Elisabeth Richza of Poland

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Elisabeth Richza of Poland pictured in the Chronicon aulae regiae with a Polish and Bohemian royal crown (made 1305–1339 in the Cistercian monastery in Zbraslav ).

Elisabeth Richza of Poland (Polish Ryksa Elżbieta , Czech Eliška Alžběta Rejčka ; born September 1, 1286 or 1288 in Posen , †  October 19, 1335 in Brno ) was a Queen of Bohemia and Poland . She was the first queen of Bohemia to become the wife of two rulers.

Life

The daughter of the Duke of Greater Poland and, from 1295, the Polish King Przemysł II and Richeza, daughter of King Waldemar of Sweden , lost both parents at a young age. The mother died when she was six years old, the father was murdered by Polish nobles in 1296. Originally Richza was with Otto, son of Margrave Albrecht III. of Brandenburg , engaged. Here she also received her training. After the fiancé's early death, she became the heiress of Poland and was welcomed by the Bohemian King Wenceslaus II.

In 1300 the princess was brought to Bohemia, where she was raised by Wenceslas aunt. In 1303 the seventeen-year-old was married to the 32-year-old Bohemian and now also Polish king and was crowned queen by Bishop Heinrich von Würben of Wroclaw . After the wedding she took the name Elisabeth.

In 1305 she gave birth to their daughter Agnes. Wenceslaus II did not live to see the longed-for son, who was to inherit the Polish crown; he died on June 21, 1305. At the age of nineteen Elisabeth became a widow. After the murder of the last Přemyslid Wenceslaus III. (August 4, 1306) chaotic conditions and power struggles broke out in the country. The German King Albrecht I of the House of Habsburg occupied Bohemia and gave it to his son Rudolf as a fief . So that this would be accepted by the Bohemian nobility, he asked for the hand of the king's widow Elisabeth Richza. The 25-year-old widowed duke became king not only of Bohemia, but also of Poland. During the power struggles against Bavor von Strakonitz, he fell ill with dysentery and died on July 4, 1307 without leaving any descendants. He left the 21-year-old a widow. Shortly before death, however, he had her income doubled, and she became one of the richest women in Bohemia. At first, however, she could not enjoy this wealth. She was partially held captive during further power struggles on the farm. However, she managed to escape to Vienna with her daughter. Here she spent some time in the monastery.

After the situation in Bohemia calmed down, King Heinrich of Carinthia, elected by the Bohemian estates in 1307, allowed her to return to Bohemia, where she settled in Königgrätz . After the renewed coup in 1310 , the Luxembourgers came to power in Bohemia with Johann von Luxemburg , who married the youngest daughter of Wenceslas II, also named Elisabeth . From earlier times there was open hostility between women.

Elisabeth Richza had a close relationship with the leader of the Bohemian nobility, Heinrich von Leipa . This relationship was a thorn in the side of the new queen. In 1315 Heinrich was imprisoned and the country fell into turmoil again. After three years, Heinrich was released at the insistence of the Bohemian nobility and took over the administration of the Moravian margravate in its capital Brno . Here Elisabeth Richza built a court for herself similar to the royal one. With the support of Olomouc Bishop Konrad , Elisabeth Richza and Heinrich von Leipa jointly founded the Cistercian convent Maria Saal in 1323 at the Marienkirche in Altbrno . Heinrich von Leipa was buried there after his death in 1329.

Elisabeth Richza spent the last years of her life managing the property, conferring privileges on many cities in South Bohemia and collecting writings and furnishings for her monastery. After her death, the Brno monastery received most of her fortune. She also considered other monasteries and her daughter Agnes, who had meanwhile been married to the Bavarian Duke Heinrich.

Elisabeth Richza of Poland died on October 19, 1335 and was buried next to her last lover Heinrich von Leipa.

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Elisabeth Richza of Poland  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
predecessor Office successor
Guta von Habsburg Queen of Bohemia
1303–1305 		Viola Elisabeth von Teschen
Margaret of Brandenburg Queen of Poland
1303–1305 		Hedwig von Kalisch
Viola Elisabeth von Teschen Queen of Bohemia
1306–1307 		Anna Přemyslovna
personal data
SURNAME Elisabeth Richza of Poland
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Queen of Bohemia
DATE OF BIRTH September 1, 1286
PLACE OF BIRTH Poses
DATE OF DEATH October 19, 1335
Place of death Brno