Korwin-Szymanowski family

At the tail end of the 1790s a branch of the family settled on the Dnieper river in what is now Ukraine and produced a number of noted writers and musicians among whom was the composer, Karol Szymanowski.

The Szymanowski surname occurs in Northern Europe, from Russia, through the Baltic States and Poland to Germany, France and the United Kingdom.

John came from a clan bearing the coat of arms, "Jezierza", which has its beginnings among pre-Christian tribal warriors.

Their long held and cherished reputation as dedicated to Church and Kingdom made them consistently sought after consorts to many grander families in the land, whose star may have waxed and then wained during the tribulations of Polish history.

[4] The family, like many others of comparable standing, had long maintained strong cultural ties with the Catholic Kingdom of France.

[5][6] This pattern continued into the 19th and 20th centuries, when Polish uprisings meant the ultimate sacrifice for family members.

The reason for two distinct coats of arms may be due to the geographic spread of the family and their enlisting in different army groupings.