Zamoyski family

The House of Zamoyski (plural: Zamoyscy) is the name of an important Polish noble (szlachta) family, which used the Jelita coat of arms. It is the Polish term for "de Zamość" (Polish "z Zamościa"), the name they originally held as lords of Zamość. The family was influential in Polish politics for several centuries, and its members held various official titles, including those of Count and Countess.

Zamoyski coat of arms, Jelita, one of the oldest in Polish heraldry. This version was bestowed by Empress Maria Theresa.
Possessions of Zamoyski family are marked in green
Coat of arms at the main gate of Kozłówka Palace

Family history

The family traces its origins to the Łaźniński family. In the 15th century, Tomasz Łaźniński bought an estate in Stary (Old) Zamość. His sons Florian (died 1510) and Maciej assumed the name Zamoyski, and the family began to rise in prominence. Florian’s grandson Stanisław was the castellan of Chełm, and his son, Jan Zamoyski, arguably the most famous member of the family, became a chancellor, hetman, and founded the Zamoyski's Ordynat - a large estate that was a major source of the family's wealth. He was the 1st Ordynat of the Zamoyski Family Fee Tail. His son, Tomasz Zamoyski, the 2nd Ordynat, was also a chancellor in Poland. Many of their descendants held important positions within the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, often that of a voivode.

In the 18th century, the 10th Ordynat, Andrzej Zamoyski, became the third chancellor of Poland in the family's history. He was one of the authors of a plan for general reform of the nation, known as Zamoyski Code. The family received the title of count from the Holy Roman Emperor in the late 18th century. Brothers Andrzej Artur Zamoyski and Władysław Stanisław Zamoyski, supported Polish movements aimed at regaining independence during the partitions period; Władysław was exiled after participating in the November Uprising, and Andrzej, in the aftermath of the January Uprising.

Andrzej's grandson, Maurycy Zamoyski, was a Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Second Polish Republic for seven months in 1924.

Notable members

Residences

See also

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zamoyski family.
  • Jerzy Jan Lerski; Piotr Wróbel; Richard J. Kozicki (1996). Historical Dictionary of Poland, 966-1945. Greenwood Publishing. pp. 677–678. ISBN 978-0-313-26007-0.
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