Crown deputies at the seym of the union of Lublin : polish-lithuanian unions in the parliamentary debate

In the article the author tries to describe and characterize the group of Crown deputies to the Lublin Seym of 1569; initially the group consisted of 95 and then of 113 deputies – after incorporating 18 representatives of the provinces taken away from Lithuania and incorporated into Poland in the course of the Seym session. Following an analysis of the numerous and heated debates devoted to the new shape of the Polish-Lithuanian union, the author comes to the conclusion that the Crown deputies emphasized the continuity of the union, by recalling those legal acts and agreements which supported their strivings to conclude a unitary union. Ultimately, confronted by the course of events and the uncompromising attitude of the Lithuanians, the deputies displayed a certain degree of flexi­bility and the union of Lublin became closer to a federation of states.