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The
Nieszawa Statutes were a set of laws enacted in the Kingdom of Poland in 1454, in the town of
NieszawaNieszawa is a town and a commune in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-central Poland. As of June 30, 2004, the town has a population of 2,047 people....
. Kazimierz IV Jagiellon made a number of concessions to the
nobilityThe szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
in exchange for their support in the Thirteen Years' War. Among other things, the Statutes required the King to seek the lords' approval when issuing new laws, levying the
pospolite ruszeniePospolite ruszenie , is an anachronistic term describing the mobilisation of armed forces, especially during the period of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The tradition of wartime mobilisation of part of the population existed from before the 13th century to the 19th century...
, or imposing new taxes. The Statutes strengthened the position of the nobility at the expense of the other estates.
Under the influence of Cardinal Zbigniew Oleśnicki, who was biased against Jews and who opposed the tolerant measures originated by
Casimir IIICasimir III the Great , last King of Poland from the Piast dynasty , was the son of King Władysław I the Elbow-high and Hedwig of Kalisz.-Biography:...
and affirmed by later kings, the Statutes of Niesza included the provisions that Jews' rights be "restricted when they contradict
canon lawCanon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
" and that Jews be compelled to wear distinctive clothing. However, this was never enforced in practice.