Castellans of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Encyclopedia
Castellans of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were the lower rank officials who could sit in the Senate of Poland
. Their numbers varied with time and shifting borders of the Commonwealth.
In the Kingdom of Poland
and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
, the Castellans were in most cases lower in precedence to the Voivodess (with the exceptions of the three Distinguished Castellans, and the important Castellan - that of Kraków
- had a position in the hierarchy was actually superior to that of a Voivode).
of Kraków Land (which has its seat in a privileged city, as the Commonwealth's capital to 1596), Castellans were often considered subordinate to Voivodes. Two castellans from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
- those of Wilno and Troki - were also considered privileged, and had a status equal to those of the voivodes. Castellans were in charge of a part of a Voivodship called Castellany
(Polish: Kasztelania) until the 15th century and from that time on their domain was divided into province
s for Greater Castellans and powiat
s for Minor Castellans.
From 1565, the principle of "incompatibilitas
" ("incompatibility") forbade Voivodes and Castellans to hold a second title as a Minister, except for the post of Hetman
.
Senate of Poland
The Senate is the upper house of the Polish parliament, the lower house being the 'Sejm'. The history of the Polish Senate is rich in tradition and stretches back over 500 years, it was one of the first constituent bodies of a bicameral parliament in Europe and existed without hiatus until the...
. Their numbers varied with time and shifting borders of the Commonwealth.
In the Kingdom of Poland
History of Poland
The History of Poland is rooted in the arrival of the Slavs, who gave rise to permanent settlement and historic development on Polish lands. During the Piast dynasty Christianity was adopted in 966 and medieval monarchy established...
and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
, the Castellans were in most cases lower in precedence to the Voivodess (with the exceptions of the three Distinguished Castellans, and the important Castellan - that of Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
- had a position in the hierarchy was actually superior to that of a Voivode).
Competences
Except for the CastellanCastellan
A castellan was the governor or captain of a castle. The word stems from the Latin Castellanus, derived from castellum "castle". Also known as a constable.-Duties:...
of Kraków Land (which has its seat in a privileged city, as the Commonwealth's capital to 1596), Castellans were often considered subordinate to Voivodes. Two castellans from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
- those of Wilno and Troki - were also considered privileged, and had a status equal to those of the voivodes. Castellans were in charge of a part of a Voivodship called Castellany
Castellany
A castellany was a district administered by a castellan.Castellanies appeared during the Middle Ages and in most current states are now replaced by a more modern type of country subdivision....
(Polish: Kasztelania) until the 15th century and from that time on their domain was divided into province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
s for Greater Castellans and powiat
Powiat
A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...
s for Minor Castellans.
From 1565, the principle of "incompatibilitas
Incompatibilitas
Incompatibilitas was a principle instituted in the Kingdom of Poland which forbade an individual to hold two or more official administrative positions...
" ("incompatibility") forbade Voivodes and Castellans to hold a second title as a Minister, except for the post of Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
.
List
The list below is based on the 1569 data. The number of castellans changed in the later centuries.- Kasztelanowie Wyróżnieni — Distinguished Castellans (of KrakówKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, VilniusVilniusVilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
and TrakaiTrakaiTrakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km2 of...
). They were seated among the Voivodes.
- Castellan of Kraków (Cracow) (kasztelan krakowski). Seat: KrakówKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. Seated first in the Senate, before the Voivode of Kraków. - Castellan of Wilno (Vilnus) (kasztelan wileński). Seat: Wilno. Seated 6th in the Senate after the Voivode of Sandomierz and before the Voivode of KaliszKalisz Voivodeship (1314–1793)Kalisz Voivodeship 1314–1793 was an administrative unit of Poland from 1314 to the Second Partition of Poland in 1793...
. - Castellan of Troki (kasztelan trocki). Seat: Troki. Seated 10th in the Senate after the Voivode of SieradzSieradz Voivodeship (1339–1793)Sieradz Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland from 1339 to the Second partition of Poland in 1793. It was a part of the Greater Polish prowincja.Governor seat:* SieradzVoivodes:* Kasper Doenhoff...
and before the Voivode of Łęczyca- Kasztelanowie Więksi (Krzesłowi) — Major Castellans (there were 31).
- Greater Castellan of Poznań. Seat: PoznańPoznanPoznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
- Greater Castellan of Sandomierz. Seat: SandomierzSandomierzSandomierz is a city in south-eastern Poland with 25,714 inhabitants . Situated in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship , previously in Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship . It is the capital of Sandomierz County . Sandomierz is known for its Old Town, a major tourist attraction...
