Birth of Casimir III ‘The Great’ of Poland
Casimir was born on 30th April 1310, the third son of Ladislaus the Short and Jadwiga of Kalisz, and the last Polish king from the Piast dynasty.
When Casimir came to the throne in 1333, his position was in danger.
His neighbours did not recognise his title, and instead called him “king of Kraków”
Casimir inherited a kingdom weakened by war, and throughout his reign, he made it prosperous and wealthy.
He reformed the Polish army and doubled the size of the kingdom.
Casimir also reformed the judicial system and introduced a legal code, gaining the title “the Polish Justinian”.
Casimir built extensively, rebuilding the country and strengthening its defense system.
During his reign, nearly 30 towns were supplied with fortification walls and some 50 castles were constructed.
Casimir also founded the Jagiellonian University – back then simply called the University of Kraków, one of the oldest in the world.
He also gave privileges and protection to Jews, and encouraged them to settle in Poland in great numbers.
Casimir was facetiously named “the Peasants’ King”.
He was known for siding with the weak when the law did not protect them from nobles and clergymen.
His popularity with the peasants helped to rebuild the country, as part of the reconstruction program was funded by a land tax paid by the lower social class.
Over the reign of Casimir, Poland’s territory expanded from a size of 50,000 square miles to 90,000 square miles.
Casimir was a busy king indeed, and his private life was no different.
Casimir was married four times!
Wife number one was Aldona of Lithuania, and they had two children:
Elisabeth of Poland
Bogislaus V
Aldona died on 26th May 1339.
Casimir remained a widower for two years, before he married Adelheid of Hesse.
They had no children, and Casimir started living separately from Adelaide soon after the marriage.
Their loveless marriage lasted until 1356, when he declared himself ‘divorced’.
In 1356 Casimir became infatuated with a beautiful Jewess named Esther, a tailor’s daughter.
She bore him two sons, Niemerz and Pelka, and one daughter.
Today, there are many Polish noble families, who claim to be their descendants.
Casimir then went on to marry his mistress Christina Rokiczana.
This marriage lasted until 1363 – 64, when Casimir again declared himself ‘divorced’
They had no children.
In about 1365, Casimir married his fourth wife Hedwig of Żagań, with which he had three children –
Anna of Poland, Countess of Celje.
Kunigunde of Poland.
Jadwiga of Poland.
As Casimir’s second wife Queen Adelheid was still alive, the marriage to Hedwig was considered bigamous.
Because of this, the legitimacy of his three young daughters was disputed.
Casimir managed to have Anna and Kunigunde legitimised, and Jadwiga the younger was legitimised after Casimir’s death.
On 5th November 1370, Casimir passed away aged 60, after a hunting accident.
He was buried in the eastern arcade of the southern wing in Wawel Cathedral, opposite his father.
Casimir left no lawful male heir to his throne.
His nephew, King Louis I of Hungary, succeeded him as king of Poland, in a union with Hungary.