Ogiński family

Coat of arms of the Ogiński family

Ogiński (Lithuanian: Oginskiai) was a noble family of Lithuania and Poland (later, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth), member of The Princely Houses of Poland.

They were most likely of Rurikid stock, related to Chernihiv Knyaz family, and originated from the Smolensk region, incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania around 14th century. The family bears its name from Uogintai (in present day Kaišiadorys district of Lithuania), a major estate of the family in Lithuania granted to precursor of the family Knyaz Dmitry Hlushonok (d. 1510) by Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander in 1486. An important family in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the family had produced many important officials of the state, as well as several notable musicians. The Ogiński clan's political stronghold was the Vitebsk Voivodeship, where a palace was built in the first half of the 17th century by Samuel Ogiński; until the beginning of the 19th century, it was the largest public building in the city of Vitebsk.

On September 18, 1711 Bishop Bogusław Gosiewski, sold the town of Maladzyechna the Ogiński family. Among the owners of the area were Kazimierz Ogiński and Tadeusz Ogiński, the Castellan of Trakai. The Ogiński family made it one of the main centres of their domain. They erected a new, classicist palace with notable frescoes, as well as a late renaissance church. In 1783 the family received the title of Prince from the Holy Roman Emperor.

In 1882 the villages Zalavas and Kavarskas were bought by Michał Ogiński, an heir to the Ogiński family who had owned it in the 18th century. They also temporarily possessed Siedlce. They were the sponsors of Orthodox editions in Ruthenian and Slavonic languages.^[1] Orthodox publicists called the clan of Oginski "the bastion of Orthodox faith". The last orthodox magnate, Marcjan Aleksander Ogiński had to choose between Roman Catholic and Greek-Catholic Church ^[2].

Tomb of Michal Kleofas Oginski Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence.

Notable family members

• Aleksander Ogiński (? - 1667), last orthodox senator of General sejm, Banner Bearer of Trakai Voivodeship.
• Samuel Ogiński (? - 1657), Trakai bailiff.
• Marcjan Aleksander Ogiński (1632–1690), Lithuanian senator and military commander.
• Ignacy Ogiński Grand marshall of Lithuania.
• Michał Kazimierz Ogiński (1730–1800), Lithuanian senator and composer.

Oginski Chapel in the Church of St. Johns (Vilnius).

• Michał Kleofas Ogiński (1765–1833), Polish-Lithuanian senator and composer, author of the polonaise Farewell to the Fatherland.
• Tadeusz Franciszek Ogiński (1712–1783), Lithuanian senator and speaker of the Sejm.
• Grzegorz Antoni Ogiński
• Gabriel Ogiński

See also

• Grand Duchy of Lithuania
• Lithuanian nobility
• List of szlachta

External links

• [1] Family tree of Michał Kleofas Ogiński, since 14th century.

References

• Jerzy Jan Lerski, Piotr Wróbel, Richard J. Kozicki (1996). Historical Dictionary of Poland, 966-1945. Greenwood Publishing. p. 399. ISBN 978-0-313-26007-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=FPxhOu_n1VYC&pg=PA399&vq=Oginski&dq=&client=firefox-a&source=gbs_search_s&cad=0. 

1. ^ Kniha Bielarusi. Zvodny kataloh. 1517-1917. Minsk, 1986
2. ^ H. Lulewicz, Gniewów o unię ciąg dalszy. Stosunki polsko – litewskie w latach 1569–1588, Warszawa 2002.