Nałęcz () is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by associated szlachta families in the Kingdom of Poland (see Kingdom of Poland (1320–1385), and Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)) and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795).

History

Nałęcz is a Polish coat of arms from the 12th century (like the Abdank, Leliwa, Radwan, and Bogorya coats of arms) that represented unity and harmony. It was used by the Gembiccy, Ostrorogowie, Szamotulscy, Chełmicki, Czarnkowscy, Slizewicz, Raczyńscy, Raczkowski, Dworniccy, Sadowski, Łowińscy, Grąbczewscy and other families. It is traditionally described as a silver shawl, tied, on a red background. Most versions had the shawl tied downwards; some were tied upwards. Some families showed the woman at the top blindfolded. Earlier versions and some modern ones depict the shawl untied. The shawl is similar in shape to the Teutonic image of Rune Othila, the Rune of a Fatherland.

The Nałęcz arms were initially connected with Greater Poland. The Nałęcze were accused of murdering Przemysł II in 1296. They also allied with Brandenburg against Władysław I Łokietek, and after the death of Louis I of Hungary waged war against the Grzymalites, attempting to put Ziemowit III of Masovia forcibly on the throne of Poland.

The best-known Poles who bore these arms were Joseph Conrad (Korzeniowski) and Sędziwój Ostroróg.

A Nałęcz relief is on the Guard House building in Poznań.

Blazon

In heraldic English, the shield may be blazoned: Gules the Nałęcz shawl circled and knotted Argent.

Notable bearers

Notable bearers of this coat of arms have included:

  • Józef Karol Konrad Chełmicki
  • Kazimierz Franciszek Czarnkowski
  • Adam Sędziwój Czarnkowski
  • Benedykt Dybowski
  • Apollo Korzeniowski
  • Joseph Conrad Korzeniowski
  • House of Małachowski
  • Jacek Małachowski
  • Stanisław Małachowski
  • Fryderyk Józef Moszyński
  • Mikołaj Ostroróg
  • Edward Raczyński (1786–1845)
  • Edward Aleksander Raczyński
  • Edward Bernard Raczyński
  • Józef Sosnowski

thumb|coat of arms of the Slizewicz family

Standard variations

<gallery widths="150" heights="150" align="center">

file:POL COA Bartoloni.svg|

file:POL COA Dybowski.svg|

file:POL COA Felsztyński.svg|

file:POL COA Gostomski.svg|

file:POL COA Korth.svg|

file:POL COA Kunowski.svg|

file:POL COA Łączyński.svg|

file:POL COA Miliński.svg|

file:POL COA Morawski.svg|

file:POL COA Nałęcz II.svg|

file:POL COA Nałęcz III.svg|

file:POL COA Nałęcz IV.svg|

file:POL COA Nałęcz V.svg|

file:POL COA Nicz.svg|

file:POL COA Nowosielecki.svg|

file:POL COA Odachowski.svg|

file:POL COA Ostroróg II.svg|

file:POL COA Pirawski.svg|

file:POL COA Raczkowski.svg|

file:POL COA Rostworowski.svg|

file:POL COA Szawłowski.svg|

file:POL COA Tański.svg|

file:POL COA Węgier.svg|

file:POL COA Woropaj.svg|

file:POL COA Żądłowski.svg|

file:POL COA Żychliński.svg|

file:POL_COA_Morawski.svg|

</gallery>

Aristocratic variations

<gallery widths="150" heights="150" align="center">

file:POL COA Gorzeński.svg|

file:POL COA Nałęcz odmiana hrabiowska.svg|

file:POL COA Małachowski.svg|

file:POL COA Moszczeński.svg|

file:POL COA Moszyński hrabia.svg|

file:POL COA Ostroróg Hrabia.svg|

file:POL COA Raczyński.svg|

</gallery>

Other

<gallery widths="120" heights="170">

File:Nalecz CoA Slawienski.JPG|Nałecz coat of arms of Stanisław Slawieński in his burial monument inside Gniezno Cathedral ()

File:Nałęcz Kaziemierza Raczyńskiego.JPG|Nałęcz coat of arms of Kazimierz Raczyński, detail of Guardhouse in Poznań

File:Naleczska vlajka.png|The Nałęcz Flag

File:Blason Abraham Socha de Szczytno - Nalecz (selon Gelre).svg|Medieval version of Nałecz coat of arms according to the Gelre Armorial

File:Kalitwiński h. Nałęcz ring.jpg|A silver ring belonging to the Kalitvianski (Kalitwiński) family with an embossed Nałęcz coat of arms, manufactured in the XIX century in the Russian Empire.

File:Elefantorden wojciechowski.jpg|Coat of arms of the Polish President Stanisław Wojciechowski as Knight of the Order of the Elephant (1923). The Chapel of the Order of the Elephant, Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød (Denmark).

File:Dobrogost z Nowego Dworu.PNG|Dobrogost z Nowego Dworu, Archbishop of Gniezno

File:Toison d'Or (Folio 119v).jpg|Armorial Toison d'Or

File:Nalecz-Paprocki-1578.jpg|Nałęcz coat of arms by Bartłomiej Paprocki published in "Gniazdo cnoty.." (1578)

</gallery>

See also

  • Polish heraldry
  • Heraldic family
  • List of Polish nobility coats of arms

Bibliography

  • Juliusz Karol Ostrowski: Księga herbowa rodów polskich. T. 1-2. Warszawa: Główny skład księgarnia antykwarska B. Bolcewicza, 1897.
  • Adam Boniecki: Herbarz polski. Warszawa: skł. gł. Gebethner i Wolff, 1899.
  • Franciszek Piekosiński: Heraldyka polska wieków średnich. Kraków: Akademia Umiejętności, 1899.
  • Józef Szymański: Herbarz średniowiecznego rycerstwa polskiego. Warszawa: PWN, 1993. .
  • Anna Wajs: Materiały genealogiczne, nobilitacje, indygenaty w zbiorach Archiwum Głównego Akt Dawnych w Warszawie. Warszawa: DiG, 2001. .
  • Alfred Znamierowski: Herbarz rodowy. Warszawa: Świat Książki, 2004. .
  • Tadeusz Gajl: Herbarz polski od średniowiecza do XX wieku : ponad 4500 herbów szlacheckich 37 tysięcy nazwisk 55 tysięcy rodów. L&L, 2007. .
  • Tadeusz Gajl: Nowy herbarz polski. 5 000 herbow + 50 000 nazwisk. Gdański Kantor Wydawniczy, 2016.
  • Schlesinger, Edward Ondřej von: Die Wappengenossenschaft Nałęcz und deren Abwandlungen mit lateinisch-kyrillischen und kyrillisch-lateinischen Konvertierungstabelle der Geschlechternamen, in: Schriftenreihe für angewandte Sozialgeschichte StudIaS - Heraldik, Serie der Wappengenossenschaften der Res Publica, Band 1, Eitorf 2025, VI+266 Seiten, (germ.), ISBN 9 783819 299124.

References