List of szlachta

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Polish Nobleman, by Rembrandt, 1637

The szlachta (Template:Langx, Template:IPAc-pl) was a privileged social class in the Kingdom of Poland. The term szlachta was also used for the Lithuanian nobility after the union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with Poland as the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (Union of Lublin, 1569) and for the increasingly Polonized nobilities of territories controlled by the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, including Ducal Prussia and the Ruthenian lands.

The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a semi-confederated, semi-federated monarchic republic from 1569 until 1795, comprising the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The head of state was an elected monarch. The Commonwealth's dominant social class was the nobility. This article chiefly lists the nobility's magnate segment (the wealthier nobility), as they were the most prominent, famous, and notable. These families would receive non-hereditary 'central' and Land dignities and titles under the Commonwealth law that forbade (with minor exceptions) any hereditary legal distinctions within the peerage. They would later be 'approximated' to honorary hereditary titles in the Partition period with little real-power privileges but would still be venerated among the Polish upper class and the rest of the society as 'senatorial', 'palatinal', 'castellanial' or "dignitarial' families.

"Szlachta" is the proper term for Polish nobility beginning about the 15th century. Most powerful members of szlachta were known as magnates ("magnaci" or the "magnateria" class). A Polish nobleman who lived earlier is referred to as a "rycerz" ("knight"); the class of all such individuals is the "rycerstwo" (the "chivalry" class). Most powerful members of "rycerstwo" were known as "możnowładcy" (the "moznowładztwo" class).

By family

Below is a list of most important Polish noble (szlachta) families. The families listed are the famous magnates families - ones that had accumulated great wealth and political power, generally preserved across several centuries. Please note that this list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all szlachta families. For the list of lesser known but still notable Polish noble families, see the corresponding category

All names are given first in the singular, then (parenthetically) in the plural.

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By year of birth

Listed below are prominent szlachta of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, by century and year of birth.

In many cases, birth year is uncertain or unknown. Under the Commonwealth, most people—including szlachta—paid little attention to their birth dates.

15th century

Jan Amor Tarnowski
Jan Łaski
  • Wojciech Jastrzębiec (Jastrzebski) 1362-1436 Archbishop of Gneizno

16th century

Jan Karol Chodkiewicz
Stefan Czarniecki
Stanisław Rewera Potocki
Mikołaj Spytek Ligęza
Mikołaj Rej
Jan Magnus Tęczyński
Jan Zamoyski
Mikołaj Zebrzydowski
Stanisław Żółkiewski

17th century

Elżbieta Czartoryska
Jan Dobrogost Krasiński
File:Portrait of Stanisław I Leszczyński.jpg
Stanisław I Leszczyński
File:Marianna Lubomirska (1693-1729).PNG
Marianna Lubomirska
File:Prince Joseph Poniatowski by Józef Grassi.jpg
Józef Poniatowski
File:Stanisław Poniatowski (1676-1762).PNG
Stanisław Poniatowski
File:Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki.jpg
Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki
File:Michał Kazimierz Ogiński.PNG
Michał Kazimierz Ogiński
File:Anonymous Elżbieta Sieniawska as Minerva.png
Elżbieta Sieniawska
File:Hyacinthe Rigaud (circle of) - Portrait of Aleksander Benedykt Sobieski - Google Art Project.jpg
Aleksander Benedykt Sobieski
File:Rigaud Konstanty Sobieski.jpg
Konstanty Władysław Sobieski

18th century

File:Prince Czartoryski by Nadar.jpg
Adam Jerzy Czartoryski
File:Peszka Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski.jpg
Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski
File:Jan Henryk Dąbrowski 1.PNG
Jan Henryk Dąbrowski
File:Carle Van Loo - Marie Leszczinska, reine de France (1703-1768) - Google Art Project.jpg
Maria Leszczyńska
File:Michał Kleafas Aginski. Міхал Клеафас Агінскі (F. Fabre, XIX) (2).jpg
Michał Kleofas Ogiński
File:Portrait of Charles of Saxony, misidentified with Stanisław Poniatowski.png
Stanisław Poniatowski
File:Kucharsky Ignacy Potocki.png
Ignacy Potocki
File:Jan Potocki by Alexander Varnek.PNG
Jan Potocki
File:Jacques-Louis David - Equestrian portrait of Stanisław Kostka Potocki - Google Art Project.jpg
Stanisław Kostka Potocki
File:Kazimierz Pułaski.PNG
Kazimierz Pułaski
File:Konstanty Aleksandrowicz - Portrait of Karol Stanislaw Radziwill - MNK I-220 (165375).jpg
Karol Stanisław Radziwiłł

19th century

File:Alexander Roslin 003.png
Izabela Czartoryska
File:WP Agenor Goluchowski der Jüngere.jpg
Agenor Maria Gołuchowski
File:Waldmüller - Porträt der Mme Hanska (Eva Hanska).jpg
Ewelina Hańska
File:Emilia Plater (284384).jpg
Emilia Plater
File:Alfred Józef Potocki foto (cropped).jpg
Alfred Józef Potocki
File:Edward Bernard Raczyński.jpg
Edward Bernard Raczyński

20th century

File:Adam Zamoyski.JPG
Adam Zamoyski
File:Beata Tyszkiewicz TZG.JPG
Beata Tyszkiewicz

Nobility privileges were abolished under the Second Polish Republic (1918–1939). Nobility obligations are not addressed. This would leave the legal status of nobility as consisting of obligations only had the article been not later revoked anyway.Template:Citation needed

Fictional nobles

See also

References

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pl:Historia polskich rodów szlacheckich