House Radziwiłł of Birże – protectors of the Reformed Church in Poland-Lithuania – Birże
Fact of the Polish figure „Warsaw Confederation – 1573 – Warsaw”
Part of the „Religious tolerance and intolerance” topic
Radziwiłł were one of most influential noble families of Poland-Lithuania. In 16th century, Mikołaj ‘the Red’ of Birże, adopted the teachings of John Calvin – from that moment, he and three generations of his successors were protectors of the Reformed Church. By the half of the next century, they were the last non-Catholic magnate family in the Commonwealth. Their wealth and political leverage kept them important even up against the decline of Protestantism in Poland-Lithuania. Although their years of public service, the two last members of the Birże branch were eventually remembered as traitors who collaborated with the Swedish invaders during the Second Northern War. However, such a label is unfairly one-sided and taints the whole, big picture of their history which deserves further unfolding.
