| Radziwiłł | |
|---|---|
 Princely arms of the Radziwiłł family, incorporating theTrąby emblem | |
| Earlier spellings | Radvila |
| Place of origin | Kernavė,Grand Duchy of Lithuania |
| Founded | 15th century |
| Founder | Radvila Astikas |
| Connected families | Astikai family Bouvier family Danish Royal Family Greek Royal Family Rzewuski family Jagiellonian dynasty House of Hohenzollern House of Wittelsbach House of Krasinski House of Habsburg-Lorraine House of Castellane House of Clary und Aldringen House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg House of Wettin House of Urach |
TheHouse of Radziwiłł (Polish pronunciation:[raˈd͡ʑiviww];Lithuanian:Radvila;Belarusian:Радзівіл,romanized: Radzivił; German:Radziwill) is aPolish princely family ofLithuanian origin, and one of the most powerfulmagnate families originating from theGrand Duchy of Lithuania and later also prominent in theCrown of the Kingdom of Poland.[1] Part of the representatives of the Radziwiłł family were known for their persistent and consistent struggle for the independence of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and for their crucial role in preserving the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as a separate state in the 16th and 17th centuries.[1][2]
The family was founded byRadvila Astikas, but over time it split into many branches, such as the Biržai-Dubingiai and Goniądz-Meteliai lines. However, most of the branches became extinct by the 18th century, with only the Nesvizh-Kleck-Ołyka line surviving to this day. Their descendants were highly prominent for centuries, first in theGrand Duchy of Lithuania, later in thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and theKingdom of Prussia. The family produced many individuals notable inLithuanian,Polish,Belarusian,German as well as generalEuropean history andculture.[3] Many members of the Radziwiłł family served in high-ranking officers positions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (e.g. 13 wereVoivodes of Vilnius, the capital city, 10 wereCastellans of Vilnius, seven wereGrand Chancellors of Lithuania, nine were Grand Marshals of Lithuania, seven were Grand Hetmans of Lithuania, etc.).[4] The Radziwiłł family received thetitle ofReichsfürst (prince) from theHoly Roman Emperor in the early 16th-century and were the first nobles in Lithuania and Poland who received this title.[2]
The lastpatrilineal member of the Radziwiłł family who inhabited in Lithuania was Konstantinas Radvila, an owner of theTaujėnai Manor, however after theSoviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940 he was arrested by theNKVD anddeported from Lithuania to theUzbek SSR in 1941 where he died in ~1945.[5]
TheNesvizh Castle complex, maintained by the family between the 16th century and 1939, is aUNESCO World Heritage site.[6]
.jpg)
The Radziwiłł family is a directly descended branch of the extinctLithuanian nobleAstikai family line.[7] Its first notable member,Kristinas Astikas (born 1363), a close associate of the Lithuanian rulerVytautas, becameCastellan ofVilnius.[8] Thepatronym Radvila arose following its use by his sonRadvila Astikas and grandsonMikalojus Radvila.[8] A legendary version of the patronym's etymology associates it with a child found bykrivisLizdeika in a wolf's den (rado vilko... = "found wolf's...", implying "rado vilko vaikas" = "found wolf's child").[9] The Polish forms Radziwiłł or Radźwił (patronymics Radziwiłłowic(z), Radźwiłowic(z)) may come from the originally BelarusianRadzivil, i.e. a derivative of il from the baseRadziv-, derived from a shortened form of the nameRadzivón (with a v removing the hiatus from the churchRodi.ón, similarly toLarivón fromLari.ón (Ilarión) orLjavónt from (Le.ón), and similarly toStanil fromStanislav. They would have been adopted into Lithuanian asRadzivìlas,Radzvilà.[10]
The family descends from Lithuanianbajorai-ducal courtiers who advanced considerably in the 15th-century politics of theGrand Duchy of Lithuania. Along with possessions of land nearKernavė, the family's traced place of origin, the Radziwiłł family also inherited theTrąby coat of arms.
