Elizabeth of Hungary, Duchess of Greater Poland
Elisabeth of Hungary (Hungarian: Erzsébet magyar hercegnő, Polish: Elżbieta węgierska; b. ca. 1128 - d. 21 July bef. 1154), was an 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, Serbian princess daughter of Duke Uroš I of Raška, Grand Župan of Serbia. This parentage is confirmed in several web sources[1][2] who followed the message of chronicler Jan Długosz; however, modern historians leaded by Oswald Balzer refuted this theory on basis of chronological reasons: if Elisabeth's marriage date is correct, she must have only between 8-9 years old, an age who seems extremely young for a bride, even by the standars of the Middle Ages. Balzer assumed that Elisabeth was a daughter of Prince Álmos, Duke of Croatia (father of King Béla II), a parentage who also is supported by further web sources.[3][4] The disadvantage of this hypothesis are the message of medieval chronicles (for example, the Chronicon Polono-Silesiacum), who firmly established that Elisabeth was a daughter of the Hungarian King, a title who Álmos never used because he was only a prince. Another theory was proposed by Kazimierz Jasiński: in his opinion, Elisabeth was a daughter of King Stephen II. Although sources indicated that because of his dissolute lifestyle, Stephen II didn't had any surviving children, according to Jasiński this messages are originated from a later period and don't deserve trust; also, it should be taken into account that frequently skipping for the chroniclers the birth of female offspring.[5]
Life
Around 1136, Elisabeth married with Prince Mieszko, son of the Polish ruler Bolesław III Wrymouth. The wedding was performed as a result of the agreement concluded a year earlier in Merseburg. Two years later (28 October 1138), Duke Bolesław III died; according to his will, Mieszko inherited the Greater Poland province and became in his first Duke, with Elisabeth as his Duchess consort.
During her marriage, Elisabeth bore her husband five children, two sons —Odon and Stephen— and three daughters —Elisabeth (Duchess of Bohemia and Margravine of Lusatia), Wierzchoslawa Ludmilla (Duchess of Lorraine) and Judith (Countess of Anhalt and Duchess of Saxony).[6]
Elisabeth died in 1154 aged only twenty-six or twenty-seven. Nineteen years later, in 1173, her husband became High Duke and overlord of all Poland.
References
- ^ HUNGARY
- ^ Complete Genealogy of the House of Árpád
- ^ Chronological dates in Stoyan
- ^ Courtly Lives - Polish Royalty
- ^ Jasiński K., Rodowód pierwszych Piastów, Warsaw-Kraków 1992, pp. 235-240.
- ^ POLAND