Ród Prusów w Łęczyckiem, Sieradzkiem i Sandomierskiem do XVI wieku. Rozsiedlenie – majątki – kariery
Prus family in Łęczyca, Sieradz and Sandomierz voivodeships until 16th century. Settlement – estates – careers

Author(s): Łukasz Ćwikła
Subject(s): History, Cultural history, Ethnohistory, Modern Age, 16th Century
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: Middle Ages; Prus family; Central Poland; genealogical tables; political and ecclesial careers; neighbourly relations; including border disputes; debt enforcement; conflicts; criminal cases
Summary/Abstract: The monograph is a part of the research trend concerning the society of Central Poland in the Middle Ages. It describes the history of the noble family of Prus coat of arms with particular emphasis on its political, economic and property role until 16th century. The title matter under considerationin cludes two important historical lands. They were initially duke’s provinces. Then (from 14th to 18th century) they were the autonomous Łęczyca and Sieradz voivodeships. The research includes the part of Sandomierz voivodeship (Opoczno county), where the estate of Prus family was located. It is important to emphasize it is not a typical genealogical monograph. It does not present biographies of Prus family’s members, but it concentrates on different aspects of their activity in a problematical order. The monograph includes the topic of settlement and estates of Prus family in Central Poland. Its analysis was made on the basis on the manuscripts, especially Łęczyca, Sieradz and Brzeziny land books. The book contains the maps which present the settlement and estate of the family on the territory mentioned above. The monograph provide us with the information about political and ecclesial careers of the family members. The Author described their political participation not only in local context, but nationwide also. The economic activity is an important part of the book. It concerns the lease of royal estates, ecclesial estates and founding activity. It enabled to evaluate the role of Prus family in Łęczyca and Sieradz voivodeships. The Author analysed the symptoms of neighbourly and family relations on the basis of available historical sources. They concerned protection of financial foundations of the family members, support in political and ecclesial careers and neighbourly relations, including border disputes, debt enforcement, conflicts, criminal cases. At the end the monograph contains the summary of the Author’s research goals. The estate potential of family members was estimated in comparison to the whole nobility estate in Central Poland. The conclusions are presented on the estate map and bar diagram. In that part of the book the Author mentioned the phenomenon of Prus family expansion to the East in 15th–17th century, trying to answer what was the factor determining it. The monograph includes annexes which additionally illustrate content of the main part of the book. Firstly, they present the genealogical tables of particular noble families being the part of Prus family. Secondly, the iconographical documentation of all Prus coat of arms in 14th–20th century. It was divided into some thematic parts: epitaphs, tombstones, painting and others. The annexes include the illustration of temples and manor of Wspinek family from Będków foundation. The monograph presents detailed panorama of large-scale activity of Prus family in Central Poland in the Middle Ages. It makes complete the historiographical gap concerning the history of that family in Łęczyca, Sieradz and Sandomierz voivodeships.

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