Korab-Karpinski Clan

The Karpinski Family is one of the Polish clan families that used the Korab coat of arms. The Karpinski family name means "of Karpin" or "of Karpino", after the town of Karpin (Karpino). Their family motto is: "For the greater glory of God".

The family lay claim to the title of count as early as the 13th century. However in what is considered the most authoritative work on the Polish nobility—that of Simon Konarski (Simon Konarski Armorial de la Nobelesse Polonaise En Titre Paris 1958) and Adam Boniecki [http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Boniecki_(heraldyk)] , who point out that the polish nobility based on the clan system resisted the use of titles until as late as the 17th Century and those that were acquired after this time ( especially during the partitions of Poland ) were not of Polish origin. No trace of the use of this title for the family or clan can be found in Counts of Galicia and Poland. [M. MacLagan in The English Historical Review, Vol. 74, No. 292 (Jul., 1959), pp. 548-549 published by Oxford University Press] The title it was claimed originated in 1242 when Zbislaw of Wieluń (or Wielen) of Korab coat of arms became Voyvod (Wojewoda) or King's Governor of Sieradz province in south-western Poland. This however cannot be verified by any authoritative or accepted sources. The post of Wojewoda could be likened to the sovereign appointed Lord Lieutenant of a county( large area) and thus a working title in itself in no way implying nobility although naturally the chosen occupant would be held in great esteem. [http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Boniecki_(heraldyk)

The 14th century saw the family move its seat to north-western Poland where it accumulated a large estate through grants of land and through marriage. During 16th century and 17th century, the family disposed of most of its estate in western Poland. At the beginning of 17th century, the family moved its seat to eastern Poland. By 18th century, they owned estates in eastern and south-eastern Poland in what is today Belarus and Ukraine.

During the communist era in Poland, many families dropped the use of the 'Herb' or Coat of Arms for political reasons only to resurrect their use later. It is also known that ex-patriot branches of family (as with other ex-patriots) adopted and used the prefix and the coat of arms as members of the Karpinski clan. There is no College of Arms in Poland as in the UK and thus the use of these arms is unrestricted and not controlled by any Polish authority.

ee also

*Counts of Galicia and Poland
*Adam Boniecki (heraldyk) [http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Boniecki_(heraldyk)] in Polish version of wikipedia in Polish.

References

* English Historical Review, Vol. 74, No. 292 (Jul., 1959), pp. 548-549 published by Oxford University Press
* Simon Konarski Armorial de la Nobelesse Polonaise En Titre Paris 1958
* [http://www.ornatowski.com Genealogia Heraldyka-Ornatowski.com (Genealogy and Heraldry-Ornatowski.com)]
* [http://www.jurzak.pl/ Dynastic Genealogy]
* [http://www.szlachta.org/2index.htm Szlachta.org Polish Nobles]
* Daniel Z Stone, The Polish-Lithuanian State, 1386–1795
* Pauly-Wissowa (in German)
* Labarre de Raillicourt: "Les Comtes Romains"
* Westermann, "Großer Atlas zur Weltgeschichte" (in German)
* "Magazyn Heraldyczny" (Heraldic Monthly), Volume VI, 1913 re-printed: "Verbum Nobile" no. 5/6, 1993 [http://www.szlachta.org/2dziadulewicz.htm "How Nobility in Poland was Legitimised"] by Stanislaw Dziadulewicz