- Greater Castellan of Kalisz. Seat: KaliszKaliszKalisz is a city in central Poland with 106,857 inhabitants , the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the city forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce...
- Greater Castellan of Wojnicz. Seat: WojniczWojniczWojnicz is a town in Tarnów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship.The Battle of Wojnicz took place here on September 23, 1655, against Sweden.- People :* Sebastian Lubomirski* Jan Wielopolski the elder* Jan Krzysztof Tarnowski* Chaim Kreiswirth, rabbi...
- Greater Castellan of Gniezno. Seat: GnieznoGnieznoGniezno is a city in central-western Poland, some 50 km east of Poznań, inhabited by about 70,000 people. One of the Piasts' chief cities, it was mentioned by 10th century A.D. sources as the capital of Piast Poland however the first capital of Piast realm was most likely Giecz built around...
- Greater Castellan of Sieradz. Seat: SieradzSieradzSieradz is a town on the Warta river in central Poland with 44,326 inhabitants . It is situated in the Łódź Voivodship , but was previously the eponymous capital of the Sieradz Voivodship , and historically one of the minor duchies in Greater Poland.It is one of the oldest towns in Poland,...
- Greater Castellan of Łęczyca. Seat: Łęczyca
- Greater Castellan of Źmudź. Seat: ŻmudźZmudzŻmudź may refer to:*Polish name for Samogitia, a region of Lithuania*Żmudź, Lublin Voivodeship, a village in east Poland...
(Samogita) - Greater Castellan of Brześć Kujawski. Seat: Brześć KujawskiBrzesc KujawskiBrześć Kujawski is a town in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Population - 4,521 , Poland.It has been the seat of one of two small duchies into which Kuyavia has been temporarily divided....
- Greater Castellan of Kijów. Seat: KijówKievKiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
(Kiev) - Greater Castellan of Inowrocław. Seat: Inowrocław
- Greater Castellan of Lwów. Seat: Lwów (Lviv)
- Greater Castellan of Wołyń. Seat: Wołyń
- Greater Castellan of Kamieniec. Seat: Kamieniec Podolski
- Greater Castellan of Smoleńsk. Seat: SmoleńskSmolenskSmolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
- Greater Castellan of Lublin. Seat: LublinLublinLublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
- Greater Castellan of Połock. Seat: Połock
- Greater Castellan of Bełsk. Seat: Bełsk
- Greater Castellan of Nowogródek. Seat: Nowogródek
- Greater Castellan of Płock. Seat: Płock
- Greater Castellan of Witebsk. Seat: Witebsk
- Greater Castellan of Czersk. Seat: CzerskCzerskCzersk is a town in northern Poland in Chojnice County, Pomeranian Voivodeship.On July 1, 2006 this municipality celebrated 80 years of granting this community the status of city....
- Greater Castellan of Podlasie. Seat: Podlasie
- Greater Castellan of Rawa. Seat: Rawa MazowieckaRawa MazowieckaRawa Mazowiecka is a town in central Poland, with 17,765 inhabitants . It lies in the Łódź Voivodeship and is the capital of Rawa County.First mentioned in 1288, it received city rights in 1321....
- Greater Castellan of Brześć Litewski. Seat: Brześć Litewski
- Greater Castellan of Chełmno. Seat: Chełmno
- Greater Castellan of Mścisław. Seat: MścisławMstsislawMstsislaw is a town in Mahilyow Voblast, Eastern Belarus. As of 2004, its population is 11,700.Mstsislaw was first mentioned in the Ipatiev Chronicle under 1156. It was initially included within the Principality of Smolensk, but had become the capital of the Principality of Mstsislaw by 1180. In...
- Greater Castellan of Elbląg. Seat: ElblągElblagElbląg is a city in northern Poland with 127,892 inhabitants . It is the capital of Elbląg County and has been assigned to the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. Before then it was the capital of Elbląg Voivodeship and a county seat in Gdańsk Voivodeship...
- Greater Castellan of Bracław. Seat: Bracław
- Greater Castellan of Gdańsk. Seat: GdańskGdanskGdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
(Danzig) - Greater Castellan of Mińsk. Seat: MińskMinsk- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
- Greater Castellan of Wenden. Seat: WendenCesisCēsis , is a town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Central Vidzeme Upland. Cēsis is on the Gauja River valley, and is built on a series of ridges above the river overlooking the woods below...
