From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about a medieval Polish office. For a village, see Starostwo (village). For a modern Polish office, see starostwo powiatowe.
Starostwo (Polish for eldership) from the 14th century in the Polish Crown and later through the era of the joint state of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth till the partitions of Poland in 1795 refered to the crown lands (królewszczyzna) administered by the official (starosta). Starosta would receive the office from the king and would keep it until the end of his life, it usually provided a significant income for the starosta.
There were two types of starostwo:
- niegrodowe (nontown) - general overseer of the crown land in question
- grodowe (town) - centered in a town, with the added responsibility for police and courts, and the execution of judicial verdicts
