Sypniewski
Encyclopedia
The surname Sypniewski is of Polish
origin and centered around the Oder
region where families bearing this surname are still found today. Sypniewskis can also be found all over the world, particularly in the United States
, Brazil
, and Germany
.
"Sypniewski" roughly translates as "one who originates from Sypniewo' - (that is from Sypien's settlement). There are several manorial estates
which bear the name of Sypniewo or a similar spelling as in the German "Zippnow".
of 'Sypien' suggests the use of water in association with the making or use of a clay vessel or fortification and the breeding or capture of fish. In short, the origins suggest a clan that lived either in a fortified place on or near water (rivers/lakes) or who kept game and fisheries. In all likelihood both options apply. Most of the old manorial estates bearing the name Sypniewo are located near or on a lake or river (i.e. Lake Margonin). In German the name is translated as 'Seeort' (place on the lake).
(nobility) and, although mentioned already ca. 1390, obtained a nobility patent in 1480 from the king, Casimir IV Jagiellon
(1427-1492, who granted the right to use the Odrowąż coat of arms. Zlota Kseiga Szlachty Polskiej ("Golden Book of Polish Nobility") states that the Sypniewski - Odrowaz arms are said to have come from the Podgorza region, recorded about 1490. Their nobility confirmations through Bonifacius Sypniewski are dated to 1483 & 1833. A Jan Sypniewski resettled in Lithuania
in the Brzesko-Litewskie province, and branches are found in Poznań
, Nowy Sącz
, and Prussia
. Around the 16th century, the Sypniewski family is found living in Greater Poland owning manorial estates there, and later we find them in West Prussia on the estate of Zmijewie (Kojalowicz, Niesiecki, Goluchowski).
Various other documents found in Polish archives refer to the family and its holdings in and around, what was later to become, the Silesian and Prussian German/Polish border. The family is then also mentioned as Prussian nobility, on the division of Poland in the 18th century, and is found in Siebmacher's Wappenbuch under the Odrowąż armories.
At the turn of the 16th, and again 18/19th century, the family split into various and distinct branches, with some members moving to the Austria
n province of Galicia (holding the Austrian title Ritter von Odrowaz or Ritter von Sypniewski (see also Ritter
) granted by the Empress Maria Theresia), near the Ukraine
and Moldavia
, then on to Hungary
and the Balkans
. This Austrian branch produced several k.u.k.
officers from the famous Theresian Military Academy
in Vienna
.
It is also said that the von Runge family (originating from an area around Wroclav, the former Breslau) adopted the surname Sypniewski.
There are several estates called Sypniewo. One south of Samotschin
in the Kreis Chodziesen/Kolmar in Posen
, and the larger holding called Sypniewo (Zippnow) located north of Samotschin, in Kreis Flatow, West Prussia. Now this area forms part of Wielopolska, Poland. Wielpolska, or Greater Poland, is referred to as the home of the Polanie (a Slavic tribe that lived in the heart of Poland); and Great Poland contains the oldest towns in today's Poland.
The surname Sypniewski has also been found in Polesie, the largest province of Poland. Polesie was inhabited by Ruthenians
, called Polesians; of Ukrainian descent. During the 16th and 17th century, Sypniewski were found in Polesia as a notable family mentioned in the Listracje (inventories) similar to the registry of England's Domesday Book
. The 17th, 18th, and 19th century's turbulent times forced many Polish families to emigrate to other regions of Europe (particularly Prussia) and later to emigrate further afield to the United States and Brazil. Heinrich Sypniewski from Cologne had a Eucalyptus farm in Brazil.
Sypniewskis could also be found near Bydgoszcz (German: Bromberg) and Wroclav (German: Breslau) in the manor of Skoraszewice (Pempowo) until World War II
. Others were in Vienna, Passau
, Nuremberg
, Cologne
, Sweden and Switzerland, etc.
The Sypniewskis use the Odrowąż clan arms.
NOTE: Polish coats of arms were never provided for individuals or for individual families, but for a much wider group of clans people (a bit like sharing a tartan colour). The Polish nobleman added the name of his clan to the family name. In addition to the adjectival surname ending "ski" or "cki" meaning 'from' or 'of'. The standard form, for example, was "Peter Sypniewski, herbu Odrowąż" or simply "Piotr Odrowąż Sypniewski". In this century the surname Sypniewski has been transmuted into the Celtic d'Argantel Odrowąż.
The book, Galician Nobility, (Galicia was SE Poland as part of the Austrian Empire) lists the arms for Sypniewski (table 449): a family of Polish gentry from the Polish Province (Wojewodztwo) of Prussia, where they are first recorded in 1490. Descendant Boniface Sypniewski is entered in the records of Galicia in 1783. The coat of arms
is Odrowąż.
