Historical Figures Codexery

Casimir III the Great

The last Piast king who built a stronger Poland through law, diplomacy, and learning.

He inherited a small, weakened realm at his father's death on 2 March 1333 and was crowned king at Wawel Cathedral on 25 April 1333.[1][2] In Polish history, Casimir is the sole monarch who both obtained and kept the designation "Great".[3]

Quick Facts

Reign
1333 – 1370
Coronation
25 April 1333
Predecessor
Władysław I Łokietek
Successor
Louis I of Hungary
Spouse
  • Aldona of Lithuania
  • Adelaide of Hesse
  • Krystyna Rokiczana (morganatic)
  • Hedwig of Sagan
Issue
  • Elisabeth
  • Duchess of Pomerania; Anna
  • Countess of Cilli
House
Piast

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

Casimir married Aldona of Lithuania on 16 October 1325 at Wawel Cathedral.[2] After his coronation, Casimir launched a diplomatic campaign to improve Poland's difficult political situation.[4] Casimir established the University of Kraków in 1364, the second university founded in Central Europe.[5] Casimir confirmed privileges for Jews in 1334 and prohibited kidnapping Jewish children for enforced baptism under penalty of death.[6]

In 1331, Casimir was put in charge of Greater Poland and Kuyavia as governor, making him an observer and participant in the kingdom's unsuccessful military campaigns.[2] Through the Statutes of Wiślica and Piotrków, Casimir systematized Polish law, which lessened legal fragmentation and strengthened royal power, and his judicial reforms led to him being called "the Polish Justinian".[7] Casimir took control of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, which opened up the Black Sea trade routes for Poland.[8] In 1364, Casimir arranged a congress of monarchs in Kraków to display Poland's prosperity.[3]

What the cited sources add

Peat bog evidence confirms that the Black Death did not reach Poland during Casimir's reign, with agricultural production remaining stable.[9] The "Kunegunda" source records that Casimir's daughter Kunegunda died on 26 April 1357.[10]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Casimir III the Great" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Kurtyka 2001, p. 14–15 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Casimir III the Great" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Wyrozumski 1982, p. 18–19 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Casimir III the Great" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Nowakowska, "Church, State and Dynasty in Renaissance Poland: The Career of Cardinal Fryderyk Jagiellon (1468-1503)", Ashgate Publishing, 2007, p. 13; "Czy Kazimierz Wielki zasłużenie nosi przydomek "wielki"? Argumenty za" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Casimir III the Great" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Szczur 2002, p. 345 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Casimir III the Great" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Saxton, "Fall of Poland; containing an analytical and a philosophical account of the causes which conspired in the ruin of that nation; together with a history of the country from its origin, in two volumes.", Charles Sc; Ness, "International Education: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary Issues and Systems", Routledge, 2015, p. 569; Dobrawski, "Poland: The First Thousand Years", Northern Illinois University Press, 2016, p. 37 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Casimir III the Great" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "In Poland, a Jewish Revival Thrives — Minus Jews", The New York Times, 12 July 2007; "Esterka: między legendą a prawdą historyczną" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Casimir III the Great" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Saxton, "Fall of Poland; containing an analytical and a philosophical account of the causes which conspired in the ruin of that nation; together with a history of the country from its origin, in two volumes.", Charles Sc (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Casimir III the Great" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dobrawski, "Poland: The First Thousand Years", Northern Illinois University Press, 2016, p. 35 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  9. "Black Death did not reach Poland, according to peat bog evidence", August 21, 2019. facts only, no text reused. medievalists.net
  10. "Kunegunda, córka Kazimierza Wielkiego: nieszczęśliwa panna młoda". facts only, no text reused. histmag.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Casimir III the Great (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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