Hedwig of Masovia ( pl, Jadwiga mazowiecka, hu, Hedvig mazóviai hercegnő; ca. 1392 – after 19 February 1439), was a Polish princess, member of the
House of Piast in the
Masovian branch.
She was the eldest daughter of
Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia and
Alexandra
Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "prot ...
, a daughter of
Algirdas
Algirdas ( be, Альгерд, Alhierd, uk, Ольгерд, Ольґерд, Olherd, Olgerd, pl, Olgierd; – May 1377) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He ruled the Lithuanians and Ruthenians from 1345 to 1377. With the help of his bro ...
,
Grand Duke of Lithuania and sister of King
Władysław II Jagiełło of
Poland.
Life
On 3 January 1410, Hedwig married the Hungarian magnate
John Garai
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
, Ban of Ozora and ''
ispán'' of
Temes and
Požega Counties. This union had undoubtedly a political objective. Hedwig's father Siemowit IV, during the Polish-Teutonic War wanted to be close to the Hungarian King
Sigismund of Luxembourg
Sigismund of Luxembourg (15 February 1368 – 9 December 1437) was a monarch as King of Hungary and Croatia (''jure uxoris'') from 1387, King of Germany from 1410, King of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 until his death in 1 ...
, who at that point was an undercover ally of the Teutonic Order. It is not excluded that the wedding of his vassal's daughter to an influential Hungarian magnate was approved by King
Władysław II Jagiełło of Poland, hoping that after this union relations with the Hungarian King could be improved, and his approval be obtained for a war against the Order. The marriage was probably instigated by Sigismund's wife
Barbara of Cilli
Barbara of Cilli or Barbara of Celje ( Hungarian: ''Cillei Borbála'', German: ''Barbara von Cilli,'' Slovenian and Croatian'': Barbara Celjska,'' 1392 – 11 July 1451), was the Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia by marriage t ...
, a cousin of the Polish Queen
Anna of Cilli, Władysław II's second wife.
Hedwig bore her husband four children:
*Hedwig (d. ca. 1435), married
Petar Talovac,
Ban of Croatia.
*Catherine (d. ca. 1435/37), married Nicholas Bebek de Pelsőc, ''ispán'' of Gömör County.
*Stephen (d. bef. 1430).
*
Dorothea,
Queen consort of Bosnia (d. September 1438), married King
Tvrtko II of Bosnia.
John Garai died before 9 April 1428. In 1435, the Hungarian Diet began a process against Hedwig, who was accused of poisoning her husband, feared that he could discover her affair with one of his relatives,
Nicholas Szécsényi
Nicholas (II) Szécsényi ( hu, Szécsényi (II.) Miklós), also known as Nicholas of Salgó ( hu, Salgói or ''Salgai Miklós'', german: Nikolaus Schallaga; died 19 January 1438), was a Hungarian wealthy landowner and magnate, who solely inherite ...
. In addition, during the process she was accused of incitement to prostitution in the person of her daughter Catherine. The testimony of members of the
Garai family Garai or Garay ( hr, Gorjanski) were a Hungarian-Croatian noble family, a branch of the Dorozsma (Durusma) clan, with notable members in the 14th and 15th centuries. They were lords of Csesznek.
Origin
The family was descended from the Dorozsma ...
, who belonged to the Hungarian elite, where enough evidence for King Sigismund, who dictated a harsh punishment against Hedwig: all her property was confiscated, and she was imprisoned for life in the castle of her husband's family. She spent rest of her life in house arrest in good living conditions in the fort of
Ladislaus Garai
Ladislaus Garai, also Ladislas Garai, ( hu, Garai László; 1410 – February or April 1459) was Palatine of Hungary from 1447 to 1458, and Ban of Macsó between 1431 and 1441 and from 1445 and 1447.
Childhood
Ladislaus was the son of Nich ...
.
References
*K. Jasiński: ''Rodowód Piastów mazowieckich'', Poznań-Wrocław 1998, pp. 111–114.
*M. Wilamowski: ''Jadwiga'',
n:''Piastowie. Leksykon biograficzny'', Kraków 1999, p. 312.
{{authority control
Piast dynasty
Polish princesses
Polish people of Lithuanian descent
Prisoners and detainees of Hungary
1390s births
1439 deaths
Garai family