Three ofMikalojus' sons,Mikołaj, Jan, andJerzy, went on to become the progenitors of the three known Radziwiłł family lines.[11] His daughterAnna was the great-grandmother ofElizabeth Báthory.
The Radziwiłł family divided by branch:
The Goniądz-Meteliai line became extinct by the next generation asMikołaj's descendants consisted of one male heir,Mikołaj III, who entered the priesthood and became theBishop of Samogitia, thus bearing no known offspring to extend the line.
The Biržai-Dubingiai line was moderately more successful and produced some very notable state officials and politicians, but it also became extinct afterLudwika Karolina Radziwiłł's death in 1695.
The Nesvizh-Kletsk-Olyka line was the most successful and was further divided into smaller family lines to maintain clarity and specificity of descent and the passing of titles. Since the 18th century, all Radziwiłł family members have been descendants of this line. Three sons ofMikołaj "the Black",Mikołaj Krzysztof "the Orphan", Albrycht, andStanisław "the Pious", are said to be the progenitors of the three smaller branches.[11] The branches are as follows:
Possibly both the Olyka and older Kletsk lines became extinct, the former in 1656 and the latter in 1690. The direct descendant of the Nesvizh line,Dominik Hieronim's son, Aleksander Dominik, was born before his parents' marriage and formed the so-called Galician branch, which went extinct in 1938.
The younger Kletsk line descends fromMichał Hieronim, continued through his son Ludwik Mikolaj. The descendants of his other son,Antoni Henryk, formed the beginning of the so-called Ordynant branch. Other than the Ordynant branch, from the younger Kletsk line also descends the lesser titled branches of Szydłowiec and Połoneczka, as well as Dziatłava, Berdychiv, and Żyrmunów.[11] The younger Kletsk line has continued into the present day.
Kristinas Astikas, ancestor of the Radziwiłł family, was among these who were granted and adopted the emblem known asTrąby after theUnion of Horodło in 1413. This emblem later became the hereditary coat of arms of the Radziwiłłs.
In 1518,Holy Roman EmperorMaximilian I created Mikalojus Radvila's son,Mikołaj,Reichsfürst ("Imperial Prince") ofGoniądz and Meteliai after theJagiellonian-Habsburg congress atVienna.[7][11] Mikołaj Radziwiłł also received an expanded, more solemn coat of arms: as princes of the Holy Roman Empire, the Radziwiłłs bore a black eagle, on whose breast is a shield withTrąby and other emblems. The family motto is "God advises us"[12] (Polish:Bóg nam radzi,Belarusian:Бог нам раіць,Boh nam rajić).
In 1547,Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, created Mikołaj "the Black" and his brother, Jan,[13] hereditaryReichsfürsten ofNesvizh andOlyka;[14][11] their cousinMikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł[13] was createdReichsfürst[14] ofBiržai andDubingiai.[11] The same year KingSigismund II Augustus of Poland marriedBarbara Radziwiłł and confirmed these titles in 1549.[12] So high a title was rare among theszlachta (the Polish nobility): just five Polish families, including the Radziwiłłs, received the title of imperial prince from the Holy Roman emperor.[15]
.jpg)
The Radziwiłł family also divided on religious grounds. Following theProtestant andPolish Reformation, two branches converted toCalvinism. Some members of the Nesvizh–Kletsk-Olyka branch of family remained as Calvinists for two generations until the children of Mikołaj "the Black" converted toRoman Catholicism before the end of the century. The Biržai-Dubingiai line remained in the Protestant faith until the extinction of their line one century later.[16]
QueenBarbara Radziwiłł, sister of Mikołaj "the Red" and first cousin of Mikołaj "the Black", was practicingCatholic[17] and hence, despite controversy surrounding her secret wedding with the King, she was recognized by popesPaul III andJulius III as legitimate royal wife and Queen of Poland.[18] Nevertheless, Barbara apparently was tolerant towards different nominations, as she is not known to be conflicted with her brother or non-catholic members of her royal court because of their religious nomination.[19]
Both Mikołaj "the Black" and Mikołaj "the Red" were zealous promoters and active participants of the Protestant religion within theGDL. Mikołaj "the Black" funded the printing of a second version, and first completed,Polish translation of a Protestant Bible,[20] titled the "Radziwiłł Bible" (also known as"Biblia Brzeska"), which was published in the town ofBrest in 1564. His death in 1565 was seen as a severe loss to the Protestant cause in Lithuania. However, Mikołaj "the Red" continued his cousin's work by founding and endowing land to several churches and schools.[21]
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(January 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Several prominent family members have been involved in domestic and foreign political arenas. They took an active part in the political life of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Its importance is manifested by family relations with such famous nobility dynasties in Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, the Great Duchy of Lithuania,Samogitia, andRus likeZaslawski, Rohatinski, Lukomski, andOlshanski-Dobrowicki. The Radziwiłł family joined the rest of the nobility as the state's elite after the signing of theUnion of Krewo in 1385.
