Elisabeth of Świdnica
Encyclopedia
Elisabeth of Świdnica was a member of the Piast dynasty
in the Świdnica
-Jawor
branch and by marriage Duchess of Opole
.
She was the third child but second daughter of Duke Bernard of Świdnica
by his wife Kunigunde
, daughter of Władysław I the Elbow-high, later King of Poland.
. Elisabeth's eldest and only surviving sister was Constance
; she was wife of Przemko II of Głogów. Elisabeth also had another sister, Beata; she died aged ten or eleven.
Elisabeth's brother, Henry married Katherine of Hungary. Their daughter was Anne of Świdnica, third wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
and mother of Wenceslaus, King of the Romans
.
. Thanks to the marriage, Bolko II had a temporary close connection with the Polish King Władysław I the Elbow-high (paternal grandfather of his wife). However, this alliance was short-lived: on 5 April 1327 in Wrocław, he paid homage to King John of Bohemia; he was the last Silesian Duke who became vassal of Bohemia.
Bolko and Elisabeth had seven children:
All of their daughters became nun
s. Their sons succeeded their father and took control of the duchies.
Elisabeth died in 1348, it is believed to have had something to do with the birth of her last child, Anna. Elisabeth left her husband a widower and he never remarried. Bolko died nine years after Elisabeth.
Piast dynasty
The Piast dynasty was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. It began with the semi-legendary Piast Kołodziej . The first historical ruler was Duke Mieszko I . The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir the Great...
in the Świdnica
Swidnica
Świdnica is a city in south-western Poland in the region of Silesia. It has a population of 60,317 according to 2006 figures. It lies in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, being the seventh largest town in that voivodeship. From 1975–98 it was in the former Wałbrzych Voivodeship...
-Jawor
Jawor
Jawor is a town in south-western Poland with 24,347 inhabitants . It is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship . It is the seat of Jawor County, and lies approximately west of the regional capital Wrocław.In the town can be found a Protestant Church of Peace...
branch and by marriage Duchess of Opole
Opole
Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County...
.
She was the third child but second daughter of Duke Bernard of Świdnica
Bernard of Świdnica
Bernard of Świdnica was a Duke of Jawor-Lwówek-Świdnica-Ziębice during 1301–1312 , of Świdnica-Ziębice during 1312–1322 , and sole Duke of Świdnica since 1322 until his death.He was the second son of Bolko I the Strict, Duke of Jawor-Lwówek-Świdnica-Ziębice, by his wife Beatrix, daughter of Otto V...
by his wife Kunigunde
Kunigunde of Poland
Kunigunde of Poland was a daughter of Władysław I the Elbow-high and his wife Jadwiga of Greater Poland. Her siblings included, Casimir III of Poland and Elisabeth, Queen of Hungary. She was a member of the House of Piast.- Biography :...
, daughter of Władysław I the Elbow-high, later King of Poland.
Family
Elisabeth was the third of five children. Her brothers were: Bolko II the Small and Henry II of ŚwidnicaHenry II of Swidnica
Henry II of Świdnica, , was a Duke of Świdnica since 1326 until his death .He was the second and younger son of Duke Bernard of Świdnica by his wife Kunigunde, daughter of Władysław I the Elbow-high, Duke of Kuyavia and since 1320 King of Poland.-Life:Henry's exact date of birth is unknown, but was...
. Elisabeth's eldest and only surviving sister was Constance
Constance of Świdnica
Constance of Świdnica was a member of the Piast dynasty in the Świdnica-Jawor branch and by marriage Duchess of Głogów....
; she was wife of Przemko II of Głogów. Elisabeth also had another sister, Beata; she died aged ten or eleven.
Elisabeth's brother, Henry married Katherine of Hungary. Their daughter was Anne of Świdnica, third wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
and mother of Wenceslaus, King of the Romans
Wenceslaus, King of the Romans
Wenceslaus ) was, by election, German King from 1376 and, by inheritance, King of Bohemia from 1378. He was the third Bohemian and second German monarch of the Luxembourg dynasty...
.
Marriage
On 6 May 1326 and with only eleven years old, Elisabeth married Duke Bolko II of OpoleBolko II of Opole
Bolko II of Opole , was a Duke of Opole since 1313 .He was the second son of Duke Bolko I of Opole by his wife Agnes, probably a daughter of Margrave Otto III of Brandenburg.-Life:...
. Thanks to the marriage, Bolko II had a temporary close connection with the Polish King Władysław I the Elbow-high (paternal grandfather of his wife). However, this alliance was short-lived: on 5 April 1327 in Wrocław, he paid homage to King John of Bohemia; he was the last Silesian Duke who became vassal of Bohemia.
Bolko and Elisabeth had seven children:
- Władysław Opolczyk (b. ca. 1332 - d. 18 May 1401).
- Bolko III (b. ca. 1337 - d. 21 October 1382).
- HenryHenry of OpoleHenry of Opole , was a Duke of Opole since 1356 until his death.He was the third and youngest son of Duke Bolko II of Opole by his wife Elisabeth, daughter of Duke Bernard of Świdnica.-Life:Little is known about his life...
(b. by 18 August 1338 - d. by 23 October 1365). - Kunigunde (b. 1340 - d. aft. 4 July 1372), a nun at St. Klara in HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
(Alt-Buda). - Agnes (b. ca. 1341? - d. aft. 1 June 1390), Married Jobst of MoraviaJobst of MoraviaJobst of Moravia, Jobst von Mähren from the House of Luxembourg was the eldest son of Margrave John Henry of Moravia, the younger brother of Emperor Charles IV....
, but had no issue. Later became a nun at Stary SączStary SaczStary Sącz - is a town in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, seat of the municipality Stary Sącz. It's a one of the oldest towns in Poland, founded in 13th century.- Geography :...
. - Elisabeth (b. ca. 1342/47? - d. aft. 25 April 1382), a nun at TrzebnicaTrzebnicaTrzebnica is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is the seat of Trzebnica County, and of the smaller administrative district called Gmina Trzebnica. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany...
. - Anna (b.ca. 1348? - d. aft. 12 March 1411), a nun at St. Klara at Wrocław.
All of their daughters became nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s. Their sons succeeded their father and took control of the duchies.
Elisabeth died in 1348, it is believed to have had something to do with the birth of her last child, Anna. Elisabeth left her husband a widower and he never remarried. Bolko died nine years after Elisabeth.