Maria of Bytom

Maria of Bytom
The funeral of Maria of Bytom
Queen consort of Hungary
Tenure 1306–1315
Spouse Charles I of Hungary
Issue
Catherine, Duchess of Świdnica?
Elisabeth of Hungary?
House House of Piast (by birth)
House of Anjou (by marriage)
Father Casimir of Bytom
Mother Helena
Born 1282/84
Died 15 December 1315 (aged 30–33)
Timişoara, Rumania

Maria of Bytom also known as Queen Maria of Hungary (Polish: Maria bytomska; 1282/84 – Temesvár (Timişoara), Rumania, 15 December 1315), was a Polish princess member of the House of Piast in the Bytom branch and by marriage Queen of Hungary.

She was the third child and only daughter of Duke Casimir of Bytom by his wife Helena.[1]

Life

In 1306 Maria married Charles I Robert of Anjou, King of Hungary, according to the chronicle of Jan Długosz, which is generally accepted by the majority of historians. The marriage was probably on the initiative of Władysław I the Elbow-high, and the role of matchmaker was played by her brother Bolesław, then Scholastic of Kraków and Duke of Toszek. Also, this union was the external expression of the approximation between the Polish and Hungarian Kingdoms, connected to the transition of the House of Anjou politics in a close political relations with Poland. The position of Maria as Queen of Hungary also paved the way for the subsequent career in the Hungarian church of his brothers Bolesław (later Archbishop of Esztergom) and Mieszko (later Bishop of Nitra and Veszprém).

Maria died on 15 December 1315 and was buried in the Royal vault of Székesfehérvár in the Basilica of the Virgin Mary.

Issue

Whether the marriage of Charles I Robert and Maria had offspring, there are divided opinions. Some historians believed that the union was childless due to the infertility of Maria; but another group of Polish and foreign historians, led by the genealogist Włodzimierz Dworzaczek, argue that the marriage in fact produced two daughters:[2]

  1. Katherine (d. 1355), married in 1338 to Duke Henry II of Świdnica; their only child, Anne of Świdnica, was later Holy Roman Empress by her marriage with Charles IV of Luxembourg.
  2. Elisabeth (d. by 19 August 1367), married "Bolesław of Opole" (probably Duke Bolesław II of Niemodlin).[3]

However, another sources[4][5] stated that King Charles I's third and last wife, Elisabeth of Poland was the mother of Katherine and Elisabeth.

References

  1. ^ Profile of Maria in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley
  2. ^ Genealogy of the Hungarian Kings (House of Anjou)
  3. ^ The existence of Elisabeth is disputed among the historians. Some believed that Katherine was the only daughter of King Charles I Robert.
  4. ^ Genealogy Database by Daniel de Rauglaudre
  5. ^ Chronological Dates in Stoyan
Maria of Bytom
Born: 1282 Died: 1317
Royal titles
Preceded by
Viola Elisabeth of Cieszyn		 Queen consort of Hungary
1306–1317		 Succeeded by
Beatrice of Luxembourg
Gisela of Bavaria (1000–1038)  · Anastasia of Kiev (1046–1060)  · Richeza of Poland (1060–1063)  · Judith of Swabia (1063–1074)  · Synadene (1074–1077)  · Adelaide of Rheinfelden (1077–1090)  · Felicia of Sicily (1097–1102)  · Euphemia of Kiev (1112–1113)  · Cristiana of Capua (1120–1121)  · Adelaide of Riedenburg (1121–1131)  · Helena of Rascia (1131–1141)  · Euphrosyne of Kiev (1146–1162)  · Yaroslavna of Halych (1167–1168)  · Agnes of Babenberg (1168–1172)  · Maria Komnene (1163–1165)  · Agnes of Antioch (1172–1184)  · Margaret of France (1186–1196)  · Constance of Aragon (1198–1204)  · Gertrude of Merania (1203–1213)  · Yolanda de Courtenay (1215–1233)  · Beatrice d'Este (1234–1235)  · Maria Laskarina (1235–1270)  · Elizabeth the Cuman (1270–1272)  · Elizabeth of Sicily (1269–1290)  · Fenenna of Kuyavia (1290–1295)  · Agnes of Habsburg (1296–1301)  · Viola Elisabeth of Cieszyn (1305–1306)  · Maria of Bytom (1306–1317)  · Beatrice of Luxembourg (1318–1319)  · Elisabeth of Poland (1320–1342)  · Margaret of Bohemia (1342–1349)  · Elizabeth of Bosnia (1353–1382)  · Margaret of Durazzo (1385–1386)  · Barbara of Cilli (1405–1437)  · Elizabeth of Luxembourg (1437–1442)  · Catherine of Poděbrady (1461–1464)  · Beatrice of Naples (1476–1490)  · Barbara of Brandenburg (1490–1491)  · Beatrice of Naples (1491–1500)  · Anne of Foix-Candale (1502–1506)  · Maria of Austria (1515–1526)  · Isabella Jagiellon (1539–1540)  · Anne Jagiellon (1526–1547)  · Maria of Austria (1563–1576)  · Anna of Tyrol (1608–1618)  · Eleonora Gonzaga (1622–1625)  · Maria Anna of Spain (1631–1646)  · Maria Leopoldine of Austria (1648–1649)  · Eleonora Gonzaga (1651–1657)  · Margaret Theresa of Spain (1666–1673)  · Claudia Felicitas of Austria (1673–1676)  · Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg (1676–1705)  · Wilhelmine Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1699–1711)  · Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1711–1740)  · Maria Luisa of Spain (1790–1792)  · Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily (1792–1807)  · Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este (1808–1816)  · Caroline Augusta of Bavaria (1816–1830)  · Maria Anna of Savoy (1831–1848)  · Elisabeth of Bavaria (1854–1898)  · Zita of Bourbon-Parma (1916–1918)