The significance of the Radziwiłł family is proved by the marriage ofAnna toKonrad III Rudy, duke ofMasovia, who owned the largest Polish principality.
In 1547Barbara Radziwiłł was married in secret toSigismund II Augustus, thus legally becoming royal consort; she was officially proclaimed Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania the next year.[22] Although the marriage caused scandal within the country as it was performed without informing Polish nobles, the royal couple was supported byPapal Curia,[23] as well by the Radziwiłł family's ally and the King's former father-in-law,Ferdinand Habsburg.[24] Barbara was crowned in 1550.[25] Some Polish nobles opposed the idea of Sigismund and Barbara's child inheriting the Polish throne in the future, because of disdain towards the Radziwiłł's family further elevation,[26] however Barbara probably miscarried twice during her marriage with the king, and died in 1551 without having surviving children.[27]
Later the Radziwiłłs established family relations not only with the most important families of the Polish, Belarusian and Lithuanian magnate families likeSanguszko,Sapieha orChodkiewicz, but also with members of royal families likeWiśniowiecki,Sobieski, andLeszczyński.
The political position of the Radziwiłłs was enhanced in the 16th century. In 1515,Mikołaj, as a member of a delegation, headed by KingSigismund I the Old took part in theFirst Congress of Vienna inPressburg andVienna where Emperor Maximilian I met kings of Poland, Hungary andBohemia. Additionally, Mikolaj "the Black" was the deputy to the Grand Prince when the latter was abroad. From that time on, the Radziwiłłs were also granted the privilege of keeping legal acts and other state documents in Nesvizh.
In 1583 bishopJerzy Radziwiłł was elevated to the cardinalate by PopeGregory XIII, established a closer relationship with the influential noble banking familiesAltoviti andStrozzi. Later princeAleksander Ludwik Radziwiłł married Lucrezia Maria Strozzi, great-granddaughter ofBindo Altoviti andFilippo Strozzi.
During this time until the first half of the 17th century, the Radziwiłłs were the most influential and richest family among the magnate dynasties of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This status enabled them, along with very few other families, to have their own army. In 1528, the Radziwiłłs owned 18,240 houses, thus being able to have cavalry of 760 horsemen. In 1567, 28,170 houses provided for an expanded 939 horsemen and 1586 infantrymen. In the 18th century, the army ofHieronim Florian, for instance, had 6,000 men and was equal to the entire armed forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Members of the Radziwiłł family held important state posts in theRzeczpospolita and in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. 8chancellors, 7hetmans, 15castellans, 19marszałeks, and 19voivodes, almost exclusively representing the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, rather than theCrown, belonged to the dynasty. Radziwiłłs were members of theparliament and of theTribunal of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. They also held high military posts and took part in theLivonian War,Russo-Polish War of 1647–1667,Northern Wars, participated in the Napoleonic campaign, and theKościuszko Uprising. Part of the representatives of the Radziwiłł family were known for their persistent and consistent struggle for the independence of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and represented the Grand Duke of Lithuania when he was absent from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[1] According to duke Maciej Radziwiłł, the Radziwiłł family's role was crucial in preserving the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as a separate state in the 16th and 17th centuries.[2] Contemporaries of the 16th century were saying about the Radziwiłł family that "Lithuania is recognized by this name".[4]
.jpg)
The Radziwiłłs also gained international importance manifested in family relations with German princely dynasties, first established by Albrecht Radziwiłł from Olyka, who married Anna, princess of Courland. Such conjugal unions continued in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Karol Stanisław Radziwiłł (1734–1790) of the Nieśwież line was the wealthiest magnate in Poland, in the second half of the 18th century, and one of the richest men in Europe. As a patriot, he fought for a free nation that soon after his death would bepartitioned betweenAustria,Prussia and theRussian Empire. During theGreat Sejm from 1788 until he died in 1790, he was a leading opponent of reform and KingStanisław II Augustus and his allies, the members of the so-calledFamilia political party headed by theCzartoryski family.
