Judith of Bohemia

Judith of Bohemia
Judith of Bohemia
	Judith of Bohemia
Duchess consort of Poland
Tenure	1080–1086
Predecessor	Wyszesława of Kiev
Successor	Judith of Swabia
Born	c. 1056/58; Prague, Bohemia
Died	25 December 1086; Płock, Poland
Burial	Płock Cathedral
Spouse	Władysław Herman
Issue	Bolesław Wrymouth
House	Přemyslid
Father	Vratislaus II of Bohemia
Mother	Adelaide of Hungary

Judith of Bohemia (c. 1056/58 – 25 December 1086), also known as Judith Přemyslid, was a member of the Přemyslid dynasty and duchess of Poland by marriage. She was a daughter of Duke Vratislaus II of Bohemia and Adelaide of Hungary, and was married to Władysław Herman.^[1]^[2]

Early life

Judith was born into the Přemyslid dynasty. She was the second of four children born to Vratislaus II of Bohemia and his second wife, Adelaide of Hungary.^[3]^[4] Her father became duke in 1061 and her mother died the next year.

Duchess of Poland

Around 1080, Judith married Duke Władysław Herman of Poland to solidify the recently established Bohemian-Polish alliance.^[5]^[6] According to contemporary chroniclers, Duchess Judith performed remarkable charity work, helping the needy and ensuring the comfort of subjects and prisoners.^[7]^[8]^[9] After almost five years of childless marriage, the necessity for an heir increased:^[10]^[11]

Because she was barren pray to God every day with tears and orations, made sacrifices and paying debts, helping widows and orphans, and given very generous amounts of gold and silver for the monasteries, commanded the priests to pray to the saints and the grace of God for a child.

On 10 June 1085, Judith and her husband were present at the coronation of her father, Vratislaus II, as the first king of Bohemia. One year later, on 20 August 1086, she gave birth to the long-awaited son and heir, Bolesław Wrymouth.^[12]^[13] She never recovered from the effects of childbirth and died on 25 December. She was buried in Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Masovia in Płock.^[14]

References

^ Pac, Grzegorz (7 March 2022). Women in the Piast Dynasty: A Comparative Study of Piast Wives and Daughters (c. 965–c.1144). BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-50853-8.
^ Koziara, Thomas P. (18 November 2020). Historia Nostra: The Complete History of Poland: Volume II: The 8th Century Until 1332. Aurifera S.A.
^ Pac, Grzegorz (7 March 2022). Women in the Piast Dynasty: A Comparative Study of Piast Wives and Daughters (c. 965–c.1144). BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-50853-8.
^ The Cambridge History of Poland. CUP Archive. ISBN 978-1-001-28802-4.
^ Berend, Nora; Urbańczyk, Przemysław; Wiszewski, Przemysław (19 December 2013). Central Europe in the High Middle Ages: Bohemia, Hungary and Poland, c.900–c.1300. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-65139-5.
^ Koval, Matthew (15 March 2021). Childhood in Medieval Poland (1050-1300): Constructions and Realities in a European Context. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-46106-2.
^ Bumke, Joachim (1 January 1991). Courtly Culture: Literature and Society in the High Middle Ages. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-06634-2.
^ Houghton, H. A. G. (2023). The Oxford Handbook of the Latin Bible. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-088609-7.
^ Wiszewski, Przemyslaw (15 February 2010). Domus Bolezlai: Values and social identity in dynastic traditions of medieval Poland (c.966-1138). BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-18136-6.
^ Pac, Grzegorz (7 March 2022). Women in the Piast Dynasty: A Comparative Study of Piast Wives and Daughters (c. 965–c.1144). BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-50853-8.
^ Imagined Communities: Constructing Collective Identities in Medieval Europe. BRILL. 17 April 2018. ISBN 978-90-04-36379-3.
^ Raffensperger, Christian (24 August 2023). Rulers and Rulership in the Arc of Medieval Europe, 1000-1200. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-000-92167-0.
^ McKitterick, Rosamond; Abulafia, David; Allmand, C. T. (1995). The New Cambridge Medieval History: Volume 4, C.1024-c.1198, Part 2. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-41411-1.
^ Wiszewski, Przemyslaw (15 February 2010). Domus Bolezlai: Values and social identity in dynastic traditions of medieval Poland (c.966-1138). BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-18136-6.

