Pilawa coat of arms

The progenitor of the Pilawa Clan was supposed to have been Żyrosław z Potoka, who was fighting the Prussians, a pagan tribe and brought himself glory in the Battle of Piława, where he fought along Bolesław IV the Curly. The legend states that Żyrosław reached the pagan chief, fought him in hand-to-hand combat and killed him. The terrified enemy hordes fled the battle field. The related legend tells also that in 1166, to commemorate the victory, Bolesław IV bestowed a coat of arms upon Żyrosław, naming it for the place, where the battle took place. ==Blazon==

The Pilawa coat of arms assumed its final form in the late 14th century. Formerly, there were two differing patterns, and the records from the years 1387, 1388 and 1389 mention that it had to be a letter "Z" with two and a half of a cross, or an arrow with two and a half of a cross. ==Notable bearers==

Notable bearers of this coat of arms have included: • House of Potocki • Mikołaj Potocki • Jan Potocki • Antoni Protazy Potocki • Roman Ignacy Potocki • Stanisław "Rewera" Potocki • Józef Potocki • Andrzej Potocki • Feliks Kazimierz Potocki • Katarzyna Potocka • Alfred Józef Potocki • Alfred Wojciech Potocki • Roman Potocki • Stanisław Kostka Potocki • Józef Potocki • Franciszek Salezy Potocki • Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki • Teodor Andrzej Potocki (Golden Piława) • Wiktoria Elżbieta Potocka • House of Kamieniecki • Mikołaj Kamieniecki • Ludwik Kamieniecki • Marcin Kamieniecki • Jan Kazimierz Kamieniecki • Jan Kamieniecki • Henryk Andreas Kamieniecki • Piotr Kamieniecki • Henryk Kamieniecki • Dominik Kamieniecki • Andrzej Kamieniecki • Klemens Moskarzewski • Anna Stanisławska ==Family name changes during the Second World War and 1944–1953==

The communist government of Poland was in deep opposition to every rich (specially noble) family. Hundreds of Potockis were killed by NKVD and Red Army. Many Potockis, who decided to stay in Poland were forced to change their family names (otherwise they could be killed, imprisoned or have other problems). The most popular changes was from Potocki to Nowak, Kowalski, Gnejowicz, Stanisławski, Pryszkiewicz, Wszelaki, Petecki, Blacha, Musiał, Woldan, Walera, Melka, Madej and Pastuch. ==Gallery==

File:Herb Pilawa, Baranow Sandomierski.PNG|Piława coat of arms in Baranow-Sandomierski castle file:POL COA Pilawa.svg|Silver Piława file:POL COA Pilawa Złota.svg|Golden Piława File:POL COA Potocki Hrabia.svg|Coat of arms of Counts Potocki file:Wilanow herb Pilawa na mauzoleum.jpg|Piława at the Potocki mausoleum at Wilanow Park File:Pilawa coat of arms in Lancut palace.JPG|Piława at the Lańcut Castle File:Łańcut zamek Pilawa.jpg|Piława at the Lańcut Castle file:Pilawa CoA in Lezajsk monastery.JPG|Piława at Leżajsk monastery file:Pilawa (Potocki count) and Czartoryski (prince) CoA in Lancut palace.jpg|Piława and the Prices Czartoryski coat of arms in Lańcut Castle file:Pilawa (Potocki count) and Lubomirski (prince) CoA in Lancut palace.jpg|Piława and the Szreniawa coat of arms of the Prices Lubomirski in Lańcut Castle File:Pilawa and Topor CoA in Lancut palace.jpg| Piława and the Topór coat of arms in Lańcut Castle File:Panoplia Pałac Tyszkiewiczów Warszawa.jpg|At Tyszkiewicz Palace in Warsaw File:Антоніни.Герб Потоцьких.2006.jpg|Piława at the Palace in Antoniny, Ukraine File:Pilawa Krzeszowice 04.JPG|Piawa at St.Martin Church in w Krzeszowice File:Wilanow herb Pilawa lew.jpg|Wilanów Palace POL Stanisławów COA.svg|Former coat of arms of Stanisławów (Iwano-Frankiwsk) Paintings Stanisław Potocki (1659-1683)11.PNG|Piława on the painting of Stanisław Potocki Mikołaj Kamieniecki.PNG|Piława on the painting of Mikołaj Kamieniecki Teodor Potocki (29357921) (cropped).jpg|Piława on the painting of Teodor Andrzej Potocki Mikołaj Bazyli Potocki.PNG|Golden Piława on the painting of Mikołaj Bazyli Potocki Katarzyna Potocka (1642).jpg|Piława on the painting of Katarzyna Potocka ==See also==