Stefan Czarniecki was a Polish nobleman, general and military commander. In his career, he rose from a petty nobleman to a magnate holding one of the highest offices in the Commonwealth, something that was unprecedented in the Commonwealth's history. On 22 July 1664 he received the office of the Voivode of Kijów and on 2 January 1665, a few weeks before his death, he was given the office of Field Hetman of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom. He is remembered as an accomplished military commander, and regarded as a Polish national hero. His status in Polish history is acknowledged by a mention of his name in the Polish national anthem.
Czarniecki near Płock, painting by Juliusz Kossak
Czarniecki at the battle of Kolding. Painting by Józef Brandt.
Łodzia is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by many noble families of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. A variant serves as the coat of arms of the city of Łódź. It's a classic example of the so-called canting arms well known in European heraldry as it was borne by the medieval lords de Łodzia and their clan. Hence the boat in the shield, clearly alluding to the estate's name literally meaning Boat. Coats of Arms in the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth were a symbol of a heraldic clan.
Gultowy manor house, Western Poland
The Łodzia coat of arms on Jan Karol Opaliński sarcophagus
Painting of Saint Stanislaus