Matilda of Brandenburg was a German princess member of House of Ascania and by marriage Duchess of Wrocław and High Duchess of Poland.

She was the second daughter of Otto V the Long, Margrave of Brandenburg-Salzwedel

Salzwedel

Salzwedel of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, and has a population of approximately 21,500. Salzwedel is located on the German Framework Road.-Geography:...

, by his wife Judith of Henneberg, daughter of Count Herman I of Henneberg and heiress of Coburg

Coburg

Coburg is a town located on the Itz River in Bavaria, Germany. Its 2005 population was 42,015. Long one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined with Bavaria by popular vote in 1920...

 and Schmalkalden

Schmalkalden

- Notable people :*Christoph Cellarius, scholar, born 22 November 1638, died 4 June 1707 in Halle*Christian Karl August Ludwig von Massenbach, colonel, born 16 April 1758, died 21 November 1827 at Białokosz...

.

Family

Matilda had six siblings, three brothers and three sisters. Two of her brothers, Albert and Otto, died young and the eldest, Herman, inherited the whole paternal domains. Matilda's older sister Beatrice

Beatrice of Brandenburg

Beatrice of Brandenburg , was a German princess and a member of the House of Ascania in the Brandenburg branch. By her two marriages she was Duchess of Świdnica and Koźle-Bytom-Siewierz....

 married Bolko I the Strict

Bolko I the Strict

Bolko I the Strict also known as the Raw or of Jawor , was a Duke of Lwówek during 1278-81 and Jawor since 1278 , sole Duke of Lwówek since 1286, Duke of Świdnica-Ziębice since 1291.He was the second son of Bolesław II the Bald, Duke of Legnica by his first wife Hedwig, daughter of...

, Duke of 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...

 in 1284. The other two sisters are Kunigunde, who died unmarried, and Judith, who married Rudolph I, Duke of Saxe-Wittemberg in 1303.

The marriage of Matilda's sister into the Silesian branch

Dukes of Silesia

The Dukes of Silesia were the sons and descendants of the Polish Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth. In accordance with the last will and testament of Bolesław, upon his death his lands were divided into 4-5 hereditary provinces distributed among his sons, and a royal province of Kraków reserved for the...

 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...

 probably was instrumental to her own future wedding.

Marriage

By 1287/1288 Matilda married Henry IV Probus, Duke of Wrocław and High Duke of Poland and became his second wife. Henry IV's previous marriage with the daughter of Duke Władysław of Opole (perhaps named Constance

Constance, Duchess of Wodzisław

Constance was a Polish princess member of the House of Piast and sovereign Duchess of Wodzisław Śląski from 1324 until her death....

) ended either with her death or her repudiation and exile to her homeland. According to other sources, the real reason around the disputed dismissal of the Opole princess was because Henry IV maintained an affair with Matilda and wanted to marry her.

As the couple were relatives, they needed a Papal dispensation

Dispensation (Catholic Church)

In the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, a dispensation is the suspension by competent authority of general rules of law in particular cases...

, which probably was given shortly after the wedding. They had no children.

On 23 June 1290 Henry IV died unexpectedly, probably poisoned. Soon after, Matilda returned to Brandenburg

Brandenburg

Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...

, where she died before 1 June 1298 and was buried in a Cistercian Kloster Lehnin.