The Komierowski family from Komierowo, Pomian coat of arms, traces its origins to the legendary ancestor of the clan, the knight Sobiesław Bossuta, who came to Poland from Bohemia. Family chronicles state that he was a member of the retinue of the Bohemian princess Dobrawa, who in 965 came to the court of Duke Mieszko I to marry him. This knight received lands as a gift for his merits to the duke in Pomerania, near Gniezno and Nakło, today's localities of Komierowo and Włościbórz. Since then, the family continuously inhabited Komierowo for nearly 1000 years, until the outbreak of World War II. Over time, the clan adopted the surname
from the name of that locality, making it the main seat of the clan.
Estate in NieżychowoFamily members see the source of centuries-long continuity in Komierowo in a principle exceptional for Polish conditions, the minorat rule, meaning inheritance by the youngest male descendant in the family (the usual rule was majorat, meaning inheritance by the eldest). The rest of the family had to seek means of subsistence outside the family seat, which prevented division and fragmentation of the estate.
In this way, through purchase or marriages with neighbors, the family increased its holdings. In the hands of the Komierowski family, for shorter or longer periods, besides Komierowo, there were estates such as Komierówek, Niechorz, Nieżychowo, Dąbrówka, Krojanki, Kijewo, Wola Dąbrowiecka, Włościbórz. Furthermore, at various times in history, the Komierowski family settled in Lithuania and Podolia. Through the same process, in 1763 two family branches were separated: the Masovian, founded by Józef Komierowski (1726-1813) and the Pomeranian branch with its seat in Komierowo, with its progenitor Stanisław Komierowski (d. 1793). At the end of the 18th century, the importance of the family increased, and its members participated in the elections of kings Augustus II, Stanisław Leszczyński, and Stanisław August Poniatowski.
According to the opinion of Maciej Rydel, a researcher of the history of the Polish gentry, Komierowo is a settlement that remained the longest in the hands of one noble family in Poland. The family lost the estate only
during World War II, when the German troops expelled them from the Komierowo property, and after the war, it was confiscated by the Polish People's Republic authorities.
Document from 1614 – mentioned Zofia Komierowska – subprioress (subpriorissa) of the Norbertines in Strzelno As a result of inheritance rules as well as diverse interests of various family members, throughout history we encounter not only landowners but also military men, state officials, priests, nuns, lawyers, judges, deputies, diplomats, poets, chroniclers, or thinkers.
In the 18th century, Józef Komierowski, cup-bearer of Inowrocław, left a genealogy of the family and a collection of moral and ethical reflections titled "Father to His Children". Zofia Komierowska in the 16th century was prioress of the Norbertine order in Strzelno. Ludwik Adam Komierowski (d. 1703) was a companion in the hussar banner, settled in Podolia.
Document from 1614 – mentioned Zofia Komierowska – subprioress (subpriorissa) of the Norbertines in Strzelno
Stanisław Komierowski (d. 1793) was a participant in the Bar Confederation. In the Napoleonic wars, Jakub Komierowski distinguished himself, an extremely colorful figure, general of the Polish army, who at his own expense raised an infantry regiment and fell in 1807 fighting the Prussians near the town of Nowe, which today has a street named after him. Officer brothers Jan and Julian Komierowski from the Masovian line were knights of the Virtuti Militari cross during the November Uprising. Jan Wacław Komierowski (1850–1954), pseudonym Wacław Pomian, wrote lyrical poems, sonnets "Spring Sonata" (1897), songs for the epic poem "Hercules and Omphale" (1891), and translated books from foreign languages, including H. Heine, J.W. Goethe, and V. Hugo. He married the sister of Henryk Sienkiewicz, Aniela.
His son, Ludomir (1883–1954), a literary and music critic and diplomat in the Vatican, Rome, Milan, and Monaco during World War II organized underground resistance and was a member of the French resistance movement. He was imprisoned during the war in Italy and Berlin.
Finally, Roman Komierowski (1846-1924), owner of Komierowo and Nieżychów, a man of many talents and a great organizer, who invested in modern working methods and multiplied the family fortune. An advocate for the Polish cause in the Prussian partition, a long-time deputy, leader of the Polish circle in the Prussian parliament, and after the unification of Germany also in the Reichstag.
He acted against the Germanization of the Polish population and the expulsion of the Catholic faith by the Germans. Author of memoirs from his tenure in the parliaments of the Prussian partition, on May 2, 1924, he was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. His daughter Maria Janta-Połczyńska (1880-1970), wife of the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in the Second Polish Republic, Leon Janta-Połczyński, became the godmother of the sailing ship "Dar Pomorza".
Raising the Polish flag on the sailing ship "Dar Pomorza." Wearing a hat, Maria Janta-Połczyńska, the godmother of the sailing ship. Gdynia, July 13, 1930.
The last pre-war owner Tomasz Komierowski (1885-1939) rebuilt the palace into its current classical form. On the eve of the outbreak of World War II, on the evening of August 31, 1939, at the train station in Toruń, he spoke to his son Andrzej Komierowski (1926-1994) words that reflected an extraordinary attachment to family tradition and determination to remain in the family nest: "Komierowski belongs to Komierowo and no one will move him from there".
During an attempt to reach Nieżychowo, Tomasz was stopped by German soldiers and transported to Lipka near Złotów, where on the night of September 3 to 4, 1939, he was executed by shooting. In April 1945, the retreating German troops destroyed the family tomb chapel of the Komierowski family from 1911, located in the southeastern part of the park.
After 1945, the palace along with the estate was taken over by the State Treasury of the People's Republic of Poland and remained unused until 1960. After the war, the palace and farmland were confiscated by the communist authorities.Józef KomierowskiRoman KomierowskiTomasz Komierowski, the last heir of KomierowoTurn of the 1820s and 1830s. Róża from the Zamoyski family Komierowska with her son Andrzej on the terrace of the palace in KomierowoTomasz Komierowski with his son Andrzej.
Turn of the 1820s and 1830s. Róża from the Zamoyski family Komierowska with her son Andrzej on the terrace of the palace in Komierowo
Tomasz Komierowski, the last heir of Komierowo
Tomasz Komierowski with his son Andrzej
1989, Andrzej Komierowski in front of the palace in Komierowo
Roman Komierowski
Józef Komierowski
Entrepreneur Piotr Komierowski, originating from the Masovian lineage, fulfilling the will of Andrzej Komierowski, the son of the last heir of Komierowo, after many years of battles with authorities, purchased the palace. The monument, devastated during the communist era, required a complete renovation. This task was undertaken by Piotr's daughter, Agnieszka Komierowska-Ziomek, and after six years of work, the palace in Komierowo has once again become the jewel of Krajna.
From right: Piotr and Ewa Komierowscy, Agnieszka Komierowska-Ziomek, Jan Komierowski, Anna Komierowska-Szweycer, Łukasz Komierowski
