Dubrawka
Encyclopedia
Dobrawa (ca. 940/45 – 977) was a Bohemian princess member of the Přemyslid dynasty
and by marriage Duchess of the Polans.
She was the daughter of Boleslav I the Cruel, Duke of Bohemia
, by his wife Biagota
.
According to earlier sources she urged her husband to accept the baptism in 966. However, modern historians believed that the change of religion by Mieszko I
was one of the points discussed in the Polish-Bohemian agreement performed soon before his marriage with Dobrawa, whose role in the conversion of her husband is now considered not as important as it was often represented by the medieval chronicles.
who stated that the Bohemian princess at the time of her marriage with Mieszko I was an old woman. The message is regarded as tendentious and of little reliability, some researchers believe that the statement was made with malicious intent. It is possible that in the statement about Dobrawa's age, Cosmas was making a reference to the age difference between her and her sister Mlada. That would give him a basis for determining Dobrawa as "old." It also found that Cosmas confuses Dobrawa with Mieszko I's second wife Oda
, who at the time of her marriage was around 19–25 years old, a relatively advanced age for a bride according to the customs of the Middle Ages.
The chronicle of Cosmas does not lead to a more reliable conclusion. Consequently, the date of birth of Dobrawa remains unknown. Despite this, some researchers take up some speculative views, such as Jerzy Strzelczyk
, who assumed that in the light of contemporary concepts and habits of marriage of that time (when as a rule marriages were contracted with teenage girls) is assumed that Dobrawa had passed her early youth, so, it's probable that she was in her late teens or twenties.
overthrew the idea that previous to her marriage with Mieszko I, Dobrawa was married with Gunther, Margrave of Merseburg
and they had a son, Gunzelin
. This view is based on the fact that Thietmar of Merseburg
in his chronicles named Gunzelin, Gunther's son, brother of Bolesław I the Brave, Dobrawa's son. Currently, historians believed that Gunzelin and Bolesław I are in fact cousins or brothers-in-law.
, and Mieszko I of Poland
was concluded. In order to consolidate the agreement, in 965 Boleslav I's daughter Dobrawa was married to Mieszko I. There was a difference of religion between the spouses; she was a Christian, he was a Pagan.
Two independent sources attribute Dobrawa's important role in the conversion to Christianity of Mieszko I and Poland. The first is the chronicles of Thietmar, who was born two years before the death of Dobrawa; he wrote that the Bohemian princess tried to persuade her husband to accept Christianity (even at the cost of breaking their marriage and with this the Polish-Bohemian alliance); at the end, she finally obtained the conversion of Mieszko I and with him, of all Poland.
In turn, the 12th century chronicler Gallus Anonymus
says that Dobrawa came to Poland surrounded by secular and religious dignitaries. She agreed to marry Mieszko I, providing that he was baptized. The Polish ruler accepted, and only then was able to marry the Bohemian princess.
However, modern historians allege that the baptism of Mieszko I was dictated by political benefits and should not be attributed to any action of Dobrawa, who according to them had virtually no role in the conversion of her husband. They note that the conversion of Mieszko I thanks to Dobrawa formed part of the tradition of the Church which stressed the conversion of Pagan rulers through the influence of women.
On the other hand, literature doesn't refuse to give Dobrawa a significant role in the Christianization of the Poles. In her wedding procession, she arrived to Poland with Christian clergymen, among them possibly Jordan
, the first Bishop of Poland (since 968).
Tradition attributes to Dobrawa the establishment of the Holy Trinity and St. Wit Churches in Gniezno
and the Church of the Virgin Mary in Ostrów Tumski
, Poznań
.
Dobrawa's marriage cemented the alliance of Mieszko I with Bohemia, which continued even after her death. On 21 September 967 Mieszko I was assisted by Bohemians in the decisive Battle against the Volinians led by Wichmann the Younger
.
When, after the death of Emperor Otto I in 973 the struggle for the supremacy in Germany
began, both Dobrawa's husband and brother Boleslav II the Pious, Duke of Bohemia, supported the same candidate for the German throne, Duke Henry II of Bavaria
.
There is an hypothesis who stated the existence of another daughter of Mieszko I who was married with a Pomeranian Slavic Prince; she could be the daughter of either Dobrawa or one of his previous pagan wives. Also, exist the theory (apparently recorded by Thietmar and supported by Oswald Balzer
in 1895) that Vladivoj, who ruled as Duke of Bohemia
during 1002–1003, was another son of Dobrawa and Mieszko I; A similar view of Dobrawa's burial place was expressed earlier, in 1843, by Edward Raczyński in his work Wspomnienia Wielkopolski to jest województw poznańskiego, kaliskiego i gnieźnieńskiego (Memories of the Greater Poland districts of Poznań, Kalisz and Gniezno). However, now the burial place of the Bohemian princess is considered to be unknown.
Dobrawa's death weakened the Polish-Bohemian alliance, which finally collapsed in the mid 980s.
