Konrad I of Masovia (ca. 1187/88 – 31 August 1247), from the Polish
Piast dynasty
The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great.
Branch ...
Casimir II the Just
Casimir II the Just ( pl, Kazimierz II Sprawiedliwy; 28 October 1138 – 5 May 1194) was a Lesser Polish Duke of Wiślica from 1166–1173, and of Sandomierz after 1173. He became ruler over the Polish Seniorate Province at Kraków and thereby Hig ...
Helen of Znojmo
Helena of Znojmo ( cs, Helena Znojemská; pl, Helena znojemska; c. 1141–1202/1206), was a Bohemian princess, a member of the Přemyslid dynasty. She was the daughter of Duke Conrad II of Znojmo and his Serbian wife Maria of Rascia (daughter of ...
Conrad II of Znojmo
Conrad II of Znojmo ( cz, Konrád II. Znojemský; d. 1161), a member of the Přemyslid dynasty, was a Bohemian prince who ruled in the Moravian principality of Znojmo from 1123 to 1128 and again from 1134 until his death.
Life
Conrad II was the s ...
Ruthenia
Ruthenia or , uk, Рутенія, translit=Rutenia or uk, Русь, translit=Rus, label=none, pl, Ruś, be, Рутэнія, Русь, russian: Рутения, Русь is an exonym, originally used in Medieval Latin as one of several terms ...
n army was crushed and Roman was killed in battle. The
Rurik
Rurik (also Ryurik; orv, Рюрикъ, Rjurikŭ, from Old Norse '' Hrøríkʀ''; russian: Рюрик; died 879); be, Рурык, Ruryk was a semi-legendary Varangian chieftain of the Rus' who in the year 862 was invited to reign in Novgoro ...
princess
Agafia of Rus
Agafia Svyatoslavna of Rus (between 1190 and 1195 – after 31 August 1247/2 June 1248) was Princess of Masovia by her marriage and was a member of the Rurikid dynasty.
Life
Agafia was the daughter of Svyatoslav III Igorevich and his wife Yarosl ...
became his wife.
Attempted conquests of Prussia
In an effort to enlarge his dominions, Konrad unsuccessfully attempted to conquer the adjacent
pagan
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
crusade
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were i ...
Christian of Oliva
Christian of Oliva ( pl, Christian z Oliwy), also Christian of Prussia (german: Christian von Preußen) (died 4 December(?) 1245) was the first missionary bishop of Prussia. Old Prussians, his residence at Chełmno however was devastated by Prussian forces the next year. Several further campaigns in 1219, 1222 failed, instead Konrad picked a long-term border quarrel with the Prussian tribes.
The duke's ongoing attempts on Prussia were answered by incursions across the borders of his Masovian lands, while Prussians were in the process of gaining back control over the disputed Chełmno Land and even threatened Konrad's residence at Płock Castle. Subjected to constant Prussian raids and counter-raids, Konrad now wanted to stabilize the north of his Duchy of Masovia in this fight over the border area of Chełmno.
Teutonic Order
Thus in 1226, Konrad, having difficulty with constant raids over his territory, invited the religious
military order Military order may refer to:
Orders
* Military order (religious society), confraternity of knights originally established as religious societies during the medieval Crusades for protection of Christianity and the Catholic Church
Military organi ...
Cuman people
The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian exonym ), were a Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confederation. After the Mongol invasion (1237), many sough ...
in the Transylavanian Burzenland from 1211 to 1225. When they notified Hungary that the Order was, firstly, responsible to the pope, the Knights were expelled by the Hungarian King Andrew II though. Thus, in turn for the Order's service, Grand Master Herman of Salza wanted to have its rights documented beforehand, by a deal with Konrad that was to be confirmed by the
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
and the Roman Curia.
Emperor Frederick II issued in March 1226 the Golden Bull of Rimini, stating that:
:''"...our trusty Brother Herman, the worthy Master of the Sacred House of the Hospital of St. Mary of the Germans in Jerusalem '' .e., ''the Teutonic Order''' has explained ... that our devoted Konrad ''(Chünradus)'', Duke of Masovia and of Kuyavia ''(Cuiaviae)'', has promised and undertaken to provide to him and to his brethren from that land, which is called the Chelmło Land ''(terra quae vocatur Culmen)'', and in that other land, that is to say, between his borderland ''(marchiam)'' and the territories of the Prussians ''(confinia Prutenorum)'', that they may thus indeed take up the task and readily embark upon the invasion and obtaining of the land of Prussia ''(terram Prusciae)'' for the honor and glory of the true God.''
:''"We therefore... especially because the land itself is held under the sole rule of the Empire ''(sub monarchia imperii)'', trusting also in the judgment ''(prudentia)'' of the same Master, because he is a man mighty both in deed and word and through his own and his brethren’s perseverance is mightily undertaking and manfully carrying out the conquest of that land... even though many, vainly besought with numerous exertions in this business, gave up ''(defecerunt)'' just when they seemed about to set forth, grant the land of Prussia to the same Master along with the forces of his order and with all those who think to invade t'..."
