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Szczerbiec
Szczerbiec is the coronation sword that was used in crowning ceremonies of most Polish monarchs from 1320 to 1764. It is currently on display in the treasure vault of the Royal Wawel Castle in Kraków as the only preserved piece of the medieval Polish Crown Jewels. The sword is characterized by a hilt decorated with magical formulas, Christian symbols and floral patterns, as well as a narrow slit in the blade which holds a small shield with the coat of arms of Poland. Its name, derived from the Polish word szczerba meaning a gap, notch or chip, is sometimes rendered into English as "the Notched Sword" or "the Jagged Sword", although its blade has straight and smooth edges.
Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus was the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the only son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548.
Gniezno
Gniezno is a city in central-western Poland, about 50 kilometres east of Poznań, with 68,943 inhabitants making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. One of the Piast dynasty's chief cities, it was mentioned in 10th-century sources, possibly including the Dagome Iudex, as the capital of Piast Poland. The Roman Catholic archbishop of Gniezno is the primate of Poland, making it the country's ecclesiastical capital. It has belonged since 1999 to the Greater Poland Voivodeship, and is the administrative seat of Gniezno County (powiat).
Crown jewels
Crown Jewels are the objects of metalwork and jewellery in the regalia of a current or former monarchy. They are often used for the coronation of a monarch and a few other ceremonial occasions. A monarch may often be shown wearing them in portraits, as they symbolize the power and continuity of the monarchy. Additions to them may be made, but since medieval times the existing items are typically passed down unchanged as they symbolize the continuity of the monarchy.
Władysław I the Elbow-high
Władysław I the Elbow-high or the Short was the King of Poland from 1320 to 1333, and duke of several of the provinces and principalities in the preceding years. He was a member of the Piast family of rulers, son of Duke Casimir I of Kujawy, and great-grandson of King Casimir II the Just. He inherited a small portion of his father’s lands, but his dominion grew as some of his brothers died young. He tried for rule of the Duchy of Krakow in 1289, after the death of his half brother Leszek II the Black and the withdrawal from contention of his ally Bolesław II of Masovia, but was unsuccessful. After a period in exile during the rule of Wenceslas II, Władysław rebounded to re-assume some duchies after Wenceslas’ death, and then gained Krakow in 1306 after the murder of Wenceslas III. He temporarily took control of part of Greater Poland after the death of his ally Przemysł II, lost it, and then regained it later on. He conquered Gdansk Pomerania, and left it to familial governors. For defense of this territory he turned to the Teutonic Knights, who then demanded an exorbitant sum or the land itself as an alternative. This led to an extended battle with the Knights, which was not resolved after either a papal trial or Władysław’s own death. Perhaps his greatest achievement was gaining papal permission to be crowned King of Poland in 1320, which occurred for the first time at Wawel Cathedral in Krakow. Władysław died in 1333, and his reign was followed by the rule of his more renowned son, Casimir III the Great.
Coronations in Poland
Coronations in Poland officially began in 1025 and continued until 1764, when the final king of an independent Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, was crowned at St. John's Cathedral in Warsaw. Most Polish coronations took place at the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, but crownings also occurred in Poznań and at Gniezno Cathedral. Whenever practical, Polish coronations were conducted as close as possible as to the date of the previous sovereign's funeral. This was explained by Joachim Bielski in the sixteenth century as osoba umiera, korona nie umiera, or "the person dies, the crown dies not". With the emergence of an independent, republican Poland after World War I, coronations in the Polish state have been rendered obsolete.
Prussian Crown Jewels
The Prussian Crown Jewels is the royal regalia, consisting of two crowns, an orb and a sceptre, used during the coronation of the monarchs of Prussia from the House of Hohenzollern. After the King of Prussia became German Emperor on the establishment of the German Empire on 18 January 1871, they were no longer used as the position of King of Prussia while still remaining, was a title of minor importance compared to the new role as German Emperor. There was no crown for the German Empire, although a heraldic version existed.
Wawel Castle
The Wawel Castle is a castle residency located in central Kraków, