Casimir I (Kuyavia)

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Casimir I, Duke of Kuyavia (drawing of the depiction on a paten from Płock from the 13th century)

Casimir I of Kujawien (Polish Kazimierz I Kujawski ; * approx. 1211 ; † 14 December 1267 ) was as Casimir I from 1233 Duke of Kujawien , 1247–1261 Duke of Sieradz and 1247–1267 Duke of Łęczyca . He was the founder of the Kujavian line of Piasts .

Life and political career

Casimir was the son of Duke Konrad of Mazovia and the Ruthenian nobleman Agathe of Halych-Volhynia († after 1247). He received Kujawien in 1233 as a domain, from which an independent duchy subsequently developed, which he expanded to include further areas. He graduated in 1239 in Greater Poland situated castellany Ląd his duchy, which he as a dowry to his wife Constance of Schlesien- Wroclaw got. 1242 followed in a war against Duke Swantopolk of Pomerania, the castellany Wyszogród near Bromberg . When his father Konrad died in 1247, contrary to his will, he appropriated the territories around Sieradz and Łęczyca that were promised to his younger brother Siemowit . He initially sought protection and acceptance from Bolesław , the eldest of Konrad's three sons, in Mazovia . After Bolesław's death in 1248, Siemowit inherited his duchy. In the resulting power vacuum, Casimir used his chance and wrested the Dobrin land from his younger brother, the new Duke of Mazovia .

The ducal seal

After 1250 Casimir tried with papal support the peaceful Christianization of the pagan- Baltic Jadwingers , but found a bitter opponent in the Teutonic Order , which his father Konrad had brought to the country in 1226 against the pagan-Baltic Pruzzen . Since the knights of the order viewed the mission area as belonging to their own sphere of influence, a papal legate excommunicated the order for the lack of support and contrary attitude. To strengthen his military strength, Casimir brought the Knights Templar into his duchy, while in 1263 he concluded a treaty with the Teutonic Order that stabilized the political situation between the two.

After 1258, Duke Bolesław of Greater Poland, in alliance with Duke Wartisław of Pomerania, claimed the castellany Ląd, which in his opinion Duke Heinrich von Schlesien-Breslau had illegally transferred to Casimir as a dowry. In the war that broke out, Casimir still had the upper hand in the first year, but in 1259 the Dukes Bolesław of Lesser Poland , Siemowit of Mazovia and Prince Roman, a son of Prince Daniel Romanowitsch of Galicia , joined the anti-Kujawi alliance . Casimir could not oppose this coalition and asked for peace on November 29, 1259. He promised to hand over the controversial castellany to Bolesław of Greater Poland. The talks dragged on, finally a coalition against Kujawy was formed again in 1261, which finally forced the Duke to hand over Ląd to Greater Poland and the Duchy of Sieradz to his eldest son Leszek.

Casimir died in 1267 and was buried in the Włocławek Cathedral.

The Kingdom of Poland (Seniorate Poland) in the 13th century and the Polish duchies, including the sphere of influence of Duke Casimir of Kujawy ("Kujawy"), political situation around 1250. Areas marked in gray were territories that had left the Polish Imperial Union by 1252 : In the west of Lebus (only Lubusz on the map ) went to the Mark Brandenburg and formed the nucleus of the later " New Mark "; in the east the Kulmer Land (on the map only Chełmno ) to the Teutonic Order (on the map Państwo Krzyżackie ) and the land of Drohiczyn to the Principality of Halych-Volhynia and in the north the Duchy of Pomerania under the Samborids (Polish map)

Marriage and offspring

Duke Casimir was married three times. His first marriage to a woman of unknown origin named Jadwiga († before 1239) remained childless. In his second marriage he married Konstanze von Schlesien-Breslau (1221 / 27–1253 / 57) in 1239, with whom he had two sons and a daughter. In 1257 he married Euphrosyne, daughter of the Opole Duke Casimir I. This marriage resulted in three sons and a daughter.

Offspring with Konstanze:

• Leszek (1241–1288), Duke of Kujawie (Inowrocław), of Sieradz, Łęczyca, Lesser Poland (Cracow and Sandomir) and Princeps of Poland;
• Siemomysław (1245 / 1248–1287), Duke in Kujawien (Inowrocław);
• Adelajda (1249–1291), Dominican in the monastery of Sandomir;

Offspring with Euphrosyne:

• Władysław (1260 / 1261–1333), Duke in Kujawia (Brześć Kujawski), from Sieradz, Łęczyca, Dobrin, Greater Poland (Posen, Gnesen and Kalisch), Lesser Poland (Cracow and Sandomir), Pomerania, from 1306 Princeps of Poland and from 1320 King of Poland;
• Casimir (1262 / 65–1294), Duke in Kujawien (Brześć Kujawski), from Łęczyca and Dobrin;
• Siemowit (1265-1312), Duke of Dobrin;
• Eufemia (after 1257–1308), as the wife of Prince Jurij I (Jerzy I or Georg I) by marriage to Princess of Halych-Volhynia

Individual evidence

1. ^ Also on the following see Kasimir I., Duke of Kujawien, Leczyca and Sieradz in the portal: genealogie-mittelalter.de