Branicki (Korczak)


image:POL COA Korczak.svg|200px|right|thumb|Korczak coat of arms of the Branicki family
The House of Branicki was a Polish aristocratic family. The family acquired influence in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 18th century.

History

Not much is known about the Branicki family before the 16th century. Their progenitor was named Paweł, and two of his sons, Jan and, were part of the Gniezno chapter. According to, the ancestral seat of the Branicki family was most likely located in Branica in the Lublin region, while Teodor Żychliński writes that they took their surname from Brańcza in the Bełz land, which, as he claims, belonged to them in the 15th century. Another possibility is that they originated in Siemień in the Łuków land, as suggested by. concludes that Boniecki was "closest to the truth", citing 16th-century noble court records made in connection with the settlement of property rights to Branica and Zbylutów, in which some members of the family are mentioned. According to her, most probably in the late 16th or at the start of the 17th century, some of the Branickis migrated farther east within the Kingdom of Poland, such as the lands of Halicz and Bełz.
Up until the close of the 17th century, the Branicki family belonged to the lower ranks of the nobility. They rose to significant power and fortune with Franciszek Ksawery Branicki, Great Crown Hetman and one of the leaders of the Targowica Confederation, who amassed large wealth in both money and land. The family owned landed estates in present day Poland and Ukraine.

Coat of arms

The Branicki family used the Korczak coat of arms.

Notable members