The Chodakowski family (Lithuanian: Chodakauskas) is a

Lithuanian noble The Lithuanian nobility or szlachta (Lithuanian: ''bajorija, šlėkta'') was historically a legally privileged hereditary elite class in the Kingdom of Lithuania and Grand Duchy of Lithuania (including during period of foreign rule 1795–1918) ...

family. They originated in the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Lit ...

and increased in notability under the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the

First Republic of Lithuania The history of Lithuania dates back to settlements founded many thousands of years ago, but the first written record of the name for the country dates back to 1009 AD. Lithuanians, one of the Balts, Baltic peoples, later conquered neighboring la ...

. They use the

Dołęga Coat of Arms Dolega (in Polish Dołęga) may refer to: Places * Dolega, Chiriquí, Panama * Dołęga, Lesser Poland Voivodeship (south Poland) People * Mycielski (Dołęga) (singular masculine), Mycielska (singular feminine), Mycielscy (plural), from a Polish ...

History

The family may have originated in Chodakow, a town in south central

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

. The Chodakowski family can trace their ancestry back to Mikołaj Chodakowski (born c1510) who was granted

Lichosielce Lichosielce is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Lipsk, within Augustów County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland, close to the border with Belarus. It lies approximately east of Lipsk, east of Augustów, and n ...

Manor with a land property by

Privilege Privilege may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Privilege'' (film), a 1967 film directed by Peter Watkins * ''Privilege'' (Ivor Cutler album), 1983 * ''Privilege'' (Television Personalities album), 1990 * ''Privilege (Abridged)'', an alb ...

on September 4, 1532, by

Sigismund I the Old Sigismund I the Old ( pl, Zygmunt I Stary, lt, Žygimantas II Senasis; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the ...

, the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. In the Lietuvos Metrikos, the Court Case Book of Lithuania, Mikołaj is mentioned as Vaŭkavysk's deputy mayor and local lord. He participated in the examination of some cases with other representatives of the court. For the following five generations (1532-1807) the family remained in the

Vaŭkavysk Vawkavysk ( be, Ваўкавы́ск, ; russian: Волковы́ск; pl, Wołkowysk; lt, Valkaviskas; yi, וואלקאוויסק; names in other languages) is one of the oldest towns in southwestern Belarus and the capital of the Vawkavysk ...

area of present-day

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

. On July 19, 1565, Jan Chodakowski, son of Mikołaj Chodakowski, the clerk of the Vaŭkavysk's County Land Court of the

in 1565, sent two horsemen to the Lithuanian army and an additional one for

Sigismund II Augustus Sigismund II Augustus ( pl, Zygmunt II August, lt, Žygimantas Augustas; 1 August 1520 – 7 July 1572) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548. He was the first rule ...

. In 1792 Jakub Chodakowski took part in the Battle of Mir in the war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

. After the 3rd Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, he was appointed a judge of

Grodno Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish ...

. It was not until 1807, when

Antoni Chodakowski The Chodakowski family (Lithuanian: Chodakauskas) is a Lithuanian noble family. They originated in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and increased in notability under the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the First Republic of Lithuania. They use ...

(1784-1831) joined the

Polish Lancers Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...

Napoleon's Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

Imperial Guard An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the Emperor or Empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial forces, in ...

, that the family would eventually find itself in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional u ...

and later in northern Lithuania. The family was confirmed as nobility on: Zamek Bobolice (Castle of Bobolice)

* September 29, 1817 (Grodno Province)State Historical Archives of Russia in St. Petersburg * January 28, 1828 (Grodno Province) * October 6, 1832 (Grodno Province) * March 13, 1834 (Grodno Province) * July 26, 1840 * July 5, 1844 * October 30, 1844 * 1882 (District of Panevėžys) The Chodakowski family were instrumental in the creation and running of the

. The family remained in the area of present-day Lithuania until

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

when many fled West, to settle in the

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

. Some branches of the family remained in Lithuania during the

Communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a ...

occupation Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...

. The family are now predominantly in Lithuania,

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. One of the branches of the family once owned

Bobolice Castle The Bobolice Castle is a 14th-century royal castle in the village of Bobolice, Poland. The complex is located within a semi-mountainous highland region called the Polish Jura. History The castle in Bobolice was built by King Casimir III the G ...

near Krakow, Poland.

Notable members

(1784-1831)

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

in the 1st Regiment of the

of the

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

; *

Romanas Chodakauskas Romanas Chodakauskas (August 9, 1883 – October 8, 1932) was the Lithuanian military attaché to Berlin, a Lithuanian Diplomat in the Ukrainian People's Republic, a Colonel in the Lithuanian Military Court, and brother of Sofija Smetonienė, Ta ...

(1883-1932)

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

in the Lithuanian

military court A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of mem ...

and

military attaché A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Oppo ...

Berlin Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...

; *

Sofija Chodakauskaitė Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. ...

(1884-1968) First Lady of Lithuania, wife of the first

President of Lithuania The President of the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidentas) is the head of state of Lithuania. The officeholder has been Gitanas Nausėda since 12 July 2019. Powers The president has somewhat more executive authority t ...

Antanas Smetona Antanas Smetona (; 10 August 1874 – 9 January 1944) was a Lithuanian intellectual and journalist and the first President of Lithuania from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1926 to 1940, before its occupation by the Soviet Union. He was one of the m ...

(1874-1944); *

Tadas Chodakauskas Tadas Chodakauskas (May 4, 1889 – April 25, 1959) was the long-standing mayor of Panevėžys, Lithuania (1925–1940). He was the brother of Romanas Chodakauskas (1883–1932), Sofija Smetonienė (1884–1968) and Jadvyga Tūbelienė (1891–1 ...

(1889-1959) the long-standing mayor of

Panevėžys Panevėžys (; Latin: ''Panevezen''; pl, Poniewież; yi, פּאָנעװעזש, ''Ponevezh''; see also other names) is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2011, it occupied with 113,653 inhabitants. As defined by Eurostat, the populatio ...

, Lithuania (1925-1940); * Jadvyga Chodakauskaitė (1891-1988)

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fr ...

, Deputy Chief of Mission to Switzerland and the wife of Lithuanian Prime Minister

Juozas Tūbelis Juozas Tūbelis (9 April 1882 in Ilgalaukis, Kovno Governorate – 30 September 1939, Kaunas) was a Lithuanian politician, Prime Minister and member and chairman of the Lithuanian Nationalists Union. In 1908, he graduated from Polytechnical Inst ...

(1882-1939).

References

{{Reflist Lithuanian noble families Polish noble families