After the threepartitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the late 18th century, towns and estates owned by the Radziwiłłs became parts of territories that belonged to Russia, Prussia and Austria. However, all three states recognized the title of princes of the Radziwiłł dynasty and the rights of its members at the family properties. In addition, many members of the Radziwiłł family held high civil and military posts.
.jpg)
They had family ties with theDukes of Castellane, theClary-Aldringen andSayn-Wittgenstein princes and most importantly withFrederick William II, King of Prussia and his sonFrederick William III. PrinceAntoni Radziwiłł of the Kletsk line marriedPrincess Louise of Prussia, a daughter ofPrince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia and hence a first cousin of King Frederick William II. This relation helped Antoni to release the vast properties of Nieśwież and Olyka from Russian seizure in 1815, after his cousin, Dominik of the Nieśwież line had fought and died on Napoleons' side in thePolish Legion, andAlexander I of Russia had therefore confiscated his whole property. After theCongress of Vienna, the inheritance was partially given to Antoni.
The couple were prominent patrons of the arts in Berlin during the early 19th century. At their Berlin residence, theRadziwiłł Palace, they hosted well-known personalities, artists and academics, playing a major role in promoting the Prussian-Polish relationship in Berlin. These included Polish politicians in the Prussian Parliament or such famous people asJohann Wolfgang von Goethe,Frédéric Chopin,Wilhelm andAlexander von Humboldt,Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy andKarl Friedrich Schinkel. In fact, the "Salons" held by the Radziwiłłs were so popular that they became a symbol of "Polish Berlin". PrinceFerdynand Radziwiłł - like Wilhelm von Humboldt, Goethe, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and many further notable personalities - also was a member of theSing-Akademie zu Berlin where people from all walks of life and classes in Berlin came together to study and practice choral music. Although most of their largest estates were located inRussian Poland, the close relation with theRoyal House of Prussia caused the family to preferably live at the Berlin court, using their influence, than in Warsaw or St. Petersburg, given their experience with the Czar's seizure of most of the family's property in 1813. Moreover,Michał Gedeon Radziwiłł was the commander-in-chief of theNovember uprising of 1830–31.
Elisa Radziwill, a daughter of Antoni and Louise, became the first love of the later Prussian King and German EmperorWilhelm I. Her brothers Wilhelm (1797–1870) andBogusław (1809–1873) became Prussian generals and politicians, the latter being an influential opponent of Prussian minister-president (and, from 1871, German Chancellor)Otto von Bismarck in his anti-Catholic politics, later called theKulturkampf. Bogusław's sonFerdynand (1834–1926) also became an important leader of thePolish minority and opponent of theGermanization and Kulturkampf policies. After Poland regained independence in 1918, he became a Polish citizen and a member of the Polish parliament (Sejm), and so did his sonJanusz (1880–1967). Their cousin Stanislaw Radziwiłł was theaide-de-camp to theCommander-in-chiefJózef Piłsudski. InGerman-occupied Poland, Janusz tried to use his prestige to improve Nazi treatment of the Poles – unlike his brotherMichał who sided with the Nazis, at least at the beginning of the occupation. After theSecond World War in 1945, Janusz was arrested by NKVD, and his wife would die in a communist prison in 1947. Janusz died in his two-room apartment in Warsaw, with all of his possessions confiscated and nationalized by the communist government.
