Jan Zamoyski taking Archiduke Maximilian of Austria as POW in 1588

Treaty of Bytom and Będzin or Treaty of Będzin and Bytom ( or ''traktat będzińsko-bytomski'') was a treaty signed between the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

and the Austrian

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...

on 9 March 1589. It was favorable to the Commonwealth.

Chronology

In the course of War of the Polish Succession, Archduke Maximilian III of Austria was soundly defeated and taken prisoner by Polish

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

and hetman, Jan Zamoyski, at the Battle of Byczyna in January 1588. Maximilan was treated with courtesy, but nonetheless found himself imprisoned in Commonwealth for over a year; first at

Krasnystaw Krasnystaw is a town in southeastern Poland with 18,630 inhabitants (31 December 2019). It is the capital of Krasnystaw County in the Lublin Voivodeship. The town is famous for its beer festival called ''Chmielaki'' ( means hops, hop), and for i ...

, than at

Zamość Zamość (; ; ) is a historical city in southeastern Poland. It is situated in the southern part of Lublin Voivodeship, about from Lublin, from Warsaw. In 2021, the population of Zamość was 62,021. Zamość was founded in 1580 by Jan Zamoyski ...

. His lengthy captivity was a result of a political game played by chancellor Zamoyski, who treated him as useful leverage in international negotiations between Poland, Austria, Sweden and Russia. Polish-Austrian negotiations were held in the

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

n border towns of Będzin and Bytom, with the Polish delegation staying on their respective sides of the border – Polish, in Będzin, and Habsburg, in Bytom. Polish delegation was represented by Hieronim Rozdrażewski, the bishop of Kujawy, Andrzej Opaliński, the grand marshal, Stanisław Gostomski, the voivode of Rawa, Janusz Ostrogski, the voivode of Volhynia, and Jan Zamoyski, the grand chancellor. Austrian negotiators included bishop Stanislav Pavlovský and burgrave William of Rosenberg. Another notable participant was Cardinal Ippolito Aldobrandini (future Pope Clement VIII), representing the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

at the Papal Legate, and acting as the mediator. The treaty was signed on 9 March 1589. The Polish side utilized their hostage to obtain a number of concessions from the Habsburgs. Maximilian was to renounce the Polish crown and Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II had to pledge not to make any alliances against Poland with the Muscovy or

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, nor to intervene in internal Polish politics in the future periods of

interregnum An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of revolutionary breach of legal continuity, discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one m ...

. The Commonwealth and Austria were to be united by "eternal bonds of peace and friendship". The town of Lubowla, taken early in the conflict by Maximilian, was returned to Poland. Maximilian promised he would renounce his claim to the Polish throne only after crossing the Polish border. Upon his return to

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

Maximilian failed to honor his pledge and renounce his claim to the Polish crown and would not do so until 1598.

Importance

Polish historian

Władysław Konopczyński Władysław Konopczyński (26 November 1880 – 12 July 1952) was a leading Polish historian''Encyklopedia Polski'', p. 305. and publisher of primary-source materials.''Encyklopedia powszechna PWN'', vol. 2, p. 539. Life Władysław Konopczyń ...

wrote that the treaty was "an honorabe convention... which for long years to come grounded peace between Poland and the Habsburgs. Leśniewski notes that the treaty led to good Polish-Austrian relations for over a century, listing the Polish relief of Vienna in 1683 as one of the consequences of the resulting good relations, and that the treaty did much to improve the international prestige of the Commonwealth.

References

External links

* Sławomir Leśniewski
Człowiek, który upokorzył Habsburgów: Zamoyski pod Byczyną
Polityka, 26 March 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Treaty of Bytom and Bedzin Bytom and Bedzin Bytom and Bedzin Austria–Poland relations Bytom Będzin 1589 in the Holy Roman Empire 1589 in the Habsburg monarchy 1589 in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1580s treaties