History
The Koniecpolski was a magnate family. The family appeared in the historical annals at the beginning of the 15th century. The family originated from the village Stary Koniecpol 40 km east of Częstochowa in the Silesian Voivodeship. Their family name derives from that place's name. One of its first representatives was voivode of Sieradz Jakub Koniecpolski who participated in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, considered as the biggest battle in medieval. In 1443 the Koniecpolski family founded the city-fortress Koniecpol which became the seat the family.In the 16th century the family lineage split into two branches the "Hetman branch" and the "Castellan branch". In the 17th century the family got the greatest political authority, became the owners of huge possessions.
The most representative of the "Hetman branch" was Field and Grand Crown Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski one of the greatest commanders of the 17th century. Stanislaw begun in 1643 the present-day construction of the Presidential Palace in Warsaw. He also ordered to reconstruct and to strengthen the Bar castle. Stanisław was owner numerous latifundia situated in Poland's eastern borderlands. It was said that he owned so much landed property that he could cross the breadth of the Republic while spending every night in one of his own manors.
At the beginning of the 18th century the family came to decline.
Coat of arms and motto
The Koniecpolski used the "Pobóg" arms and their motto was: (?)Members
- Przedbór z Koniecpola, founder of the city Koniecpol
- Jan Tyszka z Koniecpola, (?-1455) Grand Chancellor of the Crown
- Jakub z Koniecpola, participated in the Battle of Grunwald
- Aleksander Koniecpolski (1555-1609), voivode of Sieradz, Rotmistrz
- Stanisław Koniecpolski (1590/1594–1646), Great and Field Hetman of the Crown
- Aleksander Koniecpolski (1620-1659), Chorąży and voivode
- Jan Aleksander Koniecpolski (?-1719), colonel, Great Koniuszy
- Stanisław Koniecpolski (?-1682), Camp Leader of the Crown, voivode
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Last updated on Sunday July 20, 2008 at 07:40:49 PDT (GMT -0700)
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