Tenure 1320 – c. 1333 Name Hedwig Kalisz Mother Yolanda of Hungary | Father Boleslaw the Pious Coronation 30 January 1320 House Piast dynasty | |
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Burial Clarissine convent in Stary Sacz Issue Kunigunde, Duchess of Swidnica
Casimir III of Poland
Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary Died December 10, 1339, Stary Sacz, Poland Spouse Wladyslaw I the Elbow-high (m. 1293–1333) Children Casimir III the Great, Elizabeth of Poland, Queen of Hungary, Kunigunde of Poland Parents Yolanda of Poland, Boleslaw the Pious Similar People Wladyslaw I the Elbow‑high, Casimir III the Great, Boleslaw the Pious, Elizabeth of Poland - Queen of, Anna of Cilli | ||
Hedwig of Kalisz (Polish: Jadwiga Bolesławówna; 1266 – 10 December 1339) was the second of three daughters born to Bolesław the Pious and Saint Yolanda of Hungary. In 1293, Jadwiga married Władysław I the Elbow-high, becoming Queen of Poland. She was the mother of the last Piast King of Poland, Casimir III.
Hedwig's husband, Władysław I the Elbow-high, was a bitter rival of Wenceslaus II of Bohemia who was King of Poland between 1291–1305. Life was dangerous for Hedwig and her family during this time, she and three of her children had to go into hiding for a while in 1300. In 1305, Wenceslaus II died and was succeeded by his son, Wenceslaus III of Bohemia. Wenceslaus III reigned for a year before he was assassinated by Germans under mysterious circumstances so his campaign of Poland ended. His wife, Viola of Teschen, had not borne him any children so his successor was Władysław.
In 1318, Władysław began making attempts to have himself crowned king. The pope, though initially unwilling, finally granted his approval and Władysław and Hedwig were crowned King and Queen of Poland on 30 January 1320 in Kraków; a new crown was made for the new queen and it was later used to crown other queens of Poland. Władysław and Hedwig lost their two eldest sons, Stephen (d. 1306) and Władysław (d. 1311/1312). They later had two more children, Casimir (1310–1370) and Jadwiga (d. 1320/1322).
The coronation was a sign that he had overcome Poland's internal fragmentation and re-united and re-instated the country as an independent kingdom under his rule. Poland now needed friends abroad; so in 1320, Hedwig and Władysław's daughter Elizabeth (1305–1380) married Charles I of Hungary.
Hedwig played an active part in politics during her husband's reign. She took over the regency of Stary Sącz when her granddaughter by Kunigunde (c. 1298 – 1331), Constance of Świdnica resigned to become a nun.
Her husband died in 1333. Hedwig lived until 1339.