Hedwig of Sagan
Encyclopedia
Hedwig of Sagan (before 1350 – 27 March 1390 ) was a daughter of Henry V of Iron
and his wife Anna, daughter of Duke Wenceslaus of Płock
. She is also known as Jadwiga. She was the fourth wife of Casimir III the Great and wife of Rupert I of Legnica
. Jadwiga was Queen consort of Poland by her first marriage to Casimir.
, Henry VII Rumpold
, Henry VIII the Sparrow
, and her only sister was Anna, wife of Jan I of Racibórz..
. Marrying Hedwig was a problem for Casimir, for he was still legally married to his second and third wives: Christina and Adelaide of Hesse
. Casimir forged a papal dispensation because he was related to Hedwig by a fourth degree. The pope would not have granted them one.
Casimir's second wife Adelaide had not produced him any children and the marriage was loveless, they spent most their marriage apart from each other. His third wife was his mistress, Christina who was the widow of a wealthy merchant. She also did not give Casimir children. Casimir did already have two daughters Elizabeth
and Cunigunde from his first marriage to Aldona of Lithuania, who had died. Casimir needed a son so he married Jadwiga. However, Casimir was committing bigamy
. Pope Innocent VI
complained on behalf of Adelaide, it is unknown whether Christina was still alive at the time.
In 1368 Pope Urban V
allowed Casimir to stay with Hedwig since his marriage to Christina was invalid. Adelaide died in 1371.
Casimir awaited the birth of a son. If no son was born then Casimir's nephew, Louis I of Hungary would inherit along with his mother (Casimir's sister) Elisabeth of Poland
. No son came, instead Hedwig bore three daughters:
Lack of male heir spelled the end of the Piast Dynasty
in the Kingdom of Poland, Casimir being the last Piast dynasty king on the Polish throne.
The question of the legitimacy of the three daughters was raised. Casimir had all three of his daughters legitimised. Casimir managed to have Anne and Cunigunde legitimated by Pope Urban V on 5 December 1369. Hedwig the younger was legitimated by Pope Gregory XI
on 11 October 1371.
On 5 November 1370 Casimir died, leaving Hedwig a widow with three young daughters. Soon later, the middle daughter, Kunigunde died aged three. From Casimir's will, Hedwig received from the treasury of the king's 53 fine silver and 1 / 3 silver vessels in the amount of dowry and 1,000 fineslarge cents.
Since Hedwig failed to produce a male heir, his throne passed to his nephew, Louis I of Hungary, though Casimir's sister, Elisabeth acted as regent for a period of time when Louis was in Hungary
.
were she lived at the court of her brother, Henry VI the Older
.
10 February 1372, Hedwig married for a second time to Rupert I of Legnica
, son of Wenceslaus I of Legnica
and Anna of Cieszyn. The marriage produced two more daughters:
In 1386, Hedwig's eldest daughter from her first marriage, Anna gave Hedwig her first grandchild, Anne of Cilli, whom became the second wife of Jogaila
after the death of her cousin, Jadwiga of Poland
.
After eighteen years of marriage to Rupert, Hedwig died. She was buried in Silesia
.
Henry V of Iron
Henry V of Iron , was a Duke of Żagań since 1342, from 1349 Duke of half-Głogów, and from 1363 Duke of half-Ścinawa.He was the only son of Henry IV the Faithful, Duke of Żagań, by his wife Matilda, daughter of Herman, Margrave of Brandenburg-Salzwedel.-Life:The young Henry V gained his political...
and his wife Anna, daughter of Duke Wenceslaus of Płock
Wenceslaus of Płock
Wenceslaus of Płock was a member of the House of Piast. He was Duke of Płock from 1313 until his death and was a vassal of Bohemia from 1329.- Duke of Płock :...
. She is also known as Jadwiga. She was the fourth wife of Casimir III the Great and wife of Rupert I of Legnica
Rupert I of Legnica
Rupert I of Legnica was a Duke of Legnica since 1364 until his death, and also regent over half of the Duchy of Głogów-Żagań during 1397–1401....
. Jadwiga was Queen consort of Poland by her first marriage to Casimir.
Family
Hedwig was the third of five children born to her parents. Her brothers were Henry VI the OlderHenry VI the Older
Henry VI the Older was a Duke of Żagań-Głogów since 1368 .He was the oldest son of Henry V of Iron, Duke of Żagań-Głogów, by his wife Anna, daughter of Duke Wenceslaus of Płock....