Siebmacher's Wappenbuch (Siebmacher's armorial reference book) under Preussischer Adel (Prussian Nobility), records Sypniewski (table 269), a Polish family, connected to the Odrowaz coat of arms, still 20 years ago (at the printing of the above stated book, ca. 1840) in possession of a sizeable piece of farmland. Coat of arms: Look under Gliscinski III (Odrowaz).
(Source: Armorial General by J.B. Riestap)
Arms: Gules, an arrow argent point to chief, the base terminating as inverted horns.
(Red, a silver arrow, point upwards, the base terminating as inverted horns)
Crest: out of a crest coronet proper, a pananache of peacock plumes proper, charged with arms, fesseway (horizontally).
Motto: No motto is recorded
Heraldic Colors:
Argent: silver and is usually depicted in heraldic painting as white - or: gold and is usually depicted in heraldic painting as yellow. Gules: red in heraldic language. Red is a royal color. Red/argent stands for bold and resolutely honest with martial prowess, boldness, and valor
Heraldic Symbolism:
Arrows: arrows usually are traced to achievements of the original bearer during the Crusades. Arrows are symbolic of one who is ready and fit for military encounter.
Peacock Feathers: the peacock represents personal pride. Feathers also symbolise conquests in Syria/Holy Land over the Saracens in the Crusades.
Ducal Coronet: The four leaves on the corenet surmounting the helmet were originally oak leaves, then changed to the Polish traditional strawberry leaves. Leaves symbolise victorious battle, and/or a title of nobility.
.
Feliks Sypniewski
was a renowned Polish Painter who later emigrated to Paris and is buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery
.
Even though by today many of the families bearing the surname Sypniewski can no longer be classified as being 'related', often physical traits are still intact. On the male side they tend to be tall, with a high forehead and 'Geheimratsecken' (naturally receded hairline above the temple) with an oval face. Also certain forenames were given within the families and only with the advent of the World Wars was this changed. For example: Stanislas and Adalbert (or Albert) very common. It is worthwhile to note that the parish church in Margonin
(near Sypniewo/Chrustowo) is named after St Adalbert.
Sypniewskis have, over the centuries, prodcuced soldiers, painters and artists, authors, clerics, magistrates, engineers, military, musicians, farmers, medical doctors, teachers, government administrators, explorers, etc.
Members of the Sypniewski family have been actively involved in Polish politics over the centuries, and taken part in Polish Underground and French Resistance
activities during World War II (i.e. Jan Sypniewski, later known as Jan Slave, journalist at the Neue Zürcher Zeitung
).
in 1876. The group of emigrants who settled in Anaheim, California
, also included Henryk Sienkiewicz
, Julian Sypniewski und Łucjan Paprocki. Stanisław Witkiewicz (father of Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz) and Adam Chmielowski had planned to be part of this group but changed their minds.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
origin and centered around the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
region where families bearing this surname are still found today. Sypniewskis can also be found all over the world, particularly in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
"Sypniewski" roughly translates as "one who originates from Sypniewo' - (that is from Sypien's settlement). There are several manorial estates
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
which bear the name of Sypniewo or a similar spelling as in the German "Zippnow".
Etymology
The etymologyEtymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of 'Sypien' suggests the use of water in association with the making or use of a clay vessel or fortification and the breeding or capture of fish. In short, the origins suggest a clan that lived either in a fortified place on or near water (rivers/lakes) or who kept game and fisheries. In all likelihood both options apply. Most of the old manorial estates bearing the name Sypniewo are located near or on a lake or river (i.e. Lake Margonin). In German the name is translated as 'Seeort' (place on the lake).
Nobility patent, manorial estates and origins
The Sypniewskis belong to the Polish SzlachtaSzlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
(nobility) and, although mentioned already ca. 1390, obtained a nobility patent in 1480 from the king, Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV KG of the House of Jagiellon was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440, and King of Poland from 1447, until his death.Casimir was the second son of King Władysław II Jagiełło , and the younger brother of Władysław III of Varna....
(1427-1492, who granted the right to use the Odrowąż coat of arms. Zlota Kseiga Szlachty Polskiej ("Golden Book of Polish Nobility") states that the Sypniewski - Odrowaz arms are said to have come from the Podgorza region, recorded about 1490. Their nobility confirmations through Bonifacius Sypniewski are dated to 1483 & 1833. A Jan Sypniewski resettled in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
in the Brzesko-Litewskie province, and branches are found in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, Nowy Sącz
Nowy Sacz
Nowy Sącz is a town in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the district capital of Nowy Sącz County, but is not included within the powiat.-Names:...