In 1959, Janusz's third son princeStanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł marriedCaroline Bouvier, the younger sister ofFirst LadyJacqueline Kennedy.
PrinceAntoni Radziwiłł was a music and art aficionado and he transformed his properties in Berlin to serve as artistic salons, where aristocrats mingled among artists, painters and composers. Radziwiłł's Berlin properties hosted frequent amateur theatre play productions.[28]
Another property Antoni Radziwiłł owned in Prussian-Poland wasAntonin, a hunting lodge he had built between 1822 and 1824 by the German architectKarl Friedrich Schinkel, named after him. Later in his life, Antoni Radziwiłł moved permanently to Antonin with his wife, Louise of Prussia, and two daughters Wanda and Eliza. Antoni Radziwiłł was a well-connected composer among European musical circles and with time transformed the Antonin property into a popular musical salon among greatest talents of the area such asNiccolò Paganini,Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,Frédéric Chopin andLudwig van Beethoven. Chopin gave music lessons to Antoni Radziwiłł's daughter Wanda during his stays at the property.[29] During his stays with Radziwiłł family, Chopin also had composed the Polonaise op.3 and Piano Trio Op. 8 and dedicated the latter to Radziwiłł. Antoni Radziwiłł also supported some of the artists financially, among them Fryderyk Chopin.[28] Chopin's visits to Antonin property were documented by Henryk Siemiradzki in a photogravure titled "Chopin u księcia Radziwiłła" ("Chopin's visit to Prince Radziwill").
The family acquired and maintained great wealth and influence from the 15th–16th century until 1939, when the Second World War started. The Radziwiłł family reached the heights of its importance and power during thePolish Golden Age. However, due to the activities ofJanusz Radziwiłł duringThe Deluge, a series of mid-17th-century campaigns in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the family lost much of its wealth and power.
Regarding their wealth, the Radziwiłłs were not inferior to a royal family. In total, the Radziwiłł family has, over the centuries, had in its possession 23 palaces, 426 large and small towns, 2032 estates, and 10,053 villages. In present-dayBelarus they possessed towns and boroughs like Haranyony,Davyd-Haradok,Kletsk,Dzyarzhynsk,Kopys, Dakhva,Mir,Nesvizh, Charnauchitsy, andShchuchyn; in present-dayUkraine:Olyka with dozens of villages in theWolyn province (Polish: wojewodztwo); in present-day Poland:Szydłowiec with villages in theSandomierz province andNieborów; and in present-dayLithuania:Biržai,Dubingiai,Kėdainiai, and others.
.jpg)
The Goniądz-Meteliai line possessed, during the 15th – 16th centuries, estates like Goniądz, Zaigrad andPodlaskie Lowlands in Poland. In 1612 thePrincipality of Slutsk with some thirty-two villages passed over to the Radziwiłłs, afterJanusz Radziwiłł had married the heiressZofia Olelkowicz Słucka. Radziwiłłs also expanded their possessions withBrest,Ashmyany, Krychau, Lida, Mazyr and other administrative territories (starostwos). As a result, the Radziwiłłs were granted a lifetime privilege of being governors (starostas) of those territories. However, during Janusz Radziwiłł's lifetime, the interests between his family and thePolish Crown began to drift apart, as the Radziwiłłs sought to increase their wealth and power, safeguard Protestantism and support ethnically Lithuanian culture, which caused him to join the opposition against KingSigismund III Vasa in 1606.
