Kurnatowski
Encyclopedia
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and 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...
from the 14th century into the 20th. The family was part of the Łodzia clan and were participants in politics, arts, military endeavours, and Calvinist clergymen. As magnates and members of the nobility
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
, the Kurnatowskis had extensive land holdings which were all confiscated during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and especially during the Soviet occupation of Poland from 1939 to 1990.
The title of count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
(hrabia
Hrabia
Hrabia is the title used for a rank of Polish nobility roughly corresponding to that of a Count. An earlier counterpart, komes, was used for a non-hereditary office in Piast Poland and faded from use before the establishment of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.The wife of a hrabia is a hrabina,...
in Polish) was bestowed by Papal edict in 1902 to one of the branches of the family. Another line allegedly received the title of "count" in 1916 from the Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
. Some of the Kurnatowskis were ardent members of the Polish Reformed Church
Polish Reformed Church
The Polish Reformed Church, officially called the Evangelical Reformed Church in the republic of Poland is a historic Protestant church in Poland established in the 16th century, still in existence today.-Structure and organisation:An internal census showed that in 2004 the Polish Reformed Church...
, or Calvinists, producing a number of clergymen, although the Duisina and other family lines have remained Roman Catholic since at least the 13th century.
Notable members
The more public members of the family include:- Zygmunt KurnatowskiZygmunt KurnatowskiZygmunt Aleksander Kurnatowski . He was a count and Polish noble of the Łodzia coat of arms. He was a Major General in the army of Kingdom of Poland....
: 1778 - 1858, hrabiaHrabiaHrabia is the title used for a rank of Polish nobility roughly corresponding to that of a Count. An earlier counterpart, komes, was used for a non-hereditary office in Piast Poland and faded from use before the establishment of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.The wife of a hrabia is a hrabina,...
, Polish general, aide-de-campAide-de-campAn aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Napoleon Bonaparte, involved in the November UprisingNovember UprisingThe November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
and in the Polish-Russian WarPolish-Russian WarWars fought between Poland and Russia include- See also :* Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars* Russo-Turkish Wars* Russo-Swedish Wars * Russo-Persian Wars...
of 1831.
- HrabiaHrabiaHrabia is the title used for a rank of Polish nobility roughly corresponding to that of a Count. An earlier counterpart, komes, was used for a non-hereditary office in Piast Poland and faded from use before the establishment of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.The wife of a hrabia is a hrabina,...
Eryk Kurnatowski: October 8, 1883 - February 23, 1975, born in Kolwica, Poland and died in Warsaw. Count (since 1916), Polish Senator, established Poland's premier horse-breeding facility on his estate at Łochów
- Konstanty Kurnatowski: 1878 - 1968, born in Birze (Lithuania) and died in Germany. Descended from a line of distinguished Calivinist cleargymen, was himself a pastor in Kielmy, and later the General SuperintendentGeneral SuperintendentGeneral Superintendent can refer to:* A overseer on a construction site.* There are many Christian denominations that have the office of General Superintendent...
(bishop) of the Lithuanian Brethren, and from 1938 till 1940 of the Polish Reformed ChurchPolish Reformed ChurchThe Polish Reformed Church, officially called the Evangelical Reformed Church in the republic of Poland is a historic Protestant church in Poland established in the 16th century, still in existence today.-Structure and organisation:An internal census showed that in 2004 the Polish Reformed Church...
. - HrabiaHrabiaHrabia is the title used for a rank of Polish nobility roughly corresponding to that of a Count. An earlier counterpart, komes, was used for a non-hereditary office in Piast Poland and faded from use before the establishment of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.The wife of a hrabia is a hrabina,...
Kurnatowski of Lodzia. Zygmunt (son of Stanislaw and Eleonora Potworowska) (born 1858) obtained the hereditary papal title of CountCountA count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
from Pope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
on 30 September 1902 (succession by male primogeniture). Count of Galicia. See Counts of Galicia and Poland