, and Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. Around the 16th century, the Sypniewski family is found living in Greater Poland owning manorial estates there, and later we find them in West Prussia on the estate of Zmijewie (Kojalowicz, Niesiecki, Goluchowski).
Various other documents found in Polish archives refer to the family and its holdings in and around, what was later to become, the Silesian and Prussian German/Polish border. The family is then also mentioned as Prussian nobility, on the division of Poland in the 18th century, and is found in Siebmacher's Wappenbuch under the Odrowąż armories.
At the turn of the 16th, and again 18/19th century, the family split into various and distinct branches, with some members moving to the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n province of Galicia (holding the Austrian title Ritter von Odrowaz or Ritter von Sypniewski (see also Ritter
Ritter
Ritter is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second lowest rank within the nobility, standing above "Edler" and below "Freiherr"...
) granted by the Empress Maria Theresia), near the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
, then on to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. This Austrian branch produced several k.u.k.
K.u.k.
The German phrase kaiserlich und königlich , typically abbreviated as k. u. k., k. und k. , or k. & k., refers to the Court of the Habsburgs in a broader historical perspective . Some modern authors restrict its use to the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918...
officers from the famous Theresian Military Academy
Theresian Military Academy
The Theresian Military Academy is an academy, where the Austrian Armed Forces train their officers. The Academy is located in the castle of Wiener Neustadt in Lower Austria.- History :...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
It is also said that the von Runge family (originating from an area around Wroclav, the former Breslau) adopted the surname Sypniewski.
Estates
Szamocin
Szamocin is a city in Chodzież County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland.During the Partitions of Poland the town belonged to Kreis Kolmar in Posen.-External links:* http://www.szamocin.umig.gov.pl/...
in the Kreis Chodziesen/Kolmar in Posen
Kreis Kolmar in Posen
Kreis Kolmar was one of several Kreise in the northern administrative district of Bromberg, in the Prussian province of Posen.- Table of Standesämter :...
, and the larger holding called Sypniewo (Zippnow) located north of Samotschin, in Kreis Flatow, West Prussia. Now this area forms part of Wielopolska, Poland. Wielpolska, or Greater Poland, is referred to as the home of the Polanie (a Slavic tribe that lived in the heart of Poland); and Great Poland contains the oldest towns in today's Poland.
The surname Sypniewski has also been found in Polesie, the largest province of Poland. Polesie was inhabited by Ruthenians
Ruthenians
The name Ruthenian |Rus']]) is a culturally loaded term and has different meanings according to the context in which it is used. Initially, it was the ethnonym used for the East Slavic peoples who lived in Rus'. Later it was used predominantly for Ukrainians...
, called Polesians; of Ukrainian descent. During the 16th and 17th century, Sypniewski were found in Polesia as a notable family mentioned in the Listracje (inventories) similar to the registry of England's Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. The 17th, 18th, and 19th century's turbulent times forced many Polish families to emigrate to other regions of Europe (particularly Prussia) and later to emigrate further afield to the United States and Brazil. Heinrich Sypniewski from Cologne had a Eucalyptus farm in Brazil.
Sypniewskis could also be found near Bydgoszcz (German: Bromberg) and Wroclav (German: Breslau) in the manor of Skoraszewice (Pempowo) until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Others were in Vienna, Passau
Passau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
, Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Sweden and Switzerland, etc.
Armorial records
NOTE: Polish coats of arms were never provided for individuals or for individual families, but for a much wider group of clans people (a bit like sharing a tartan colour). The Polish nobleman added the name of his clan to the family name. In addition to the adjectival surname ending "ski" or "cki" meaning 'from' or 'of'. The standard form, for example, was "Peter Sypniewski, herbu Odrowąż" or simply "Piotr Odrowąż Sypniewski". In this century the surname Sypniewski has been transmuted into the Celtic d'Argantel Odrowąż.
The book, Galician Nobility, (Galicia was SE Poland as part of the Austrian Empire) lists the arms for Sypniewski (table 449): a family of Polish gentry from the Polish Province (Wojewodztwo) of Prussia, where they are first recorded in 1490. Descendant Boniface Sypniewski is entered in the records of Galicia in 1783. The coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Odrowąż.
Siebmacher's Wappenbuch (Siebmacher's armorial reference book) under Preussischer Adel (Prussian Nobility), records Sypniewski (table 269), a Polish family, connected to the Odrowaz coat of arms, still 20 years ago (at the printing of the above stated book, ca. 1840) in possession of a sizeable piece of farmland. Coat of arms: Look under Gliscinski III (Odrowaz).
Odrowąż arms
for the Sypniewski name:(Source: Armorial General by J.B. Riestap)
Arms: Gules, an arrow argent point to chief, the base terminating as inverted horns.
