Mikołaj (Nicholas) Dzierzgowski (1490–1559) was
Archbishop of Gniezno and
primate of Poland
This is a list of archbishops of the Archdiocese of Gniezno, who are simultaneously primates of Poland since 1418.[szlachta
The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the nobility, noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social ...]
family of the
Jastrzębiec coat of arms. He was born
out of wedlock to
Jeżewskiego de Dzierzgów and either Zbigniewy Wilkanowskiej or Catherine Wilkanowskiej.
After studying in 1518AD at the
Academy of Cracow, he became a royal
notary
A notary is a person authorised to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents. The form that the notarial profession takes varies with local legal systems.
A notary, while a legal professional, is distin ...
where he became the
protégé of
Andrzej Krzycki,
Bishop of Płock. In 1528, he continued his studies at the
University of Padua
The University of Padua (, UNIPD) is an Italian public research university in Padua, Italy. It was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from the University of Bologna, who previously settled in Vicenza; thus, it is the second-oldest ...
and in 1541 became
bishop of Chełm followed by
bishop of Kujawy in 1543. In 1545 he became the archbishopric of
Gniezno
Gniezno (; ; ) is a city in central-western Poland, about east of Poznań. Its population in 2021 was 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. The city is the administrative seat of Gniezno County (''powiat'') ...
.
[A. Gąsiorowski, J. Topolski, ''Wielkopolski Słownik Biograficzny''. (Warszawa–Poznań: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1981, p170.) .]
Like his predecessor
Jan Laski, he was a leader of the national anti-
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
party. A conservative, he actively opposed Jews (especially in
Sochaczew
Sochaczew () is a town in central Poland, with 33,456 inhabitants (as of 2023). In the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), formerly in Skierniewice Voivodeship (1975–1998). It is the capital of Sochaczew County and is located approximately west ...
) and
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
s (issuing an edict against them on 13 January 1557), and what he a saw as the ''rampant
apostasy
Apostasy (; ) is the formal religious disaffiliation, disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that is contrary to one's previous re ...
in Poland''. He once threatened a conference held by
Sigismund II Augustus.
He called a Synod in
Łowicz
Łowicz is a town in central Poland with 27,436 inhabitants (2021). It is situated in the Łódź Voivodeship. Together with a nearby station of Bednary, Łowicz is a major rail junction of central Poland, where the line from Warsaw splits into ...
in 1556AD and a conference of
bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
s in
Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
.
On 7 December 1550, in
Wawel Cathedral, he crowned Queen
Barbara Radziwiłł and on 30 July 1555, performed her wedding there. He also
crowned Catherine of Habsburg, Sigismund's second wife.
Under his influence, Sigismund Augustus issued on 13 January 1557, an edict against religious innovators, against Protestants.
He died on 18 January 1559.
References
External links
Virtual tour Gniezno Cathedral List of Primates of Poland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dzierzgowski, Mkolaj
1490 births
1559 deaths
Archbishops of Gniezno
16th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Poland