Firlej (plural: Firlejowie) was a Polish szlachta (nobility) family. Magnates in the 15th and 17th century.
History
According to Kasper Niesiecki, Ostafi of Lewart coat of arms came from Franconia, Germany, to Poland, in 1317, to serve Polish king Władysław Łokietek. He was nicknamed Firlej, and the name became his family name. From the 15th to 17th centuries, the Firlej family was a powerful magnate family in the Lesser Poland (Małopolska) region.
From the time of Jan Firlej, the Firlej family were staunch Calvinists (Protestantism) condemned by Catholics. Although most of Jan's sons converted to Catholicism as early as the 1670s, one branch of the family persisted in Calvinism until the mid-17th century, when this one died out.
Over time, the Firlej family declined severely, the richest lines had no male descendants, and the poorer lines grew so large that they fell into the ranks of the middle and poor nobility.
The history of the Firlej family is not fully known or documented. Most historical descriptions end with the year 1730. In 1995 the Society of Friends of Janowiec was established in Janowiec, which organises meetings on the Firlej family and publishes cyclical studies.
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