński h. Wieniawa, great-grandmother of King

Stanisław I Leszczyński Stanislav and variants may refer to: People *Stanislav (given name), a Slavic given name with many spelling variations (Stanislaus, Stanislas, Stanisław, etc.) Places * Stanislav, a coastal village in Kherson, Ukraine * Stanislaus County, Cali ...

***Katarzyna Firlej (died after 1545), married castellan of

Chełmno Chełmno (; older en, Culm; formerly ) is a town in northern Poland near the Vistula river with 18,915 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is the seat of the Chełmno County in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. Due to its regional impor ...

and Sandomierz Stanisław Tarnowski h.

Leliwa Leliwa is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several hundred szlachta families during the existence of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and remains in use today by many of the descendants of these families. The ...

Palaces

image:Pozostałość z pałacu Firlejów w Dąbrowicy.jpg, Ruins of the Castle of Dąbrowica image:Janowiec1 (js).jpg, Castle of Janowiec (ruin) image:Zamek w Bydlinie4.jpg, Castle of

Bydlin Bydlin is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Klucze, within Olkusz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Olkusz and north-west of the regional capital Kraków. The village has ...

(ruin) image:Ogrodzieniec zamek 2.jpg, Castle of Ogrodzieniec (ruin) image:Kazimierz Dolny - zamek z gory.jpg, Castle of Kazimierz Dolny (ruin) image:Czemierniki3 (js).jpg, Castle of

Czemierniki Czemierniki is a village in Radzyń Podlaski County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Czemierniki. It lies approximately south of Radzyń Podlaski and north of the region ...

image:Odrzykon zamek 1.JPG, Castle of Kamieniec (ruin) image:Palace in Pultusk 1.jpg, Castle of Pułtusk image:Lubartów,-Pałac-Sanguszków-.jpg,

Sanguszko 150px, Paweł Karol Sanguszko 150px, Dymitr Sanguszko 150px, Roman Sanguszko 150px, Janusz Sanguszko 150px, Hieronim Sanguszko 150px, Barbara Sanguszko née Dunin 150px, Eustachy Erazm Sanguszko 150px, Władysław Hieronim Sanguszko 150p ...

Palace in

Lubartów Lubartów () is a town in eastern Poland, with 23,000 inhabitants (2004), situated in Lublin Voivodeship. It is the capital of Lubartów County and the Lubartów Commune. Historically it belongs to Lesser Poland. Lubartów was established in 154 ...

image:Kock-palac jablonowskich-frontal.jpg,

Jabłonowski Jabłonowski (plural: Jabłonowscy) is a Polish surname. Polish adjectives have different forms for the genders, Jabłonowska is the form for a female family member while a male would use Jabłonowski. A lot of but not all Jabłonowski belong to the ...

Palace in

Kock Kock is a town in eastern Poland, about north of Lublin and south-east of Warsaw. It lies in Lublin Voivodeship, in Lubartów County. It is the capital of the administrative district Gmina Kock. Historically Kock belongs to the Polish province ...

image:Kamienica Bonerowska.JPG, Tenement House Bonerowska in

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 ...

image:Pałac Zbaraskich, Kraków.JPG, Zbarski Palace in Kraków

Bibliography

* Andrzej Przybyszewski, ''Firlejowie herbu Lewart'', Radomyśl Wielki, 2008, * Andrzej Szymanek, ''Mecenat kulturalny Firlejów ; Firlejowie w tradycji lokalnej Lubelszczyzny'', Janowiec : TPJ, 2001, {{DEFAULTSORT:Firlej Family