Pilawa () is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by many noble families known as '' szlachta'' in Polish in

medieval Poland This article covers the history of Poland in the Middle Ages. This time covers roughly a millennium, from the 5th century to the 16th century. It is commonly dated from the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, and contrasted with a later Early Modern ...

and later under the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...

, branches of the original medieval Piława Clan (''Pilawici'') family as well as families connected with the Clan by adoption.

History

The progenitor of the Pilawa Clan was supposed to have been Żyrosław z Potoka, who was fighting the Prussians, a pagan tribe and brought himself glory in the Battle of Piława, where he fought along

Bolesław IV the Curly Bolesław IV the Curly (; 1122 – 5 January 1173), a member of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Masovia from 1138 and High Duke of Poland from 1146 until his death. Early life Bolesław was the third son of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth of Polan ...

. The legend states that Żyrosław reached the pagan chief, fought him in hand-to-hand combat and killed him. The terrified enemy hordes fled the battle field. The related legend tells also that in 1166, to commemorate the victory, Bolesław IV bestowed a coat of arms upon Żyrosław, naming it for the place, where the battle took place.

Blazon

The Pilawa coat of arms assumed its final form in the late 14th century. Formerly, there were two differing patterns, and the records from the years 1387, 1388 and 1389 mention that it had to be a letter "Z" with two and a half of a cross, or an arrow with two and a half of a cross.

Notable bearers

Notable bearers of this

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

have included: *

House of Potocki The House of Potocki (; plural: Potoccy, male: Potocki, feminine: Potocka) was a prominent Polish noble family in the Kingdom of Poland and magnates of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Potocki family is one of the wealthiest and ...

Mikołaj Potocki Mikołaj "Bearpaw" Potocki (; 1595 – 20 November 1651) was a Polish nobleman, magnate and Field Crown Hetman of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1637 to 1646, Grand Hetman of the Crown from 1646 to 1651, governor of Bracław Voivodes ...

Jan Potocki Count Jan Potocki (; 8 March 1761 – 23 December 1815) was a Polish nobleman, ethnologist, linguist, traveller and author of the Enlightenment period, whose life and exploits made him a celebrated figure in Poland. He is known chiefly for his pi ...

Antoni Protazy Potocki Antoni Protazy Potocki (11 September 1761 – 1801), aka Prot, was a Polish nobleman and an early Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur. He was born to Paula née Szembek coat of arms, Szembek and her second husband, Count Jan Prosper House of Potocki, P ...

Roman Ignacy Potocki Count Roman Ignacy Potocki, generally known as Ignacy Potocki (; 1750–1809), was a Polish nobleman, member of the influential magnate Potocki family, owner of Klementowice and Olesin (near Kurów), a politician, writer, and office holder. H ...

** Stanisław "Rewera" Potocki **

Józef Potocki Józef Potocki (; 1673–1751) was a Polish nobleman ( szlachcic), magnate, Great Hetman of the Crown. Józef was considered as the richest magnate in Poland at that time. He was Voivode of Kijów Voivodship (Kyiv, also Kiev) from 1702 to 1744, ...

Andrzej Potocki Andrzej Potocki (; 1630 – 30 August 1691) was a Polish nobleman, magnate, politician, general and military commander. He held a number of political and military positions and was a skilled commander and successfully protected the Eastern Borde ...

Feliks Kazimierz Potocki Feliks Kazimierz "Szczęsny" Potocki (1630–1702) was a Polish noble, magnate and military leader. He was the son of Hetman and magnate Stanisław "Rewera" Potocki and Zofia Kalinowska, and brother of Hetman Andrzej Potocki. He married the ...

Katarzyna Potocka Katarzyna is a Polish given name, equivalent to English "Catherine". Its diminutive forms include Kasia, Katarzynka, Kasieńka, Kasiunia, Kasiulka; augmentative – Kaśka, Kacha, Kachna. Individuals named Katarzyna may choose their name day ...

** Alfred Józef Potocki **

Alfred Wojciech Potocki Count Alfred Wojciech Potocki hr. Piława (1785–1862) was a Polish nobleman (''szlachcic''), landowner, political and economic activist. Alfred was the 1st ''Ordynat'' of Łańcut estates. From 1809 until 1815 he served in the Polish Army. In ...

** Roman Potocki **

Stanisław Kostka Potocki Count Stanisław Kostka Potocki (; November 1755 – 14 September 1821) was a Polish nobleman, politician, writer, public intellectual and patron of the arts. Life Potocki was a son of General and starost of Lwów, Eustachy Potocki and Ann ...

Franciszek Salezy Potocki Franciszek Salezy Potocki (1700–1772) was a Polish nobleman, diplomat, politician and knight of the Order of the White Eagle, awarded on August 3, 1750 in Warsaw. Potocki was the wealthiest magnate of his time and the owner of large propert ...

Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki Count Stanisław Szczęsny Feliks Potocki (; 1751–1805), of the Piława coat of arms, known as Szczęsny PotockiE. Rostworowski, Potocki Stanisław Szczęsny (Feliks) herbu Pilawa, n:Polski Słownik Biograficzny, t. XXVIII, Wrocław–Warsza ...