(Red, a silver arrow, point upwards, the base terminating as inverted horns)
Crest: out of a crest coronet proper, a pananache of peacock plumes proper, charged with arms, fesseway (horizontally).
Motto: No motto is recorded
Heraldic Colors:
Argent: silver and is usually depicted in heraldic painting as white - or: gold and is usually depicted in heraldic painting as yellow. Gules: red in heraldic language. Red is a royal color. Red/argent stands for bold and resolutely honest with martial prowess, boldness, and valor
Heraldic Symbolism:
Arrows: arrows usually are traced to achievements of the original bearer during the Crusades. Arrows are symbolic of one who is ready and fit for military encounter.
Peacock Feathers: the peacock represents personal pride. Feathers also symbolise conquests in Syria/Holy Land over the Saracens in the Crusades.
Ducal Coronet: The four leaves on the corenet surmounting the helmet were originally oak leaves, then changed to the Polish traditional strawberry leaves. Leaves symbolise victorious battle, and/or a title of nobility.
Comments
The Odrowąż arms are also shown in the film The Teutonic Knights (Polish: Krzyżacy). King Władysław Jagiełło - a historic person, king of Poland between 1381 and 1434 had first bestowed the coat of arms to the Sypniewski family, who fought with Casimir IV JagiellonCasimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV KG of the House of Jagiellon was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440, and King of Poland from 1447, until his death.Casimir was the second son of King Władysław II Jagiełło , and the younger brother of Władysław III of Varna....
.
Feliks Sypniewski
Feliks Sypniewski
Feliks Sypniewski was a Polish painter and artist who painted mostly historic battle scenes drawn from the borderlands of Poland and Germany....
was a renowned Polish Painter who later emigrated to Paris and is buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France , though there are larger cemeteries in the city's suburbs.Père Lachaise is in the 20th arrondissement, and is reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the...
.
Even though by today many of the families bearing the surname Sypniewski can no longer be classified as being 'related', often physical traits are still intact. On the male side they tend to be tall, with a high forehead and 'Geheimratsecken' (naturally receded hairline above the temple) with an oval face. Also certain forenames were given within the families and only with the advent of the World Wars was this changed. For example: Stanislas and Adalbert (or Albert) very common. It is worthwhile to note that the parish church in Margonin
Margonin
Margonin is a town in Chodzież County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 2,941 inhabitants .- History :Margonin is first mentioned when Archbishop Jarosław Skotnicki of Gnesen and the Bishop of Posen, Jan Doliwa, agreed on May 15, 1364 that Margonin parish should belong to the Posen...
(near Sypniewo/Chrustowo) is named after St Adalbert.
Sypniewskis have, over the centuries, prodcuced soldiers, painters and artists, authors, clerics, magistrates, engineers, military, musicians, farmers, medical doctors, teachers, government administrators, explorers, etc.
Members of the Sypniewski family have been actively involved in Polish politics over the centuries, and taken part in Polish Underground and French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
activities during World War II (i.e. Jan Sypniewski, later known as Jan Slave, journalist at the Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung is a major German language Swiss daily newspaper based in Zurich.One of the oldest newspapers still published, it originally appeared as Zürcher Zeitung, edited by Salomon Gessner, from January 12, 1780, and was renamed to Neue Zürcher Zeitung in 1821...
).
California links
As recounted in her memoirs, actress Helena Modrzejewska emigrated to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1876. The group of emigrants who settled in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, also included Henryk Sienkiewicz
Henryk Sienkiewicz
Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz was a Polish journalist and Nobel Prize-winning novelist. A Polish szlachcic of the Oszyk coat of arms, he was one of the most popular Polish writers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1905 for his...
, Julian Sypniewski und Łucjan Paprocki. Stanisław Witkiewicz (father of Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz) and Adam Chmielowski had planned to be part of this group but changed their minds.
Sources
- Niesiecki, Kasper Herbarz Polski by Kasper Niesiecki, S. J., Leipzig edition, 1839-1846.
- Ritter von Sypniewski Odrowaz, Alfred; 50 Jahre Kaiser ("50 Years Emperor") Vienna, 1913
- von Schmitt; Der Kreis Flatow
- Siebmacher's Wappenbuch
- Sypniewski Family papers and official records.
- Zlota Kseiga Szlachty Polskiej (Golden Book of Polish Nobility)
- Deak, Istvan Beyond Nationalism - A social and political history of the Habsburg Officer Corps 1848-1918 see page 159
- Memories and Impressions of Helena Modjeska The Macmillan Company, NY, 1910
- Records of the Theresianum in Vienna, Austria