, Henry VII Rumpold
Henry VII Rumpold
Henry VII Rumpold also known as the Middle or the Greater , was a Duke of Żagań-Głogów during 1368-1378 and since 1378 ruler over half of Głogów, Ścinawa and Bytom Odrzański....
, Henry VIII the Sparrow
Henry VIII the Sparrow
Henry VIII the Sparrow was a Duke of Żagań–Głogów during 1368–1378 , from 1378 ruler over Zielona Góra, Szprotawa, Kożuchów, Przemków and Sulechów, and since 1395 ruler over half of Głogów, Ścinawa and Bytom Odrzański.He was the second son of Henry V of Iron, Duke of Żagań–Głogów, by...
, and her only sister was Anna, wife of Jan I of Racibórz..
First marriage
Hedwig married Casimir III of Poland around 1365. Casimir wished to marry Hedwig because it would to strengthen his ties with Charles IV, Holy Roman EmperorCharles 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....
. Marrying Hedwig was a problem for Casimir, for he was still legally married to his second and third wives: Christina and Adelaide of Hesse
Adelaide of Hesse
Adelaide of Hesse was a daughter of Henry II, Landgrave of Hesse, and his wife Elisabeth of Thuringia. Adelaide was a member of the House of Hesse.-Unhappy marriage:...
. Casimir forged a papal dispensation because he was related to Hedwig by a fourth degree. The pope would not have granted them one.
Casimir's second wife Adelaide had not produced him any children and the marriage was loveless, they spent most their marriage apart from each other. His third wife was his mistress, Christina who was the widow of a wealthy merchant. She also did not give Casimir children. Casimir did already have two daughters Elizabeth
Elisabeth of Poland (1326–1361)
Elisabeth of Poland was the eldest child of Casimir III of Poland and his first wife Aldona of Lithuania.- Family :Elisabeth had one full-blood sister, Cunigunde of Poland, who married Louis VI the Roman. After Aldona's death, Casimir went on to marry three more times. His second wife was...
and Cunigunde from his first marriage to Aldona of Lithuania, who had died. Casimir needed a son so he married Jadwiga. However, Casimir was committing bigamy
Bigamy
In cultures that practice marital monogamy, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and when it occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is aware of the other...
. Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI , born Étienne Aubert; his father was Adhemar Aubert seigneur de Montel-De-Gelas in Limousin province. His niece was Catherine Aubert, Dame de Boutheon, also the wife of Randon II baron de Joyeuse; she is La Fayette's ancestor...
complained on behalf of Adelaide, it is unknown whether Christina was still alive at the time.
In 1368 Pope Urban V
Pope Urban V
Pope Urban V , born Guillaume Grimoard, was Pope from 1362 to 1370.-Biography:Grimoard was a native of Grizac in Languedoc . He became a Benedictine and a doctor in Canon Law, teaching at Montpellier and Avignon...
allowed Casimir to stay with Hedwig since his marriage to Christina was invalid. Adelaide died in 1371.
Casimir awaited the birth of a son. If no son was born then Casimir's nephew, Louis I of Hungary would inherit along with his mother (Casimir's sister) Elisabeth of Poland
Elisabeth of Poland
Elisabeth of Poland was Queen consort of Hungary and regent of Poland. She is also known as Elisabeth of Kujavia and Elisabeth Piast.-Early life:...
. No son came, instead Hedwig bore three daughters:
- Anna of Poland, Countess of CeljeAnna of Poland, Countess of CeljeAnna of Poland was countess consort of Celje, a medieval Slovenian feudal state, and an influential woman in politics of Poland.She was daughter of King Casimir III of Poland , who was succeeded, not by Anna nor any of Casimir's own descendants, but by Casimir's nephew, King Louis I of Hungary....
(1366 – 9 June 1422). Married firstly William of Celje. Their only daughter was Anne of Cilli. Married secondly Ulrich, Duke of TeckDuke of TeckDuke of Teck was, in medieval times, a title borne by the head of a principality named Teck in the Holy Roman Empire, centered around Teck castle in Germany. That territory was held by a branch line of the Zähringen dynasty from 1187 to 1439, known historically as the first House of Teck...
. They had no children. - Kunigunde of Poland (1367–1370).