Teodor Andrzej Potocki Teodor Andrzej Potocki (13 February 1664 – 12 December 1738) was a Polish nobleman ( szlachcic), Primate of Poland, interrex in 1733. Teodor was Rector of Przemyśl and canon of Kraków since 1687, Bishop of Chełmno since 1699 and Bish ...

(Golden Piława) **

Wiktoria Elżbieta Potocka The House of Potocki (; plural: Potoccy, male: Potocki, feminine: Potocka) was a prominent Polish noble family in the Kingdom of Poland and magnates of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Potocki family is one of the wealthiest and ...

* House of Kamieniecki ** Mikołaj Kamieniecki ** Ludwik Kamieniecki ** Marcin Kamieniecki ** Jan Kazimierz Kamieniecki ** Jan Kamieniecki ** Henryk Andreas Kamieniecki ** Piotr Kamieniecki ** Henryk Kamieniecki ** Dominik Kamieniecki ** Andrzej Kamieniecki * Klemens Moskarzewski * Anna Stanisławska

Family name changes during the Second World War and 1944–1953

The communist government of Poland was in deep opposition to every rich (specially noble) family. Hundreds of Potockis were killed by

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union. ...

and

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

. Many Potockis, who decided to stay in Poland were forced to change their family names (otherwise they could be killed, imprisoned or have other problems). The most popular changes was from Potocki to Nowak, Kowalski, Gnejowicz, Stanisławski, Pryszkiewicz, Wszelaki, Petecki, Blacha, Musiał, Woldan, Walera, Melka, Madej and Pastuch.

Gallery

File:Herb Pilawa, Baranow Sandomierski.PNG, Piława coat of arms in Baranow-Sandomierski castle file:POL COA Pilawa.svg, Silver Piława file:POL COA Pilawa Złota.svg, Golden Piława File:POL COA Potocki Hrabia.svg, Coat of arms of Counts Potocki file:Wilanow herb Pilawa na mauzoleum.jpg, Piława at the Potocki mausoleum at Wilanow Park File:Pilawa coat of arms in Lancut palace.JPG, Piława at the Lańcut Castle File:Łańcut zamek Pilawa.jpg, Piława at the Lańcut Castle file:Pilawa CoA in Lezajsk monastery.JPG, Piława at

Leżajsk Leżajsk (; yi, ליזשענסק-Lizhensk; uk, Лежа́йськ, Lezháysʹk), officially the Free Royal City of Leżajsk ( pl, Wolne Królewskie Miasto Leżajsk), is a town in southeastern Poland with 13,871 inhabitants. It has been situated ...

monastery file:Pilawa (Potocki count) and Czartoryski (prince) CoA in Lancut palace.jpg, Piława and the Prices

Czartoryski coat of arms The Czartoryski coat of arms is a Polish–Lithuanian coat of arms, a variant of the Pogoń Litewska arms. It has been used by the Gediminid Czartoryski family. History Blazon There arms are a modified version of Pogoń Litewska, with thre ...

in Lańcut Castle file:Pilawa (Potocki count) and Lubomirski (prince) CoA in Lancut palace.jpg, Piława and the Szreniawa coat of arms of the Prices Lubomirski in Lańcut Castle File:Pilawa and Topor CoA in Lancut palace.jpg, Piława and the

Topór coat of arms Topór ( Polish for "axe") is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several '' szlachta'' (noble) families in medieval Poland and under the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. History The topór coat of arms is said to be one of the oldest Polish ...

in Lańcut Castle File:Panoplia Pałac Tyszkiewiczów Warszawa.jpg, At Tyszkiewicz Palace in Warsaw File:Антоніни.Герб Потоцьких.2006.jpg, Piława at the Palace in

Antoniny, Ukraine Antoniny ( uk, Антоніни, yi, אנטאנין ''Antonin'') (formerly known as Holodky () and Antonyny () is an urban-type settlement in Khmelnytskyi Raion (district) of Khmelnytskyi Oblast (province) in western Ukraine. It hosts the admini ...

File:Pilawa Krzeszowice 04.JPG, Piawa at St.Martin Church in w

Krzeszowice Krzeszowice (german: 1941-45 Kressendorf) is a town in southern Poland, situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. As of 2004, its population was 9,993. Krzeszowice belongs to ''Kraków Metropolitan Area'', and lies 25 kilometers west of the ...

File:Wilanow herb Pilawa lew.jpg, Wilanów Palace POL Stanisławów COA.svg, Former coat of arms of Stanisławów ( Iwano-Frankiwsk) Paintings Stanisław Potocki (1659-1683)11.PNG, Piława on the painting of Stanisław Potocki Mikołaj Kamieniecki.PNG, Piława on the painting of Mikołaj Kamieniecki Teodor Andrzej Potocki.PNG, Piława on the painting of Teodor Andrzej Potocki Mikołaj Bazyli Potocki.PNG, Golden Piława on the painting of Mikołaj Bazyli Potocki Katarzyna Potocka (1642).jpg, Piława on the painting of Katarzyna Potocka

External links

* Pilawa Coat of Arms and the bearers

Bibliography

* Tadeusz Gajl: Herbarz polski od średniowiecza do XX wieku : ponad 4500 herbów szlacheckich 37 tysięcy nazwisk 55 tysięcy rodów. L&L, 2007. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Pilawa coat of arms Polish coats of arms *