Constance of Wrocław

Constance of Wrocław (c. 1221–27 – February 23, 1257) was a Princess of Silesia and the Duchess of Kuyavia. She was a member of the House of Piast. She was mother of Leszek II the Black and Ziemomysł of Kuyavia.

Biography

Early Life and Family

Constance of Wrocław was the escond child of Henry II the Pious and his wife Anna of Bohemia, daughter of Ottokar I of Bohemia and Constance of Hungary.

Constance was born in 1227 Because she married in 1239 and according to canon law, you had to be at least twelve year old to marry ^[1]. Among her sisters only Gertrude was married, when Constance came of age, she would have been expected to marry soon after, only one other sister, Elisabeth of Wrocław was to marry, the rest were to become Abbesses.^[2]

Constance was named after her maternal grandmother, Constance of Hungary ^[3].

Constance was more carefully educated than her future husband, Casimir I of Kuyavia, who was tutored by John Heron, who was later educted by Casimir's parents. Constance and her siblings were brought up away from their parents at the monastery of Trzebnica, where they were cared for by their paternal grandmother Hedwig of Andechs. Staying at the side of her grandmother (who was later canonized) had a big effect on the young Constance, she became a pious person. Her eldest son Leszek was influenced by her.

Marriage

In 1239 at Wrocław, Constance married Casimir I of Kuyavia ^[4]. In literature there are two theories about why Constance and Casimir married.

The first one was for political reasons, Constance's father, Henry wanted less on an enermy in Konrad I of Masovia. Henry wanted a good alliance with him, with Constance's sister Gertrude already married to Konrad's eldest son, Constance's marriage would have made the alliance stronger.

The second theorie says that Constance's father had internal and external problems and good relations with Konrad I of Masovia would help greatly, and the marriage of his daughter with the son of the Duke of Mazovia was supposed to be an effective way to strengthen this cooperation ^[5]. Henry filed a dowry for Constance's marriage to Casimir. This dowry and inheritance of Henry would cause fighting between Casimir and Boleslaw the Pious (1258–1262), it ended in Boleslaw gaining Greater Poland ^[6]

Constance's husband, Casimir was born between 1210 and 1213 ^[7]. He was the second son of Konrad I and Agafia of Rus. He reigned over Kuyavia from 1230 0r 1231 when Gertrude's husband died, instead of leaving his lands to Casimir like he should have according to Konrad's will, the younger brother, Siemowit I of Masovia, inherited Masovia and other lands. Casimir had been married once before to Jadwiga, a Polish noblewomen whose origins are unknown ^[8]. Casimir and Jadwiga had no children and Jadwiga died childless.

Constance and Casimir had three children:

1. Adelaide (before 7 April 1249-8 December 1291), nun
2. Leszek II the Black (1240/42-30 September 1288), Duke of the Fragmentation of Poland
3. Ziemomysł of Kuyavia (1241/45-29 October/24 December 1287), Duke of Kuyavia

Death

The date of death for Constance is disputed: Obituary strzeleński reported that she died February 21, 1257. Accordingto the Abbey of St. obituary, her death occurred February 23, 1257 ^[9].

Constance's burial place is unknown.

A document from, September 16, 1257, issued by her two sons and Casimir for Bishop of Chelmno. Her sons wanted to celebrate daily Mass for Constance's soul.

Ancestry

References

1. ^ K. Jasinski Pedigree Little Poland and Kuyavian Piast, Poznan - Wroclaw 2001, p. 62 Earlier in the book of K. Jasinski Pedigree of the Silesian Piast dynasty. Volume I. The Piast and Legnica-Wrocław brzescy, Wroclaw Scientific Society, Wroclaw 1973, pointed out that as younger than Constance Gertrude was born probably after 1220 Cf. K. Jasinski Pedigree of the Silesian Piast, Thu. I, ed. II, Krakow 2007, p. 120 In Table I / 2 at the end of the book: zap. 1221-1227.
2. ^ In general, married daughters were given in order of seniority, the youngest offspring was spent for the priesthood. Gertrude in 1233 married Boleslaw I of Mazovia, Elizabeth in 1244 married Przemysł I of Greater PolandWhile Agnieszka cysterką Trzebnicka was a Jadwiga joined the Poor Clares monastery in Wroclaw. Cf. K. Jasinski Pedigree of the Silesian Piast, Thu. I, ed. II, Krakow 2007, p. 120
3. ^ K. Jasinski Pedigree of the Silesian Piast, Thu. I, ed. II, Krakow 2007, p. 120
4. ^ SILESIA, Medieval Lands
5. ^ T. Žemaitija, The study divided Kingdom. Duke Leszek the Black, Warsaw 2000, p. 26
6. ^ Boleslaw the Pious reported claims to the land which the 1237 lost his father, Wladyslaw Odonic, while at war with Constance's father.
7. ^ K. Jasinski Pedigree Little Poland and Kuyavian Piast, Poznan - Wroclaw 2001, p. 57-58. O. Balzer, Genealogy Piast, Krakow 1895, p. 292, put his birth at around 1211
8. ^ This view is D. Karczew included in the work On the origin of Hedwig, the first wife of Prince Casimir Kuyavia Konradowica[In] K. Zielinska-Melkowska (ed.), Central and Eastern Europe in politics Piast, Torun, 1997. Speak for him: the same name of his wife Odonic, HedwigAnd the friendly relations between the prince and his father Casimir Wielkopolskie, Konrad Mazowiecki. Cf. K. Jasinski Pedigree Little Poland and Kuyavian Piast, Poznan - Wroclaw 2001, p. 61-62.
9. ^ O. Balzer, Genealogy Piast, Krakow 1895, p. 299, opted for an earlier date, as specified by the local source. He claimed that the obituary of Wroclaw indicate the date two days later, as news of the death of the late Constance arrived in Silesia. According to his obituaries were independent of each other; K. Jasinski Pedigree of the Silesian Piast, Thu. I, ed. II, Krakow 2007, p. 120-121, both dates recognized as equally likely. According to his obituary Wroclaw able to keep the initial record strzeleńskiego obituary, which allegedly took the information about the death of Constance. Both obituaries are not survive to the present day. Abbey of St. obituary. Vincent Wroclaw is known for its thirteenth-century manuscript, and Obituary strzeleński with late copy.

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Name	Constance Of Wroclaw
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Date of death	1257
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