Origins and first records
The oldest documents mentioning Rupniów date from the first half of the 15th century. In 1414, brothers Mikołaj, Andrzej, Zbigniew and Jan — signing themselves "from Zbydniów" — divided their extensive family estates. Although the initial division assigned Rybie to Zbigniew, Rupniów ultimately passed to Andrzej, who was the first to adopt the name "Rupniowski", thereby founding a noble family that would shape the village's history for generations.
The family's coat of arms — Drużyna — appeared on the seals of numerous documents issued by the owners of Rupniów. At that time the village developed as a typical ancestral seat of the Lesser Polish nobility: centred around a manor, with a farmstead, a mill and clusters of peasant cottages.
The Rupniowski family and the Reformation
In the 16th century Rupniów witnessed dramatic religious changes sweeping across the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Rupniowski family became ardent supporters and propagators of Arianism (the Polish Brethren). Particularly notable was Joachim Łukasz Rupniowski (1590–1641) — a Baroque poet and high official within the Arian hierarchy. His literary work and involvement in the Reformation movement make him one of the most celebrated figures associated with the village.
During this period the Rupniowskis committed acts of iconoclasm — as patrons of the church in Łososina Górna they desecrated the local church, stripping the priest of his rights over subjects and tithes in Zbydniów. This dispute was part of a wider conflict between traditional Catholicism and the Reformation in the Limanowa district.
Over time the Rupniów estate fragmented. From 1604 part of the village belonged to the Dominican friars of Kraków, and further portions passed to the Pienężek family and the Franciscan monastery in Kraków.
Partitions and the Galician era
After the First Partition of Poland in 1772, Rupniów came under Austrian rule, in the province known as Galicia and Lodomeria. The Austrian authorities secularised church estates — the Dominican properties were confiscated and sold to Konstanty Wiktor in 1795.
The 19th century brought further changes of ownership. Before 1846 the village was acquired by Józef Kisielowski, known for his harsh treatment of peasants — his name still carries mixed associations in local tradition. By the mid-19th century the Rupniów estate passed to the Meisner family.
According to data from around 1888, the village had 751 inhabitants — including 8 Jewish residents — and 111 houses. The manor controlled large areas of arable land and forest, while the peasants held much smaller holdings. Poverty and overpopulation pushed some inhabitants to emigrate, mainly to the United States and Germany.
Two World Wars
The First World War hit Rupniów particularly hard. The village lay close to the front lines of the Carpathian campaign. Mobilisation into the Austro-Hungarian army deprived families of their breadwinners, and military movements and requisitions caused serious damage.
The interwar period was a time of rebuilding and gradual modernisation. Rupniów became part of the reborn Polish Republic, and its inhabitants actively participated in building new local government institutions.
The Second World War — 1939–1945 — again brought terror and repression. Villagers experienced the hardships of occupation, deportation to forced labour and partisan activity in the surrounding forests of Beskid Wyspowy.
Post-war Poland and the communist era
Between 1954 and 1972 Rupniów functioned as an independent administrative district (gromada) — one of ten in the area of present-day Gmina Limanowa. This period of local self-government, despite the constraints imposed by the communist system, allowed for a degree of local initiative.
In 1972, as part of an administrative reform in the Polish People's Republic, Rupniów was incorporated into the renewed Gmina Limanowa. The 1970s and 1980s saw infrastructure investment: electrification, road construction and water supply networks. The school was extended and modernised (renovations in 1976, 1977 and 1991). The LKS Rupniów football club was founded, uniting residents around the sport.
Rupniów today
The political transformation after 1989 opened new opportunities for local communities. Rupniów today — with around 1,675 inhabitants (2021 national census) and covering more than 1,005 hectares — is a thriving village within Gmina Limanowa.
The village boasts the modern Stanisław Wyspiański School Complex, a sports hall, multi-purpose pitches and the LKS Rupniów stadium. Two Women's Cooperative Circles — Rupniów-Bednarki and Rupniów-Centrum — actively promote local culture and traditions at regional festivals.
The Volunteer Fire Station, which also houses a branch of the Municipal Public Library, is a centre of social life. Among the local heritage sites, the wooden roadside chapels scattered across the hamlets deserve special attention; the oldest dates from 1863. The Chapel of Our Lady of Częstochowa, built in the 1980s, belongs to the Parish of the Finding of the Holy Cross in Nowe Rybie.