- Hedwig of Poland (1368 – ca. 1407). Reportedly married ca. 1382 but the details are obscure.
Lack of male heir spelled the end of the Piast Dynasty
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 Kingdom of Poland, Casimir being the last Piast dynasty king on the Polish throne.
The question of the legitimacy of the three daughters was raised. Casimir had all three of his daughters legitimised. Casimir managed to have Anne and Cunigunde legitimated by Pope Urban V on 5 December 1369. Hedwig the younger was legitimated by Pope Gregory XI
Pope Gregory XI
Gregory XI was pope from 1370 until his death.-Biography:He was born Pierre Roger de Beaufort, in Maumont, in the modern commune of Rosiers-d'Égletons, Limousin around 1336. He succeeded Pope Urban V in 1370, and was pope until 1378...
on 11 October 1371.
On 5 November 1370 Casimir died, leaving Hedwig a widow with three young daughters. Soon later, the middle daughter, Kunigunde died aged three. From Casimir's will, Hedwig received from the treasury of the king's 53 fine silver and 1 / 3 silver vessels in the amount of dowry and 1,000 fineslarge cents.
Since Hedwig failed to produce a male heir, his throne passed to his nephew, Louis I of Hungary, though Casimir's sister, Elisabeth acted as regent for a period of time when Louis was 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...
.
Second marriage
Hedwig did not remarry straight away. She returned to her home-place of ŻagańZagan
Zagan may refer to:*Zagan - a demon in the Ars Goetia*Żagań - a town in west Poland...
were she lived at the court of her brother, Henry VI the Older
Henry VI the Older
Henry VI the Older was a Duke of Żagań-Głogów since 1368 .He was the oldest son of Henry V of Iron, Duke of Żagań-Głogów, by his wife Anna, daughter of Duke Wenceslaus of Płock....
.
10 February 1372, Hedwig married for a second time to Rupert I of Legnica
Rupert I of Legnica
Rupert I of Legnica was a Duke of Legnica since 1364 until his death, and also regent over half of the Duchy of Głogów-Żagań during 1397–1401....
, son of Wenceslaus I of Legnica
Wenceslaus I of Legnica
Wenceslaus I of Legnica was a Duke of Namysłów since 1338 and of Legnica-Brieg since 1342 until his death, but with further divisions with his brother Louis I....
and Anna of Cieszyn. The marriage produced two more daughters:
- Barbara (ca. 1384 – Trebitz, 9 May 1436), married on 6 March 1396 to Rudolph IIIRudolf III, Duke of Saxe-WittenbergDuke Rudolf III of Saxe-Wittenberg was a member of the House of Ascania and Elector of Saxony. He ruled Saxe-Wittenberg from 1388-1419.- Life :...
, Duke of Saxe-WittenbergSaxe-WittenbergThe Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg was a medieval duchy of the Holy Roman Empire centered at Wittenberg, which emerged after the dissolution of the stem duchy of Saxony. As the precursor of the Saxon Electorate, the Ascanian Wittenberg dukes prevailed in obtaining the Saxon electoral dignity.-Ascanian...
and Elector of SaxonySaxonyThe Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
. Through this union, Jadwiga was a direct ancestor of the Kings of Denmark and the House of GonzagaHouse of GonzagaThe Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708.-History:In 1433, Gianfrancesco I assumed the title of Marquis of Mantua, and in 1530 Federico II received the title of Duke of Mantua. In 1531, the family acquired the Duchy of Monferrato through marriage...
, rulers of MantuaMantuaMantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
and Montferrato. - Agnes (before 1385 – after 7 July 1411), a nun in WroclawWroclawWrocław , situated on the River Oder , is the main city of southwestern Poland.Wrocław was the historical capital of Silesia and is today the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Over the centuries, the city has been part of either Poland, Bohemia, Austria, Prussia, or Germany, but since 1945...
.
In 1386, Hedwig's eldest daughter from her first marriage, Anna gave Hedwig her first grandchild, Anne of Cilli, whom became the second wife of Jogaila
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
after the death of her cousin, Jadwiga of Poland
Jadwiga of Poland
Jadwiga was monarch of Poland from 1384 to her death. Her official title was 'king' rather than 'queen', reflecting that she was a sovereign in her own right and not merely a royal consort. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou, the daughter of King Louis I of Hungary and Elizabeth of...
.
After eighteen years of marriage to Rupert, Hedwig died. She was buried in Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
.