(added after 1569) - Greater Castellan of Dorpat. Seat: Dorpat (added after 1569)
- Greater Castellan of Parnawa. Seat: Parnawa (added after 1569)
- Greater Castellan of Inflanty. Seat: InflantyLivoniaLivonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
(Livonia) (replaced those of Wenden, Dorpat and Parnawa in 1677) - Greater Castellan of Czernihów. Seat: Czernihów
- Kasztelanowie Mniejsi (Drążkowi) — Minor Castellans (there were 49).
- Minor Castellan of Nowy Sącz. Seat: Nowy SączNowy SaczNowy Sącz is a town in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the district capital of Nowy Sącz County, but is not included within the powiat.-Names:...
- Minor Castellan of Międzyrzecze. Seat: Międzyrzecze, Poznań VoivodeshipMiędzyrzecze
- Minor Castellan of Wiślica. Seat: WiślicaWislicaWiślica is a village in Busko County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Wiślica. It lies on the Nida River, approximately south of Busko-Zdrój and south of the regional capital Kielce...
- Minor Castellan of Biecz. Seat: BieczBieczBiecz is a town and municipality in southeastern Poland, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Gorlice County. It is in the Carpathian Mountains, in the Doły Jasielsko Sanockie, by the Ropa River...
- Minor Castellan of Rogoźno. Seat: RogoźnoRogoznoRogoźno is a town in Poland, in Greater Poland Voivodeship, about 40 km north of Poznań. Its population is 11,337 . It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Rogoźno....
- Minor Castellan of Radom. Seat: RadomRadomRadom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...
- Minor Castellan of Zawichost. Seat: ZawichostZawichostZawichost is a small town in Sandomierz County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland. It is located by the Vistula River in southern Poland, near Sandomierz....
- Minor Castellan of Ląd. Seat: LądLAD*A boy or young man*Lad culture, a British subculture*Ląd, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland*Lad: A Dog, a collection of short stories by Albert Payson Terhune**Lad - The real-life dog that the stories are based on....
- Minor Castellan of Śrem. Seat: ŚremSremŚrem is a town on the Warta river in central Poland. It has been situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship since 1999; from 1975 to 1998 it was part of the Poznań Voivodeship...
- Minor Castellan of Żary. Seat: ŻaryZaryŻary is a town in western Poland with about 39,900 inhabitants , situated in the Lubusz Voivodeship...
- Minor Castellan of Małogoszcz. Seat: Małogoszcz
- Minor Castellan of Wieluń. Seat: WieluńWielunWieluń is a city in central Poland with 24,347 inhabitants . Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship , it was previously in Sieradz Voivodeship .- History :...
- Minor Castellan of Przemyśl. Seat: PrzemyślPrzemyslPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
- Minor Castellan of Halicz. Seat: Halicz
- Minor Castellan of Sanok. Seat: SanokSanokSanok is a town in south-eastern Poland with 39,110 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It's the capital of Sanok County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. Previously, it was in the Krosno Voivodeship and in the Ruthenian Voivodeship , which was part of the Lesser Poland province...
- Minor Castellan of Chełm. Seat: Chełm
- Minor Castellan of Dobrzyń. Seat: Dobrzyń
- Minor Castellan of Połaniec. Seat: Połaniec
- Minor Castellan of Przemęt. Seat: Przemęt
- Minor Castellan of Krzywina. Seat: KrzywinaKrzywinaKrzywina is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Przeworno, within Strzelin County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany. It lies approximately east of Przeworno, south-east of Strzelin, and south of the regional capital...
- Minor Castellan of Czchów. Seat: CzchówCzchówCzchów is a town in Brzesko County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 2,205 inhabitants ....
- Minor Castellan of Nakło. Seat: Nakło
- Minor Castellan of Rozprza. Seat: Rozprza
- Minor Castellan of Biechów. Seat: Biechów
- Minor Castellan of Bydgoszcz. Seat: Bydgoszcz
- Minor Castellan of Brzeziny. Seat: BrzezinyBrzezinyBrzeziny is a town in Poland, in Łódź Voivodeship, about 20 km east of Łódź. It is the capital of Brzeziny County. Population is 12,417 .- History :...
- Minor Castellan of Kruszwica. Seat: KruszwicaKruszwicaKruszwica is a town in central Poland and is situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship , previously in Bydgoszcz Voivodeship .It has a population of 9,412 people .-History:...