In 1586, the sons of Mikolaj "the Black" arranged for their fortunes to follow anordynacja (fee tail), which was to have individual properties inherited by their male descendants; see "Radziwiłł Family Fee Tail". The ordynats of Nesvizh, Kletsk, and Olyka were thus formed. In the 19th century the Davyd-Haradok and Przygodzice ordynats were also established. Other possessions could be inherited by female heirs or alienated. Depending on the importance and size of owned lands, they were called either principalities (Nesvizh, Olyka, Biržai, Dubingiai,Kapyl,Slutsk,Staryi Chortoryisk, Stary Zbaraz,Goniądz and Medele), counties (Mir,Biała Podlaska, Dzyarzhynsk, Kopys,Zabłudów, Kėdainiai, Zolkow, Pomorzani, Belykamen,Kražiai), or estates (Nevel, Krasnoye,Sebezh, Musninkai, Sereya,Horodok, Sobolew, Slovatichi, Ruchai, Kolki, Vyazyn,Rafałówka, Zhmigrod, Beloozero, Yampol,Shumsk, Sverzhen, Drisvyaty,Naliboki).[30] The family ties to the banking dynastiesAltoviti andStrozzi played an important role to secure titles and wealth with theRoman Curia.
After the extinction of the Olyka and older Kletsk lines, their fortunes were passed to those of the Nesvizh line. With the death of the heirless Dominik Hieronim in 1813, the Nesvizh line lost its right to the ordynat. Dominik Heronim's son, Aleksander Dominik, was born before his parents' marriage and was thus denied the title and inheritance of his forefathers. He and his descendants had their princely title confirmed by theAustrian Empire. Thus, the ordynat of Nesvizh and Olyka fell into the hands of the younger Kletsk line. This, however, cost the new owner,Antoni Radziwiłł, some diplomatic effort at theCongress of Vienna, as his cousin Dominik had fought in thePolish Legion on Napoleons' side, andAlexander I of Russia had therefore confiscated his whole property. Only because of Prussia's intervention (since Antoni was married to a Prussian princess) he was able to keep the family trust properties, mainlyNesvizh Castle andOlyka Castle with vast lands, whileMir Castle and 18,000 km2 of land passed to Dominik's only legitimate child, Stephania, who had to marry a Russian subject, according to the Czar's order, whom she found inLudwig zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.
In this way, all three Radziwiłł ordynats ended up in the possession of one line, represented by the sons ofMichal Hieronim, Ludwik Mikolaj of Kletsk and Antoni Henryk of Nesvizh and Olyka. The descendants of Antoni Henryk formed the beginning of the so-called Ordynant branch, out of the younger Kletsk line, in whose possession, other than the three older ordynats of Nesvizh, Kletsk, and Olyka, they also received the two additional titles of Przygodzice and Davyd-Haradok.[11]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
The Radziwiłł family owned 23 castles and palaces. The most fortified of them were inNesvizh,Olyka,Biržai, Biała, Slutsk, Zolkow, Pomorzany andZolochiv. The Radziwiłłs possessed palaces in most important cities of the Rzeczpospolita, including those where theSejm, had its sessions (Warsaw,Hrodna), or the Tribunal held its meetings (Vilnius,Lublin,Navahrudak), in province centres where the Radziwiłłs had their estates (Minsk andLviv), and in the cities where the Radziwiłłs were economically active (Gdańsk,Wrocław). In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Radziwiłłs also owned property in European capitals likeVienna,Dresden, Berlin and Paris. Residences that emerged in the centres of the possessions of the Radziwiłłs reflected the importance of a town in the history of the family. One of these types of residences was Nesvizh in present-day Belarus, which by the 18th century had developed into a most important princely town.[30]
Over the generations the family members have resided in some notable historic homes. The Radziwiłł family owned a total of 23 palaces. Some of the more prominent of these are:
_b_512.jpg)
The Radziwiłł family members include:
Since 1515 both Mikolajs and the Radziwiłł family were elevated to Reichsfürsten of the Holy Roman Empire.
.jpg)
.jpg)
_(3).jpg)
Be to, XVI ir XVII a. Radvilų giminė atliko lemiamą vaidmenį siekiant išsaugoti Lietuvos Didžiąją Kunigaikštystė kaip atskirą valstybę.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)radziwill religion.
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons
News from Wikinews
Quotations from Wikiquote
Texts from Wikisource
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Resources from Wikiversity| Lithuanian origin |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Ruthenian origin | ||
| Others |
| |