Hedwig of Cieszyn
Encyclopedia
Hedwig of Cieszyn (1469 – 6 April 1521) was a Polish
princess and member of the House of Piast in the Cieszyn
branch.
She was the only child of Przemysław II, Duke of Cieszyn
by his wife Anna, daughter of Duke Bolesław IV of Warsaw.
. They had four children: János Zápolya (2 June 1487 – 22 July 1540), later King of Hungary
; George Zápolya (ca. 1494 – 29 August 1526), killed in action at Mohács
; Barbara Zápolya
(1495 – 2 October 1515), Queen of Poland after her marriage to Sigismund I the Old
; and Magdalena Zápolya (b. ca. 1499 – 1499), died young.
Stefan Zápolya died on 23 December 1499. Hedwig remained in Hungary
, where she managed the huge property left behind by her late husband. She was also a generous supporter of the Carthusian
monastery of Lapis Refugii in Spiš
.
Hedwig died on 16 April 1521 in Trenčín Castle
and was buried alongside her husband in the Zápolya family vault on the Spišská Kapitula
.
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
princess and member of the House of Piast in the Cieszyn
Cieszyn
Cieszyn is a border-town and the seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It has 36,109 inhabitants . Cieszyn lies on the Olza River, a tributary of the Oder river, opposite Český Těšín....
branch.
She was the only child of Przemysław II, Duke of Cieszyn
Cieszyn
Cieszyn is a border-town and the seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It has 36,109 inhabitants . Cieszyn lies on the Olza River, a tributary of the Oder river, opposite Český Těšín....
by his wife Anna, daughter of Duke Bolesław IV of Warsaw.
Life
After her father's death in 1477, eight-year-old Hedwig was placed under the guardianship of her cousin Casimir II. On 11 August 1483 she married the widower Stefan Zápolya, Lord of TrenčínTrencín
Trenčín is a city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech border, around from Bratislava. It has a population of more than 56,000, which makes it the ninth largest municipality of the country and is the seat of the Trenčín Region and the Trenčín District...
. They had four children: János Zápolya (2 June 1487 – 22 July 1540), later King of Hungary
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
; George Zápolya (ca. 1494 – 29 August 1526), killed in action at Mohács
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....
; Barbara Zápolya
Barbara Zápolya
Barbara Zápolya was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania as the first wife of king of Poland Sigismund I the Old....
(1495 – 2 October 1515), Queen of Poland after her marriage to Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I of Poland , of the Jagiellon dynasty, reigned as King of Poland and also as the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until 1548...
; and Magdalena Zápolya (b. ca. 1499 – 1499), died young.
Stefan Zápolya died on 23 December 1499. Hedwig remained in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , 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...
, where she managed the huge property left behind by her late husband. She was also a generous supporter of the Carthusian
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
monastery of Lapis Refugii in Spiš
Spiš
Spiš is a region in north-eastern Slovakia, with a very small area in south-eastern Poland. Spiš is an informal designation of the territory , but it is also the name of one the 21 official tourism regions of Slovakia...
.
Hedwig died on 16 April 1521 in Trenčín Castle
Trencín Castle
The Trenčín Castle is a castle above the town of Trenčín in western Slovakia.-History:History of the castle goes back to the age of the Roman Empire, testified by the inscription telling about the victory of the II. Roman legion at Laugaricio in 179 AD. The oldest building is a stone rotunda,...
and was buried alongside her husband in the Zápolya family vault on the Spišská Kapitula
Spišská Kapitula
Spišská Kapitula, is an exceptionally well-preserved ecclesiastical town on the outskirts of Spišské Podhradie, Slovakia, and overlooking Spiš Castle. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Levoča, Spiš Castle and the associated cultural monuments.-Town and history:The town consists of St....
.