Urząd hetmański w czasach Jana Tarnowskiego

The article discusses the idea of the hetmanate and the hetman office in the times of Hetman Jan Tarnowski. The author begins his work by presenting the etymology of the word “hetman”. Further on, he describes the prerogatives of the first hetmans in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of the 16th century. The author highlights the achievements of Jan Tarnowski, who held the office from 1527 until 1561. Back then, the title was not given for life. It only became a permanent title in 1581 in the times of another great hetman Jan Zamoyski.