Premyslid dynasty
The Přemyslids , were a Czech royal dynasty which reigned in Bohemia and Moravia , and partly also in Hungary, Silesia, Austria and Poland.-Legendary rulers:...
and by marriage Duchess of the Polans.
She was the daughter of Boleslav I the Cruel, Duke of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, by his wife Biagota
Biagota
Biagota was probably the wife of duke Boleslaus I of Bohemia.Michal Lutovský writes in his book Bratrovrah a tvůrce státu that only a few coins confirm the existence of Biagota....
.
According to earlier sources she urged her husband to accept the baptism in 966. However, modern historians believed that the change of religion by Mieszko I
Mieszko I of Poland
Mieszko I , was a Duke of the Polans from about 960 until his death. A member of the Piast dynasty, he was son of Siemomysł; grandchild of Lestek; father of Bolesław I the Brave, the first crowned King of Poland; likely father of Świętosława , a Nordic Queen; and grandfather of her son, Cnut the...
was one of the points discussed in the Polish-Bohemian agreement performed soon before his marriage with Dobrawa, whose role in the conversion of her husband is now considered not as important as it was often represented by the medieval chronicles.
Date of birth
There is no known date of Dobrawa's birth. The only indication is communicated by the chronicler Cosmas of PragueCosmas of Prague
Cosmas of Prague was a Bohemian priest, writer and historian born in a noble family in Bohemia. Between 1075 and 1081, he studied in Liège. After his return to Bohemia, he became a priest and married Božetěcha, with whom he probably had a son. In 1086 Cosmas was appointed prebendary of Prague, a...
who stated that the Bohemian princess at the time of her marriage with Mieszko I was an old woman. The message is regarded as tendentious and of little reliability, some researchers believe that the statement was made with malicious intent. It is possible that in the statement about Dobrawa's age, Cosmas was making a reference to the age difference between her and her sister Mlada. That would give him a basis for determining Dobrawa as "old." It also found that Cosmas confuses Dobrawa with Mieszko I's second wife Oda
Oda von Haldensleben
Oda of Haldensleben was a German noblewoman and by marriage Duchess of the Polans.She was the eldest child of Dietrich of Haldensleben, Margrave of the North March.-Life:...
, who at the time of her marriage was around 19–25 years old, a relatively advanced age for a bride according to the customs of the Middle Ages.
The chronicle of Cosmas does not lead to a more reliable conclusion. Consequently, the date of birth of Dobrawa remains unknown. Despite this, some researchers take up some speculative views, such as Jerzy Strzelczyk
Jerzy Strzelczyk
Prof. Dr. Hab. Jerzy Strzelczyk is Polish historian, professor at the Adam Mickiewicz University.- Works :* Po tamtej stronie Odry. Dzieje i upadek Słowian połabskich, Warszawa 1968,* Drzewianie połabscy, Warszawa 1968,...
, who assumed that in the light of contemporary concepts and habits of marriage of that time (when as a rule marriages were contracted with teenage girls) is assumed that Dobrawa had passed her early youth, so, it's probable that she was in her late teens or twenties.
Early years
About Dobrawa's childhood and youth are any notices. In 1895 Oswald BalzerOswald Balzer
Oswald Marian Balzer was an Austro-Polish historian of law and statehood, one of the most renowned Polish historians of his times....
overthrew the idea that previous to her marriage with Mieszko I, Dobrawa was married with Gunther, Margrave of Merseburg
Gunther, Margrave of Merseburg
Gunther was the Margrave of Merseburg from 965 until his death, upon which the march of Merseburg was united to that of Meissen....
and they had a son, Gunzelin
Gunzelin, Margrave of Meissen
Gunzelin of Kuckenburg was the Margrave of Meissen from 1002 until 1009. He was the second son of Gunther of Merseburg, younger brother of Eckard I of Meissen, and half-brother of Boleslaus I of Poland....
. This view is based on the fact that Thietmar of Merseburg
Thietmar of Merseburg
Thietmar of Merseburg was a German chronicler who was also bishop of Merseburg.-Life:...
in his chronicles named Gunzelin, Gunther's son, brother of Bolesław I the Brave, Dobrawa's son. Currently, historians believed that Gunzelin and Bolesław I are in fact cousins or brothers-in-law.
Marriage with Mieszko I and role in the Christianization of Poland
In the second half of 964 an alliance between Boleslav I the Cruel, Duke of BohemiaBohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, and Mieszko I of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
was concluded. In order to consolidate the agreement, in 965 Boleslav I's daughter Dobrawa was married to Mieszko I. There was a difference of religion between the spouses; she was a Christian, he was a Pagan.
Two independent sources attribute Dobrawa's important role in the conversion to Christianity of Mieszko I and Poland. The first is the chronicles of Thietmar, who was born two years before the death of Dobrawa; he wrote that the Bohemian princess tried to persuade her husband to accept Christianity (even at the cost of breaking their marriage and with this the Polish-Bohemian alliance); at the end, she finally obtained the conversion of Mieszko I and with him, of all Poland.