K. Jasiński: Rodowód pierwszych Piastów, Warsaw – Wrocław, 1992.

Royal titles
Judith of Bohemia Přemyslid dynasty Born: c. 1056/58 Died: 25 December 1086
Preceded by Wyszesława of Kiev	Duchess consort of Poland 1080–1086	Succeeded by Judith of Swabia

[1] Pac, Grzegorz (7 March 2022). Women in the Piast Dynasty: A Comparative Study of Piast Wives and Daughters (c. 965–c.1144). BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-50853-8.

[2] Koziara, Thomas P. (18 November 2020). Historia Nostra: The Complete History of Poland: Volume II: The 8th Century Until 1332. Aurifera S.A.

[3] Pac, Grzegorz (7 March 2022). Women in the Piast Dynasty: A Comparative Study of Piast Wives and Daughters (c. 965–c.1144). BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-50853-8.

[4] The Cambridge History of Poland. CUP Archive. ISBN 978-1-001-28802-4.

[5] Berend, Nora; Urbańczyk, Przemysław; Wiszewski, Przemysław (19 December 2013). Central Europe in the High Middle Ages: Bohemia, Hungary and Poland, c.900–c.1300. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-65139-5.

[6] Koval, Matthew (15 March 2021). Childhood in Medieval Poland (1050-1300): Constructions and Realities in a European Context. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-46106-2.

[7] Bumke, Joachim (1 January 1991). Courtly Culture: Literature and Society in the High Middle Ages. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-06634-2.

[8] Houghton, H. A. G. (2023). The Oxford Handbook of the Latin Bible. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-088609-7.

[9] Wiszewski, Przemyslaw (15 February 2010). Domus Bolezlai: Values and social identity in dynastic traditions of medieval Poland (c.966-1138). BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-18136-6.

[10] Pac, Grzegorz (7 March 2022). Women in the Piast Dynasty: A Comparative Study of Piast Wives and Daughters (c. 965–c.1144). BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-50853-8.

[11] Imagined Communities: Constructing Collective Identities in Medieval Europe. BRILL. 17 April 2018. ISBN 978-90-04-36379-3.

[12] Raffensperger, Christian (24 August 2023). Rulers and Rulership in the Arc of Medieval Europe, 1000-1200. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-000-92167-0.

[13] McKitterick, Rosamond; Abulafia, David; Allmand, C. T. (1995). The New Cambridge Medieval History: Volume 4, C.1024-c.1198, Part 2. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-41411-1.

[14] Wiszewski, Przemyslaw (15 February 2010). Domus Bolezlai: Values and social identity in dynastic traditions of medieval Poland (c.966-1138). BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-18136-6.

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v t e Royal consorts of Poland
Piast dynasty	Doubravka of Bohemia Oda of Haldensleben Emnilda Oda of Meissen Richeza of Lotharingia Maria Dobroniega of Kiev Wyszesława of Kiev Judith of Bohemia Judith of Swabia Zbyslava of Kiev Salomea of Berg
Fragmentation period	Agnes of Babenberg Viacheslava of Novgorod Maria Eudoxia of Kiev Helena of Znojmo Lucia of Rügen Grzymisława of Łuck Ludmila Agafia of Rus Hedwig of Silesia Anne of Bohemia Kinga of Poland Gryfina of Halych Matilda of Brandenburg Richeza of Sweden Margaret of Brandenburg
Přemyslid dynasty	Judith of Habsburg Elizabeth Richeza of Poland Viola of Teschen
Restored Piast dynasty	Jadwiga of Kalisz Aldona of Lithuania Adelaide of Hesse Hedwig of Sagan
Capet-Anjou dynasty	Elizabeth of Bosnia
Jagiellonian dynasty	Anna of Cilli Elizabeth Granowska Sophia of Halshany Elizabeth of Austria Helena of Moscow Barbara Zápolya Bona Sforza Elizabeth of Austria Barbara Radziwiłł Catherine of Austria
Elective monarchy	Louise of Lorraine Anne of Austria Constance of Austria Cecilia Renata of Austria Marie Louise Gonzaga Eleonore of Austria Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d'Arquien Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth Catherine Opalińska Maria Josepha of Austria