Elisabeth of Greater Poland (1152–1209)
Encyclopedia
Elisabeth of Greater Poland (1152 – 2 April 1209) was a Polish
princess of the House of Piast and, by her two marriages, Duchess of Bohemia and Margravine of Lusatia
.
She was a daughter of Mieszko III the Old
, Duke of Greater Poland
and from 1173 High Duke of Poland, by his first wife, Elisabeth
, daughter of King Béla II of Hungary
.
Elisabeth's birthdate is unknown. Medieval sources do not even indicate whether the Hungarian princess was her mother. Elizabeth is believed to have been her daughter only because both had the same name. Some scholars report that Elizabeth was born about 1152 or 1154.
; Elisabeth, who at that time was there, was then captured by Frederick, but soon was set free. On 27 January 1179 Soběslav II was completely defeated in battle on the outskirts of Prague. He took refuge in Skála castle, and after a long siege, Frederick won at the end of 1179 and became in the new ruler of Bohemia. Elisabeth and her husband then went into exile in Hungary, where Soběslav II died on 29 January 1180. They had no children.
of Lusatia
. They had three children: one son, Conrad, and two daughters, Matilda and Agnes.
On 16 August 1190, Margrave Dedi V died, and his domains were divided between his two surviving sons: the eldest, Dietrich, inherited the counties of Sommerschenburg and Groitzsch
(as eldest heir of his mother) and the second, Conrad, received the Margraviate of Lusatia (the main paternal domain) and the county of Eilenburg
. In consequence, Elisabeth became in Margravine consort of Lusatia and Countess consort of Eilenburg. About her role in the Lusatian court there are no messages.
Elisabeth is buried at Kloster Dobrilugk. Her only son, Conrad, died in boyhood; Agnes, the youngest daughter, married Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine
, but they had no children. Elisabeth's only descendants were from her eldest daughter Matilda, wife of Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg
.
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...
princess of the House of Piast and, by her two marriages, Duchess of Bohemia and Margravine of Lusatia
Lusatia
Lusatia is a historical region in Central Europe. It stretches from the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers in the east to the Elbe valley in the west, today located within the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg as well as in the Lower Silesian and Lubusz voivodeships of western Poland...
.
She was a daughter of Mieszko III the Old
Mieszko III the Old
Mieszko III the Old , of the royal Piast dynasty, was Duke of Greater Poland from 1138 and High Duke of Poland, with interruptions, from 1173 until his death....
, Duke of Greater Poland
Greater Poland
Greater Poland or Great Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief city is Poznań.The boundaries of Greater Poland have varied somewhat throughout history...
and from 1173 High Duke of Poland, by his first wife, Elisabeth
Elisabeth of Hungary (1128–1154)
Elisabeth of Hungary , was a Hungarian princess member of the House of Árpád and by marriage Duchess of Greater Poland.She was the eldest child of King Béla II of Hungary by his wife Helena, daughter of Duke Uroš I of Raška, Grand Župan of Serbia...
, daughter of King Béla II of Hungary
Béla II of Hungary
Béla II the Blind , King of Hungary and Croatia . Still as a child, Béla was blinded by his uncle, King Coloman who wanted to ensure the succession of his own son, the future King Stephen II...
.
Elisabeth's birthdate is unknown. Medieval sources do not even indicate whether the Hungarian princess was her mother. Elizabeth is believed to have been her daughter only because both had the same name. Some scholars report that Elizabeth was born about 1152 or 1154.
Duchess of Bohemia
Around 1173 Elisabeth was married to Soběslav II, Duke of Bohemia. This union was a part of the multiple dynastic arrangements made by Duke Mieszko III. As a result of this agreement, in 1176 Polish troops helped Duke Soběslav II in his fight against the House of Babenberg, rulers of Austria. In 1178 Prince Frederick (Soběslav II's cousin) besieged PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
; Elisabeth, who at that time was there, was then captured by Frederick, but soon was set free. On 27 January 1179 Soběslav II was completely defeated in battle on the outskirts of Prague. He took refuge in Skála castle, and after a long siege, Frederick won at the end of 1179 and became in the new ruler of Bohemia. Elisabeth and her husband then went into exile in Hungary, where Soběslav II died on 29 January 1180. They had no children.
Margravine of Lusatia
Elisabeth never returned to Poland. Soon after her husband died (end January or early February 1180), she married with Conrad, fifth son of Dedi V, MargraveMargrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
of Lusatia
Lusatia
Lusatia is a historical region in Central Europe. It stretches from the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers in the east to the Elbe valley in the west, today located within the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg as well as in the Lower Silesian and Lubusz voivodeships of western Poland...
. They had three children: one son, Conrad, and two daughters, Matilda and Agnes.
On 16 August 1190, Margrave Dedi V died, and his domains were divided between his two surviving sons: the eldest, Dietrich, inherited the counties of Sommerschenburg and Groitzsch
Groitzsch
Groitzsch is a town in the Leipzig district, in Saxony, Germany.- Geography and transport :The town is situated on the river Weiße Elster, 20 km northeast of Zeitz, and 25 km southwest of Leipzig. The B176 goes through Groitzsch and the B2 goes through the subdistricts Kobschütz and...
(as eldest heir of his mother) and the second, Conrad, received the Margraviate of Lusatia (the main paternal domain) and the county of Eilenburg
Eilenburg
Eilenburg is a town in Germany. It lies in the district of Nordsachsen in the Free State of Saxony, approximately 20 km northeast of the city of Leipzig.- Geography :...
. In consequence, Elisabeth became in Margravine consort of Lusatia and Countess consort of Eilenburg. About her role in the Lusatian court there are no messages.
Death and aftermath
At the beginning of 1209, Conrad II defeated the army of Elisabeth's half-brother, Władysław III Spindleshanks, in the Battle of Lubusz. It is assumed that this experience may have contributed to the death of Elisabeth in April 1209. A year later, on 6 May 1210, Conrad II died.Elisabeth is buried at Kloster Dobrilugk. Her only son, Conrad, died in boyhood; Agnes, the youngest daughter, married Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine
Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine
Henry was count palatine of the Rhine from 6 August 1195 to 1213.Henry was the eldest son of Duke Henry the Lion, from his marriage to Matilda, eldest daughter of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He grew up in England and became count palatine of the Rhine through his 1193...
, but they had no children. Elisabeth's only descendants were from her eldest daughter Matilda, wife of Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg
Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg
Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg was a member of the House of Ascania. He was Margrave of Brandenburg from 1205 until his death in 1220.- Life :...
.