''Indygenat'' or '

naturalization Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

' in the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...

was the grant of nobility to foreign nobles. To grant ''indygenat'', a foreign noble had to submit proof of their service to the Republic, together with proof of nobility issued by a foreign court, swear an

oath of allegiance An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to a monarch or a country. In modern republics, oaths are sworn to the country in general, or to the country's constitution. Fo ...

, and buy land. Grants of ''indygenat'' were limited in the history of Poland to just over 400 foreign nobles. It was granted by the King; after 1641 it was only valid with approval of the

General sejm A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

(parliament).

Bibliography

* Norman Davies, God's Playground A History of Poland: The Origins to 1795 (Vol. I), Oxford 2005, pp. 183-184

External links

* Alphabetical Lists of naturalized non-citizens in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during 1569-1792 Legal history of Poland {{Europe-law-stub

Bibliography

See also

External links