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 Queen Jadwiga Scott 436 Jadwiga or Hedwig (1370-1399), shown on Vatican 436, was the first queen to sit on the Polish throne in her own right. She was the daughter of Louis the Great, king of Hungary and Poland, and she ruled from 1384 to1399. In 1383, when she was scarcely 14 years old, she came to Cracow and was crowned as 'king'. Her reign ushered in the heroic age of Poland, which lasted for some 200 years. She died in 1399 while giving birth to her only child, a daughter, who also died three days after being born. Within her short lifetime, Jadwiga set in motion much that would benefit the Polish people and their church. She had become engaged to William of Austria at an early age; some say they were married. However, in 1385, she was persuaded to abandon him and marry Jagiello of Lithuania. The marriage contract called for him to be baptized with all his people and to forever connect his lands with the kingdom of Poland. At that time, the grand duchy of Lithuania included virtually all of White Russia (Belorussia) and the Ukraine. They all now paid homage to Ladislas (as Jagiello was called after his baptism). Jadwiga and the crown of Poland thus became the center of a federal system which soon also attracted Moldavia. In heretofore pagan Lithuania, Catholicism was introduced in 1387. When trouble threatened the new alliance, it was Jadwiga's spirit of conciliation that appeased it. The picture of Queen Jadwiga shown on Vatican 436 is based on a portrait by Jan Matejko (1838-1893), the renowned Polish painter. On the left side of the stamp is the Gate of Vilno or Ostra Brama. On the Gate is a picture of Our Lady which is held in great veneration by Poles and Lithuanians. The Library of the University of Cracow is shown on the right side of the stamp, which was reorganized by the Queen and to which it is said she contributed all her jewelry and other valuables. Jadwiga tried to bring religion and learning within the reach of all people through her re-establishment of the University of Cracow. Her support for the Church, in particular, is reflected in the organization of a new faculty of theology, the first in Eastern Europe, especially Lithuania. Through her genuine interest and bountiful generosity, Jadwiga did all she could to raise the cultural level of her country From Vatican Notes Volume 49, No. 1, July 2000, Pages 14-15 |
