Czartoryski
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Czartoryski is the surname of a Polish szlachta (gentry) family (also known as the Familia Czartoryskich). They used the Czartoryski Coat of arms and were the leading noble family of Poland in the 18th century.
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History
The members of the Czartoryski family trace their lineage back to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 14th century and the Lithuanian noble Gedymin (Gediminas). The family became known and powerful under the lead of brothers Michal Fryderyk Czartoryski and August Aleksander Czartoryski in the late Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of the 18th century, during the reigns of monarchs Augustus II the Strong and Stanislaw Leszczynski. The family attained the height of its influence from the mid-18th century in the court of August III Wettin. The Czartoryski brothers gained a very powerful ally in their brother-in-law, Stanislaw Poniatowski, whose son became the last king of independent Commonwealth, Stanislaw August Poniatowski, near the end of the century.
The Czartoryski's Familia have seen the decline of the Commonwealth and the rise of anarchy and joined to camp which was determined to press ahead with the reforms, thus they sought the enactment of such constitutional reforms as the abolition of the liberum veto.
Although the family estate at Pulawy was confiscated by Russian Empire in 1794, during the third partition of Poland, the Familia continued to wield significant cultural power for decades after, notably through the princes Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski and Adam Jerzy Czartoryski.
Coat of Arms and Motto
The Czartoryski family used the "Czartoryski" arms and their motto was: Bądź co bądź (Let it be what has to be).
Notable members
Notable members include:
- Adam Jerzy Czartoryski
- Adam Ludwik Czartoryski
- Adam Karol Czartoryski
- Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski
- August Aleksander Czartoryski
- Augustyn Józef Czartoryski
- Antonina Czartoryska
- Michal Fryderyk Czartoryski
- Konstancja Czartoryska
- Elzbieta Czartoryska
- Kazimierz Czartoryski
- Konstanty Adam Czartoryski
- Wladyslaw Czartoryski
