Family Klopotek
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Klopotek Glowczewscy Herbu Ostoja


original Polish letters setting in the family name
Klopotek Glowczewscy herbu Ostoja (Klopotek Glowczewscy of coat of arms / family crest "Ostoja") is an ancient kaszubian noble family.

Historical sources mention that the family name "Klopotek" and later "Klopotek Glowczewscy" appeared in army recruitment lists as early as in 1570ties (compare "Dzieje Brus i okolic",ISBN 83-00-00831-4, J. Borzyszkowski editor, Publisher: Zrzeszenie Kaszubsko-Pomorskie, Chojnice-Gdan`sk 1984, p. 85 and other). Members of the family are listed in historical documents as participants of the battle of Vienna in 1683, serving under the king Jan III Sobieski (after a TVP program broadcasted on the occasion of 300th anniversary of the Vienna victory, 12th Sept. 1983). Stanislaw Klopotek is mentioned as elector of Polish king in 1632 (Poland was a kind of republic by that time: kings were elected in "general elections" by the nobility). Jan and Jozef Klopotek were electors of Polish king in 1764. Maciej Klopotek participated in Barska Confederation in 1768.

Ignacy Klopotek held the office of a "regent" in Kalisz by 1824. Jakob Klopotek was the judge of peace in Wartski district in 1813. His grand son Feliks appeared in 1845 in Polish Kingdom and proved there his nobility.

(Above information after "Herbarz polski" by Adam Boniecki, Warszawa 1903, Publisher: Gebethner and Wolff, Part I,"Wiadomos`ci historyczno-genealogiczne o rodach szlacheckich." Volume VI, pp. 113-114, also in "Rodzina, Herbarz szlachty polskiej" by Seweryn Uruski, Adam Kosinski and Aleksander Wlodarski, Warszawa 1907, Publisher: Gebethner and Wolff, Volume IV, p. 199, ).

A family tale says that noble status was granted the family by Polish King Wladyslaw Jagiello in 1410. Indeed, grammatical considerations of origins of the name "Klopotek" place it even in the 14th or 13th century.


The Family Coat of Arms

Name: Ostoja, in English: Refuge

"Gules, between an increscent and a decrescent all Or, a sword in pale point downwards Proper, hilted and pommelled Or". (see "Herby rycerstwa polskiego" by Bartosz Paprocki printed in 1584, reprinted in 1858 in Krakow, Publishing House: Wydawnictwa Biblioteki Polskiej ; see also "Herbarz Polski" of Kasper Niesiecki, reprinted by Jan Bobrowicz in 1841 in Leipzig, Publisher: Breitkopf and Hertel)

The family coat of arms "Ostoja", as historical sources (just mentioned) say, has been established by Polish king Boleslaw the Bold in late years of the 11th century or at the beginning of the 12th century. However, it does not mean that this coat of arms was granted by then to a knight from the Klopotek family, because it was a habit to grant the same arms to members of different families e.g. for similar services to the king and the kingdom, participation in the same battle.

15th and 16th century was the time when nobles took in use a double name - the original nobility marking name (e.g. Klopotek) and a second marking the seat of the family (e.g. Glowczewscy). So still my great great grand father and my great grand father used the double name Klopotek Glowczewski. After regaining independence in 1918 the parliament of the young second Polish Republic decided that all citizens be equal and the nobility was officially annulled.( In March Constitution of 17.03.1921 Art.96 we read " ... The Republic of Poland does not recognize privileges of birth or of estate, or any coats of arms, faniily or other titles, with the exception of those of learning, office, or profession. ... ") My grand father, my father, I and my children didn't use the double name anymore. And I think that there was a good reason for dismissing the noble class in the society. Nobles of ancient Poland were those aware (or were required to be aware) of the necessity of unconditional love and devotion to the State and the Nation and of unconditional service to the homeland whenever required. Over the experience of the past century, the feeling of love for the State and the Nation has grown in hearts of all the people living in our country. They fought and served it independly of their status and deserved thus to be all raised to the noble class of the Nation. Hence there was no need to distinguish between nobility and non-nobility any more.

Please do not hesittate to send any comments or information about Klopotek family to me:
e-mail: <MAKlopotek@Polandmail.com>

Best regards
Mieczyslaw A. Klopotek

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank all those visitors who kindly drew my attention to inaccuracies both in my English and in some facts I presented and suggested ways to correct them.

Additional info

Klopoteks on the WWW: Anybody wanting to have his e-mail placed here ?

Possible places of interest for Klopoteks, when seeking for the roots

(Maps from Worldwide Place Finder, Expedia Maps)
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