So far, the Knights were not convinced to take the trouble of fighting the Prussians. On the advice of the first Prussian bishop,
Christian of Oliva
Christian of Oliva ( pl, Christian z Oliwy), also Christian of Prussia (german: Christian von Preußen) (died 4 December(?) 1245) was the first missionary bishop of Prussia. Order of Dobrzyń in 1228. He then called for another Prussian Crusade, and was again defeated. In view of an imminent Prussian invasion, Konrad supposedly signed the
Treaty of Kruszwica The Treaty of Kruszwica (German: ''Vertrag von Kruschwitz''), signed on 16 June 1230, was concluded between Konrad I of Masovia and the Teutonic Knights. According to this agreement, the Duke of Masovia transferred to the Teutonic Order the lands o ...
in 1230, according to which he granted Chełmno Land to the Teutonic Knights and the Order of Dobrzyń. By this donation disclaiming any enfeoffment, Konrad established the nucleus of the State of the Teutonic Order. However the document does not exist and it is believed that it was never signed and that the Order most likely forged it. The Knights under the command of
Hermann Balk
Hermann Balk (died March 5, 1239, Würzburg), also known as Hermann von Balk or Hermann Balke, was a Knight-Brother of the Teutonic Order and its first '' Landmeister'', or Provincial Master, in both Prussia and Livonia. From 1219 to 1227, he serv ...
crossed the Vistula river and conquered Chełmno Land, erecting the castle of Toruń (''Thorn'') in 1231. In 1234, Pope Gregory IX issued the
Golden Bull of Rieti
''Pietati proximum'' (3 August 1234), more commonly known as the Golden Bull of Rieti was a papal bull by Pope Gregory IX which confirmed the Teutonic Order's domination of the Chelmno land east of the lower Vistula, and of any other lands conquer ...
, confirming the prior deals with the Teutonic Knights, stating that the land of the Order was only subject to the Pope, not a fief of anyone. In 1237, the Order's lands were confiscated by Konrad and forced to invest the town of Dobryczin.
High Duke
Konrad was also entangled in the conflict over the Polish
Seniorate Province
Seniorate Province, also known as the Senioral Province, , was a district principality in the Duchy of Poland that was formed in 1138, following the fragmentation of the state. Its ruler held the title of the High Duke, ruling all duchies wit ...
with his Piast cousin Duke
Władysław III Spindleshanks : ''This article refers to the 12th-century Polish monarch. For the 15th-century Jagiellon monarch, see Władysław III of Poland, and for other monarchs with similar names see Ladislaus III (disambiguation)''.
Władysław III Spindleshanks ( pl, W ...
of
Greater Poland
Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; german: Großpolen, sv, Storpolen, la, Polonia Maior), is a Polish historical regions, historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed ...
and assumed the title of a Polish High Duke in 1229. However their Silesian relative Duke Henry I the Bearded finally prevailed as High Duke at Kraków in 1232 and confined Konrad's rule again to Masovia. When Henry's son and heir, High Duke Henry II the Pious was killed at the 1241
Battle of Legnica
The Battle of Legnica ( pl, bitwa pod Legnicą), also known as the Battle of Liegnitz (german: Schlacht von Liegnitz) or Battle of Wahlstatt (german: Schlacht bei Wahlstatt), was a battle between the Mongol Empire and combined European forces t ...
, Konrad once again assumed the senioral title, but had to yield to the claims raised by his nephew Bolesław V the Chaste, son of his elder brother Leszek, two years later.
Marriage and children
Around 1208/1209 Konrad married
Agafia of Rus
Agafia Svyatoslavna of Rus (between 1190 and 1195 – after 31 August 1247/2 June 1248) was Princess of Masovia by her marriage and was a member of the Rurikid dynasty.
Life
Agafia was the daughter of Svyatoslav III Igorevich and his wife Yarosl ...
, daughter of Prince
Svyatoslav III Igorevich
Sviatoslav III Igorevich (1176 – September 1211) was a Rus' prince (a member of the Rurik dynasty).
Marriage and childrenCharles Cawley suggests that prince Oleg Svyatoslavich of Novgorod-Seversk was also Svyatoslav’s son retrieved on 2009-04 ...
. They had ten children:
# Bolesław I (c. 1210 – 17 April 1248), Duke of Masovia
# Casimir I (c. 1210/13 – 14 December 1267), Duke of Kuyavia
# Siemowit I (c. 1215 – 24 June 1262), succeeded eldest brother as Duke of Masovia.
#Eudoxia (b. c. 1215–1225), married Count Dietrich I of
Brehna
Brehna is a town and a former municipality in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2009, it is part of the town Sandersdorf-Brehna.
It is situated southwest of Bitterfeld. Important in this city is the chur ...
norbertine
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular of the Catholic Church ...
nun at Płock.
#Ziemomysł (c. 1220 – 10 July/18 September 1241).
#Salomea (c. 1220/1225 – aft. 30 August 1268?), probably a
clare Clare may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land
Australia
* Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley
* Clare Valley, South Australia
Canada
* Clare (electoral district), an electoral district
* Cl ...
nun at Skała.
#Judith (c. 1222/27 – 4 December 1257/63), married firstly to Duke Mieszko II the Fat of
Opole
Opole (; german: Oppeln ; szl, Ôpole) ;
* Silesian:
** Silesian PLS alphabet: ''Ôpole''
** Steuer's Silesian alphabet: ''Uopole''
* Silesian German: ''Uppeln''
* Czech: ''Opolí''
* Latin: ''Oppelia'', ''Oppolia'', ''Opulia'' is a city loc ...
, secondly to Duke
Henry III the White
Henry III the White ( pl, Henryk III Biały) ( – 3 December 1266), a member of the Silesian Piasts, was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1248 until his death, as co-ruler with his brother Władysław.
Life
He was the third son of the Polish hi ...
of Wrocław.
#Dubrawka (b. c. 1230, d. 1265).
#Mieszko (bef. 1236 – bef. 1238), died in infancy
Konrad's legacy
Konrad is considered by Poles to be responsible for Teutonic Knights' control of most of the
Baltic
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
* Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...
coastline, undermining Polish authority in the area. King
Casimir III of Poland
Casimir III the Great ( pl, Kazimierz III Wielki; 30 April 1310 – 5 November 1370) reigned as the King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He also later became King of Ruthenia in 1340, and fought to retain the title in the Galicia-Volhynia Wars. He wa ...