Euphemia of Racibórz

Euphemia of Ratibor ( first name also Eufemia, Ofka, Ofemia; Polish Eufemia Raciborska; * 1299/1301 probably in Ratibor; † January 17, 1359 ibid ) was by birth Duchess of Ratibor. 1313 she joined the Dominican Sisters at Ratibor whose first prioress they should have been. Because of her religious life, she is revered as saintly.

Life

Euphemia came from the Opole Silesian branch of the Piast dynasty. Her parents were Duke Przemislaus and Anna, daughter of Duke Conrad II of Mazovia. After 1299 her father founded the Ratiborer Dominican Convent Holy Spirit, which is also referred to as mermaid pin. When he died in 1306, the monastery and the monastery church had not yet been completed. His son and successor, Duke Lestko, confirmed his father's foundation, which he also promoted his life.

Euphemia, which should have led a pious life even as a child, became effective on April 9, 1313 in the donated by her father Dominican convent that is not yet at that time had a monastery church. Presumably she received spiritual support from the Dominican prior Peregrinus, who was also confessor and adviser of her father. Although an early biography does not exist, its action may be mediated based on received documents:

• In 1306 Duke gave Przemislaus, who died in the same year, the Dominican a croft in Ratibor. Since Euphemia should enter the monastery, he put it under the special protection of the respective Ratiborer dukes.
• At the request of Euphemia Ratiborer Erbvogt Wernher liberated on April 8, 1313 a mill in the Ratiborer New Town of all municipal taxes. In the event that Euphenias brother, Duke Lestko should die without an heir, he promised that the citizens of Ratibor will only pay homage to his successor when this all the income and privileges Euphemia, who had been given by Duke Lestko her and the monastery confirmed.
• Upon entering Euphemia in the monastery on April 9, 1313, she received from her brother, Duke Lestko, instead of a dowry two benches bread and other goods and income. You should look for Euphemia's death to the monastery, but fall back a portion of it to the Duchy Ratibor.
• 1316 sold Abbot Nicholas of Rauden to Euphemia and her sisters four meat shops in Sohrau; the sale was confirmed again in 1317.
• On February 25, 1317 Duke Lestko confirmed the Jungfrau pin the possession of the farmstead, which had been awarded to him in 1306 by his father. At the same time, he determined that the extended croft is intended for the construction of the monastery church.
• 1319 was the monastery the inheritance of a certain John, which was confirmed by Duke Lestko.
• 1331 the brothers Otto and Friedrich de Lynavia sold their property in Bieskau to Euphemia and her convent.

• Probably in 1334, completed monastery church was consecrated on Holy Spirit June 1, 1335 by the Wrocław bishop Nanker.

Since 1336 with Duke Lestkos death went out the Silesian branch of the Piast Ratiborer, the Duchy Ratibor initially fell as a completed fief to the crown of Bohemia. 1337 it gave the Bohemian king John of Luxembourg Duke Nicholas II, who linked it to his duchy Opava. He came from the Opava branch of Přemyslids and was with Anna († 1340 ), a sister Euphemia married. He also confirmed the Jungfrau pin all the privileges and supported it financially.

• On July 9, 1339 Cosler Duke Casimir III approved. , Who was a nephew Euphemia, the sale of the village Autischkau to the Ratiborer Dominican convent. The corresponding sale by Konrad Stosch ( Cunad Stoschouicz ), whose genome was Autischkau, on 13 October 1339th At the same time he sold the monastery also has a share of Warmunthau. On the same day confirmed Duke Casimir III. the sale.
• On August 19, 1340 the brothers Heinrich / Jindřich and Johann / Ješek sold by Krawarn to Blumenau her town Bauerwitz with the villages Zülkowitz ( Sulkov / Sułków ) Tschirmkau ( Červenkov / Czerwonków ) and Eiglau ( Děhylov / Dziełów ) to Abbess Euphemia and its Convention. The sale was three days later by Duke Nicholas II. At the same time, he confirmed that the rights of the other Opava - Ratiborer Euphemia monastery goods and / or its subsidiaries or after their death are entitled to the Convention.
• 1349 authenticated Duke Bolko von Cosel the sale of goods in Warmunthau to Euphemia.
• 1351 Duke Nicholas II gave his approval for the sale of Benko joke at Euphemia and her convent.
• 1352 sold gasoline and Jesco von Linauia ( Lynavia ) their goods in the village Beskow ( Bieskau ) to the Dominican convent in Ratibor.
• 1356 gave the Ratiborer Erbvogt Nicholas and his sisters Catherine and Ysentrudis the convent and the monastery one years interest rate of 4 marks.
• In the same year the Breslau Dominican Convent Euphemia sold a annual interest rate of 4 Mark on their lifetime.

On December 8, 1358 Euphemia wrote in the presence of the Duke Nicholas II and his son John I her will. In this they determined that the goods owned by them her nieces Elisabeth ( † 1386 ) and Agnes († 1404), daughter of the Duke Nicholas II, who also belonged to the Ratiborer Convention, shall inherit. Her niece Anna ( * before 1345, † 1403 ), a daughter of the Duke Siemowit / Ziemowit III. of Mazovia, which was also a nun of the Dominican convent, should be entitled to inherit in a subset of goods. After the death of the above three nieces, the entire estate should fall to the monastery forever. At the same time Euphemia asked by the nuns of the Jungfrau pin prayers for their deceased parents, and especially for her brother Lestko.

At the testamentary document the little seal Euphemia was attached, representing the Mother of God with a kneeling female figure in front of her. The inscription reads: " S. SORORIS OFFCE. OORDIS. PD. "

On January 17, 1359 Euphemia died. Her body was interred in the monastery church. After the secularization of 1810 Euphenias grave was opened and their bones in the Ratiborer parish church of St. Mary ( Church of Our Lady ) is transmitted, where she was devoted to a side altar.

Worship

Probably soon after her death Euphemia was revered as saintly. A first Vita via Euphemia is found, however, only in a 1606 printed in Venice Minutes of the Dominican Ceslaus of Breslau, entitled " Propago D. Hyacinthi thaumaturgi Poloni seu De rebus praeclare gestis in Provincia Polonia Ordinis Pradicatorum ". She was from the Dominican Abraham Bzowski ( Bzovius ) authored the first time here Euphemia called blessed and her miracle attributed to in its life and at her grave. However, no verifiable documents or sources are specified to Euphemia. In addition to numerous genealogical errors this biography also contains other inconsistencies. So is mentioned, for example, Euphemia had Bauerwitz receive from their parents and given to the monastery. The statement is incorrect, Euphemia and her convent had lived in poverty because they " Duke Nicholas, a son of her uncle John " Bauerwitz and other goods have stolen. The errors found until modern times input in more biographies Euphemia.

As is apparent from Euphemia Testament, the monastery was wealthy in her death and had a rich endowment and privileges. Only after their princely nieces had died, it came after 1404 vorhussitischer time to an economic decline. Because of the Hussite Wars and the Reformation came a canonization not materialize. 1623 the abbess Helene Otieslav of Kopenic Euphemia paint a picture and in the 18th century copper engraving was created with a " prayer to the Blessed Virgin Euphemia ".