Constance of Hungary

Constance of Hungary ( Czech Konstancie Uherská, * to 1177/1180/1181; † 4 or December 6, 1240 in Předklášteří ) came from the second marriage of King Béla III. of Hungary with Agnes of Antioch, daughter of Rainald de Chatillon.

The passage of the Crusade army by Hungary in 1189, she was engaged to the Hohenstaufen Frederick V of Swabia, but then died on the crusade in 1191 from malaria.

It was in 1198 the second wife of Czech King Otakar II (also: Otakar, Odacarus ) and was about 25 years younger than her husband. With not quite eighteen, she was married to the newly crowned king, who was previously his wife Adelheid (also: Adela ), who still lived in exile in Meissen with its subsidiaries, had violated. Their marriage was declared invalid because the family relationship in the 4th grade is too close, Adelheid appealed. It was mainly a political marriage, because by it the king won a new ally. The Czech foreign policy mingled at this time more strongly into the European scene a. The king was sought ally by the Hohenstaufen, but also of the Guelphs, who both fought for the imperial crown.

The king promised by the marriage of securing the eastern border, as well as military assistance. The ideas of the king went on. Both King Emeric of Hungary (1196-1204) as well as Andrew II of Hungary (1205-1235) belonged to the whole time of the great supporters of the king.

The young Constance had it in their new environment quite easily. Most nobles still had the rule of her aunt Elizabeth in good memory. From their marriage nine children were born. Above all, the birth of his first son was the king forget the children from the first marriage. 1204, however, came to marriage crisis, when Otakar I. foreign policy suffered defeats and the young Vratislav was killed.

1205 Constance was expelled from the castle and Adelheid and her children came back as soon as again. In the period of expulsion, however, gave birth to another son Constance, whom the king as determined by the patron saint of the country Václav ( Wenceslas ) in 1205 and named as his successor. After the papal court had ruled that the divorce of Adelaide was final, it came at the castle again to change his wives. Adelheid had definitively left Bohemia and Constance was lawful wife of the king.

The Brecislawer ( Lundenburger ) province in southern Moravia was passed in 1222 Queen Constance to its own administration. After the king's death in 1230 Konstanze her attention to Moravia. Tišnova Předklášteří in 1233 she founded a Cistercian monastery, which she called Porta Coeli. His final years were spent in seclusion in this monastery. My wish is that this monastery was to be the mausoleum of the Moravian Přemyslids was not fulfilled.

Progeny

Judith (also: Jutta ) * 1199/1202, † June 2, 1230, church wedding in 1213 with Bernhard II Duke of Carinthia.
Anna, 1201/1202/1204 *, † 23 or June 26 or August 26, 1265, church wedding in 1216 with Henry II of Silesia ( the Pious ), Duke of Lower Silesia.
Vratislav, * 1200, † 1204.
Agnes, * 1203, † 1211.
Wenceslas I, * 1205, † September 23, 1253, church wedding 1221/1224 with Cunegonde of Hohenstaufen, he was crowned king before the death of his father.
Vratislav (also: Vladislav ) * 1205/1207, † February 18, 1227 or 1228, Margrave of Moravia.
Přemysl, * 1209, † October 16, 1239, Margrave of Moravia, church wedding in 1234 with Margaret of Merano.
Blažena (also: Blaschena, Wilhelmina, Vilemína Česká, Guglielma ), * 1210, † August 24, 1281 in Milan, buried in Chiavarelle. She dipped 1260-1270 to a son in Milan, where he died 1281st About her past life and childhood is not known. Since she was buried wearing a scapular, she was probably Cistercian. Maybe they lived prior to their appearance in Milan even in the Cistercian monastery Tišnova in Předklášteří with her mother.
Agnes (also: Anežka Přemyslovna ) * 1205/1207/1211, † 2 or March 6, 1282, objected to marriages, founded in Prague a hospital for the poor, a Franciscan monastery and a convent of Poor Clares, where they 1234 abbess was. They brought about the founding of the first monastery of the Cross with the Red Star, the only Bohemian religious foundation. Until her death, she had great influence on the court in Prague. Your modesty and piety were legendary. The beatification of Agnes in 1874, the Saints 1989 ( feast day March 6 ).

Constance of Hungary

Progeny

Recommended reading