- Minor Castellan of Oświęcim. Seat: OświęcimOswiecimOświęcim is a town in the Lesser Poland province of southern Poland, situated west of Kraków, near the confluence of the rivers Vistula and Soła.- History :...
- Minor Castellan of Kamieńsk. Seat: KamieńskKamienskKamieńsk is a town in Poland, in Łódź Voivodeship, in Radomsko County. It has 2,832 inhabitants .There is an airport named Kamieńsk-Orla Góra in Kamieńsk mainly used for agricultural purposes. Soccer player Jacek Krzynówek was born in Kamieńsk....
- Minor Castellan of Spicymierz. Seat: Spicymierz
- Minor Castellan of Inowłódz. Seat: Inowłódz
- Minor Castellan of Kowale. Seat: KowalKowalKowal is a town in Włocławek County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,478 inhabitants .The town is the birthplace of Casimir III, King of Poland .Kowal is also a common last name in the Ukraine, which means Smith....
- Minor Castellan of Santok. Seat: SantokSantokSantok is a village in Gorzów County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Santok. It is located at the confluence of the Noteć and Warta rivers, approximately east of Gorzów Wielkopolski...
- Minor Castellan of Sochaczew. Seat: SochaczewSochaczewSochaczew is a town in central Poland, with 38,300 inhabitants . Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship , previously in Skierniewice Voivodeship . It is the capital of Sochaczew County....
- Minor Castellan of Warsaw. Seat: WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
- Minor Castellan of Gostyniec. Seat: Gostyniec or GośliceGosliceGoślice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bielsk, within Płock County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately south of Bielsk, north-east of Płock, and north-west of Warsaw.-References:...
- Minor Castellan of Wizna. Seat: WiznaWiznaWizna is a village in Łomża County of Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. The Biebrza River flows through town. Wizna is also known for the battle of Wizna which took place in its vicinity during the 1939 Invasion of Poland. At present, farming and food production are the primary...
- Minor Castellan of Raciąż. Seat: RaciążRaciazRaciąż is a town in Płońsk County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,585 inhabitants . Its history dates to 10th century....
- Minor Castellan of Sierpc. Seat: SierpcSierpcSierpc is a town in Poland, in the north-west part of the Masovian Voivodeship, about 125 km northwest of Warsaw. It is the capital of Sierpc County. Its population is 18,777 . It is located near the national road No 10, which connects Warsaw and Toruń...
- Minor Castellan of Wyszogród. Seat: WyszogródWyszogródWyszogród is a town in Poland, in Masovian Voivodship, in Płock County, by the Vistula River. The population of Wyszogród was 2,793 in 2004.-History:...
- Minor Castellan of Rypin. Seat: RypinRypinRypin is a town in Poland, in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, about 50 km east of Toruń. It is the capital of Rypin County. Population is 16,558 .-External links:**...
- Minor Castellan of Zakroczym. Seat: ZakroczymZakroczymZakroczym is a small town in the Masovian Voivodeship, Poland. It is located at around . The Vistula River flows through the town....
- Minor Castellan of Ciechanowice. Seat: CiechanowiceCiechanowiceCiechanowice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Marciszów, within Kamienna Góra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
- Minor Castellan of Liw. Seat: Liw
- Minor Castellan of Słońsk. Seat: Słońsk (present CiechocinekCiechocinekCiechocinek is a spa town in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, located on the Vistula River about east of Aleksandrów Kujawski and south-east of the city of Toruń.Ciechocinek is known for its unique 'saline graduation towers'....
) - Minor Castellan of Lubaczów. Seat: LubaczówLubaczówLubaczów is a town in southeastern Poland, close to the border with Ukraine, with 12,405 inhabitants .Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship , it is the capital of Lubaczów County and is located 50 kilometers northeast of Przemyśl....
- Kasztelanowie Konarscy (Koniuszy) — Equerry Castellans (there were 3).
- Minor Konary Castellan of Sieradz. Seat: SieradzSieradzSieradz is a town on the Warta river in central Poland with 44,326 inhabitants . It is situated in the Łódź Voivodship , but was previously the eponymous capital of the Sieradz Voivodship , and historically one of the minor duchies in Greater Poland.It is one of the oldest towns in Poland,...
- Minor Konary Castellan of Łęczyca. Seat: Łęczyca
- Minor Konary Castellan of Inowrocław. Seat: Inowrocław