Stanisław Stadnicki

Stanisław Stadnicki (c. 1551 in Nowy Żmigród or Dubiecko – 1610 in Tarnawiec) was a Polish nobleman and the Lord Starosta of Żygwulsko (Sigulda).

After his death, his family carried his tradition of trouble-making, with his wife earning the nickname of the Łańcut devil-woman and his sons, the Łancut devil-children.

He was killed on 20 August 1610, when he was confronted with an overwhelming force loyal to Łukasz Opaliński, and was unable to evade pursuit to return to his own men.

He was married to Anna Ziemięcka (from Ziemięcice near Gliwice) and had three sons with her: Władysław (killed in Krzemienica in 1610), Zygmunt and Stanisław, and one daughter - Felicjana.

Offended that his exploits were underestimated, he left for Hungary, where he fought against the Ottoman Turksin the army of Emperor Rudolf II.

As a Protestant, and deputy to the Crown Tribunal in Lublin he was chosen as administrator by the Protestant-Orthodox confederation of Vilnius in 1599.He was an opponent of Jan Zamoyski.

During the court trial in Przeworsk, Stadnicki tried to kill two of Korniakt's legal advisors: Adam Żydowski and Andrzej Świdnicki, who escaped from the city.

He is the hero of the novel Diabeł Łańcucki (2007) by Jacek Komuda , Under the Devil's Hoof (1983) by Kazimierz Korkozowicz , as well as the drama "Dragon's Nest" by Adolf Nowaczyński and the Zygwul Starost of Adam Krechowiecki .