Mikołaj "the Black" Radziwiłł

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For other people with the name of Mikolaj Radziwiłł, see Mikołaj Radziwiłł.

Mikołaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł

Noble Family

Radziwiłł

Coat of Arms

Trąby

Parents

Jan Mikołaj Radziwiłł
Hanna Kiszka

Consorts

Elżbieta Szydłowiecka

Children

with Elżbieta Szydłowiecka
Mikolaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł
Jerzy Radziwiłł
Albrycht Radziwiłł
Stanisław Pius Radziwiłł
Elżbieta Radziwiłł
Zofia Agnieszka Radziwiłł
Anna Magdalena Radziwiłł
Krystyna Radziwiłł
Jan Radziwiłł

Date of Birth

Place of Birth

Date of Death

Place of Death

Mikolaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł, nicknamed The Black (Lithuanian: Mikalojus Radvila Juodasis) and also known as Mikołaj Radziwiłł The Fifth (1515-1565) was a noble (szlachcic) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Palatine of Vilnius, Grand Grand Lithuanian Chancellor and the Grand Hetman of Lithuania.

Mikołaj Czarny was able to gain much political influence thanks to the romance between his cousin Barbara Radziwiłł and king Zygmunt II August. This made him one of the most powerful Royal advisers. Mikolaj became Marshal of Lithuania, Grand Chancellor of Lithuania, as well as Palatine of Vilnius, gained immense wealth and became the most powerful magnate in the Commonwealth of that time.

The new status of the Radziwiłł family was further strengthened when, during his diplomatic mission to Charles V and Ferdinand I, a hereditary title of Prince (Reichsfürst (SRI)) was granted to him and his cousin Mikolaj the Red. This was an extremely important title in the Commonwealth, were all szlachta were supposed to be equal and majority of titles popular in other countries, like duke or baron were banned and none could be awarded by the Commonwealth king.

He formed an alliance with his cousin Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł against other notable Lithuanian families in the rivalry for the dominant status in the Great Duchy of Lithuania. This alliance marked the formation of a dynastic-like cooperation between Radziwiłłs and showed how family interests could affect magnates relations with Rzeczpospolita (the Commonwealth). Both Radziwiłłs backed the cause of Lithuania independence.

Coincidentally, despite opposing close ties with Poland, he was the chief negotatiator in the successful negotiation between Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the state controlled by the Order of the Brethren of the Sword, which led to the secularisation of Livonia and its union with Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1562.

Mikołaj also greatly furthered the poloniasation of other Lithuanian nobles by adopting Polish culture - it's fashion, customs and language.

He was known for his religious beliefs, as he was one of the most prominent converts and advocates of the Protestant faith in Grand Duchy of Lithuania and thus contributed to the Lithuanian branch of the Polish Reformed Church. He provided financial support for the printing of the first Polish translation of the Bible in 1563, colporated works written in defense of the Reformed faith, financed a magnificent church and college at Vilnius, supported learned Protestants, and in various other ways fostered the Calvinist faith. He is known to have exchanged letters with John Calvin.

Because Protestants supported usage of local languages, he is also believed to have funded Lithuanian churches and schools.

With the exception of his daughter Anna, all his children converted to Roman Catholicism and became ardent supporters of the Counter Reformation.

Grand Marshals of Lithuania of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth