courts of Marianna Lubomirska née Bielińska and Joanna von Stein Lubomirska, the wives of the Grand Standard Bearer of the Crown, as an example of a women’s court in Old Poland

Abstract

The current article contributes to the research on the functioning and organisation of female magnate courts in the Polish-Lithuanian state in the 18th century. The discussed courts belonged to Marianna née Bielińska and Joanna née von Stein, the wives of the Great Standard-Bearer of the Crown Jerzy Ignacy Lubomirski. Both ladies closely collaborated with the Wettin family, then ruling the Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania. Special attention has been devoted to Joanna von Stein Lubomirska, whoafter her hers husband’s death still surrounded herself with a large court and continued numerous economic ventures which allowed her to retain high standards of living.