Family

 

The Zamoyski family settled in the 15:th century at Laznin in the Mazovia area of Poland. The knight Tomasz Lazninski bought an estate there called Stary Zamosc and his sons Florian and Maciej thus began to use the name Zamoyski (in old times nobility was often reflected in the suffix tagged to the end of the surname, cki or ski, that equated to the German von, the French de and the English of, denoting ownership of that particular estate).

The Coat of Arms of the Zamoyski family is the Jelita. The family received the title of Count in the year of 1778.

The Zamoyski family has exerted a vast influence on the Polish society, economy, culture and politics for over 400 years. The Zamoyski family has also played an important role in the military history of Poland. The family has always strived to do good for Poland and the Polish people. The rise to power of the family dates from the career of Jan Zamoyski.

 

Jan Zamoyski.

 

Jan Zamoyski (1542–1605) was a major force in the royal politics of Poland and the founder of the City of Zamosc. He studied in Paris and Padua, where he received the title of a doctor in law. In the year of 1572 the death of King Sigismund August, the last of the Jagiellonian dynasty, led to an interregnum that became the beginning of the political career of Jan Zamoyski.

 

Jan Zamoyski. Oil painting by Jan Styka.

 

During this age of the Golden Liberty Poland was governed by the nobility (szlachta) who controlled the Parliament (Seym) and the elected King. This usually led to elections of weak Kings, often of a foreign origin. There were some notable exceptions like, for example, Stefan Batory. Jan Zamoyski was an opponent of choosing a representative of the Habsburg dynasty as the Polish King and he got the support of the Polish nobility. As the head of the Polish nobility he had an overwhelming influence on the elections of the next three Polish Kings, Henry of Valois, Stefan Batory and Sigismund III Vasa.

 

"The might of the Polish Commonwealth at zenith. Golden Liberty. Election." The election of King Henry of Valois in the year of 1573. Jan Zamoyski is pictured to the right in this oil painting by Jan Matejko.

 

Jan Zamoyski held two grand titles, the Great Crown Hetman and the Great Crown Chancellor. These two titles were connected with important functions. The title of Hetman meant commanding the armed forces and was obtained by him due to a superb military success and skill. The title of Chancellor meant the managing of foreign and domestic politics.

 

The Polish Army, at the command of Jan Zamoyski, at the victorious Siege of Pskov in the year of 1581. Oil painting by Juliusz Kossak.

 

King Stefan Batory accepting victory at Pskov. Jan Zamoyski is pictured to the left in this oil painting by Jan Matejko.

 

Field Hetman Stanislaw Zolkiewski with Polish Hussars, at the command of Jan Zamoyski, at the victorious Battle of Byczyna in the year of 1588. Oil painting by Wojciech Kossak.

 

Jan Zamoyski was an outstanding patron of art, science and literature. In the year of 1594 he established the Zamoyski Academy with its library in Zamosc. Jan Zamoyski also wrote several works on politics and law. He amassed an enormous fortune for the family. The Zamoyski land estates, composed of several cities and hundreds of villages, extended to 17000 square kilometers in the year of 1605.

 

Statue of Jan Zamoyski at the Zamoyski Palace in Zamosc.

 

Andrzej Zamoyski (1716-1792) also held the title of Great Crown Chancellor. He was one of the very greatest humanists, reformers and thinkers in the history of Poland. Andrzej Zamoyski was one of the authors of a plan for general reform of Poland offered to the Parliament in May in the year of 1764. It called for improvements in the parliamentary system, a limitation of the power of the nobility and the abolition of serfdom. In the year of 1760 Andrzej Zamoyski was the first of the Polish magnates to replace serfdom on his estates. In the year of 1776 King Stanislaw August Poniatowski commissioned Andrzej Zamoyski to produce a new legal code for Poland, the renowned Code Zamoyski.

 

Stanislaw Zamoyski.

 

Stanislaw Zamoyski (1775-1856) was the son of Andrzej Zamoyski and Konstancja Czartoryska. He was a prominent statesman. In the year of 1817 he built the Zamoyski Library in Warsaw.

Andrzej Zamoyski (1800-1874) was the son of Stanislaw Zamoyski and Zofia Czartoryska. He was a statesman educated in Paris, Geneva and Edinburgh. In the year of 1858 he became the President of the Agricultural Society which developed into a de facto representation of the main conservative political forces active in Poland.

Wladyslaw Zamoyski (1803-1868) was also the son of Stanislaw Zamoyski and Zofia Czartoryska. He was a general with an outstanding military career. Wladyslaw Zamoyski took part in the November Insurrection of 1830-1831.

 

The Kornik Castle of Wladyslaw Zamoyski.

 

Wladyslaw Zamoyski (1853-1924) was another great patriot in the family. He bought the Tatra Mountains/Zakopane and the Kornik region and donated them to the Polish State.

Maurycy Zamoyski (1871-1939) was a statesman and a wealthy landowner. In the year of 1924 he became the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs. In similarity to many other members of the Zamoyski family he was deeply involved in several charitable and cultural projects.

 

Jan Zamoyski.

 

Jan Zamoyski (1912-2002) was born at the family estate at Klemensow. He was a statesman and war hero. He joined the underground army fighting the Germans during the Second World War. During the first presidential elections in Poland after the fall of Communism, the name of Senator Jan Zamoyski kept cropping up, even though he was never one of the official candidates. His appeal was not just that he had been the greatest landowner in Poland before the Second World War or that he was the head of a family with an almost mythical status in the national consciousness, he had lived a remarkable, heroic and inspiring life as well.