In turn, the 12th century chronicler Gallus Anonymus
Gallus Anonymus
Gallus Anonymus is the name traditionally given to the anonymous author of Gesta principum Polonorum , composed in Latin about 1115....
says that Dobrawa came to Poland surrounded by secular and religious dignitaries. She agreed to marry Mieszko I, providing that he was baptized. The Polish ruler accepted, and only then was able to marry the Bohemian princess.
However, modern historians allege that the baptism of Mieszko I was dictated by political benefits and should not be attributed to any action of Dobrawa, who according to them had virtually no role in the conversion of her husband. They note that the conversion of Mieszko I thanks to Dobrawa formed part of the tradition of the Church which stressed the conversion of Pagan rulers through the influence of women.
On the other hand, literature doesn't refuse to give Dobrawa a significant role in the Christianization of the Poles. In her wedding procession, she arrived to Poland with Christian clergymen, among them possibly Jordan
Jordan (bishop of Poland)
Jordan was the first Bishop of Poland from 968 with his seat, most probably, in Poznań. He was an Italian or German.Most evidence shows that he was missionary bishop subordinate directly to the Pope. He arrived in Poland, probably from Italy or the Rhineland, in 966 with Dubrawka to baptise...
, the first Bishop of Poland (since 968).
Tradition attributes to Dobrawa the establishment of the Holy Trinity and St. Wit Churches in Gniezno
Gniezno
Gniezno is a city in central-western Poland, some 50 km east of Poznań, inhabited by about 70,000 people. One of the Piasts' chief cities, it was mentioned by 10th century A.D. sources as the capital of Piast Poland however the first capital of Piast realm was most likely Giecz built around...
and the Church of the Virgin Mary in Ostrów Tumski
Ostrów Tumski
Ostrów Tumski may refer to the following city quarters in Poland:*Ostrów Tumski, Poznań*Ostrów Tumski, Wrocław*Ostrów Tumski, Głogów...
, Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
.
Dobrawa's marriage cemented the alliance of Mieszko I with Bohemia, which continued even after her death. On 21 September 967 Mieszko I was assisted by Bohemians in the decisive Battle against the Volinians led by Wichmann the Younger
Wichmann the Younger
Wichmann II the Younger was a member of the Saxon House of Billung. He was a son of Count Wichmann the Elder and his wife Frederuna, probably a sister of Queen Matilda...
.
When, after the death of Emperor Otto I in 973 the struggle for the supremacy in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
began, both Dobrawa's husband and brother Boleslav II the Pious, Duke of Bohemia, supported the same candidate for the German throne, Duke Henry II of Bavaria
Henry II, Duke of Bavaria
Henry II , called the Wrangler or the Quarrelsome, in German Heinrich der Zänker, was the son of Henry I and Judith of Bavaria.- Biography :...
.
Issue
The marriage of Mieszko I and Dobrawa produced two children:- Bolesław I the Brave (Chrobry) (b. 967 - d. 17 June 1025).
- a daughter, perhaps named Świętosława, perhaps identical to the legendary Sigrid the HaughtySigrid the HaughtySigrid the Haughty, also known as Sigríð Storråda, is a queen appearing in Norse sagas as wife, first of Eric the Victorious of Sweden, then Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark. While given the Nordic ancestry in sagas, she has been hypothesized to be identical to historically attested Polish or Pomeranian...
(b. 968/72 - d. ca. 1016), perhaps married firstly with Eric the VictoriousEric VI of SwedenEric the Victorious was the first Swedish king about whom anything definite is known...
, King of SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and later wife of Sweyn ForkbeardSweyn I of DenmarkSweyn I Forkbeard was king of Denmark and England, as well as parts of Norway. His name appears as Swegen in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and he is also known in English as Svein, Swein, Sven the Dane, and Tuck.He was a Viking leader and the father of Cnut the Great...
, King of DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
by whom she is said to have been mother of Canute the GreatCanute the GreatCnut the Great , also known as Canute, was a king of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden. Though after the death of his heirs within a decade of his own and the Norman conquest of England in 1066, his legacy was largely lost to history, historian Norman F...
, King of Denmark, NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
There is an hypothesis who stated the existence of another daughter of Mieszko I who was married with a Pomeranian Slavic Prince; she could be the daughter of either Dobrawa or one of his previous pagan wives. Also, exist the theory (apparently recorded by Thietmar and supported by Oswald Balzer
Oswald Balzer
Oswald Marian Balzer was an Austro-Polish historian of law and statehood, one of the most renowned Polish historians of his times....
in 1895) that Vladivoj, who ruled as Duke of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
during 1002–1003, was another son of Dobrawa and Mieszko I; A similar view of Dobrawa's burial place was expressed earlier, in 1843, by Edward Raczyński in his work Wspomnienia Wielkopolski to jest województw poznańskiego, kaliskiego i gnieźnieńskiego (Memories of the Greater Poland districts of Poznań, Kalisz and Gniezno). However, now the burial place of the Bohemian princess is considered to be unknown.
Dobrawa's death weakened the Polish-Bohemian alliance, which finally collapsed in the mid 980s.