Maria of Bytom

Maria of Bytom
The funeral of Maria of Bytom
Queen consort of Hungary
Tenure	1306–1315
Spouse	Charles I of Hungary
Issue
Catherine, Duchess of Świdnica? Elisabeth of Hungary?
House	House of Piast (by birth) House of Anjou (by marriage)
Father	Casimir of Bytom
Mother	Helena
Born	1282/84
Died	15 December 1315 (aged 30–33) Timişoara, Rumania

Maria of Bytom also known as Queen Maria of Hungary (Polish: Maria bytomska; 1282/84 – Temesvár (Timişoara), Rumania, 15 December 1315), was a Polish princess member of the House of Piast in the Bytom branch and by marriage Queen of Hungary.

She was the third child and only daughter of Duke Casimir of Bytom by his wife Helena.^[1]

Life

In 1306 Maria married Charles I Robert of Anjou, King of Hungary, according to the chronicle of Jan Długosz, which is generally accepted by the majority of historians.^{[citation needed]} The marriage was probably on the initiative of Władysław I the Elbow-high, and the role of matchmaker was played by her brother Bolesław, then Scholastic of Kraków and Duke of Toszek. Also, this union was the external expression of the approximation between the Polish and Hungarian Kingdoms, connected to the transition of the House of Anjou politics in a close political relations with Poland. The position of Maria as Queen of Hungary also paved the way for the subsequent career in the Hungarian church of his brothers Bolesław (later Archbishop of Esztergom) and Mieszko (later Bishop of Nitra and Veszprém).

Maria died on 15 December 1315 and was buried in the Royal vault of Székesfehérvár in the Basilica of the Virgin Mary.

Issue

Whether the marriage of Charles I Robert and Maria had offspring, there are divided opinions. Some historians^[who?] believed that the union was childless due to the infertility of Maria; but another group of Polish and foreign historians, led by the genealogist Włodzimierz Dworzaczek, argue that the marriage in fact produced two daughters:^[2]

1. Katherine (d. 1355), married in 1338 to Duke Henry II of Świdnica; their only child, Anne of Świdnica, was later Holy Roman Empress by her marriage with Charles IV of Luxembourg.
2. Elisabeth (d. by 19 August 1367), married "Bolesław of Opole" (probably Duke Bolesław II of Niemodlin).^[3]

However, another sources^{[4][not in citation given][5][not in citation given]} stated that King Charles I's third and last wife, Elisabeth of Poland was the mother of Katherine and Elisabeth.

References

1. ^ Profile of Maria in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley
2. ^ Genealogy of the Hungarian Kings (House of Anjou)
3. ^ The existence of Elisabeth is disputed among the historians. Some believed that Katherine was the only daughter of King Charles I Robert.
4. ^ Genealogy Database by Daniel de Rauglaudre^{[not in citation given]}
5. ^ Chronological Dates in Stoyan^{[not in citation given]}

Maria of Bytom House of Piast Born: 1282 Died: 1317
Royal titles
Preceded by Viola Elisabeth of Cieszyn	Queen consort of Hungary 1306–1317	Succeeded by Beatrice of Luxembourg

Persondata
Name	Maria Of Bytom
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1282
Place of birth
Date of death	15 December 1315
Place of death	Timişoara, Rumania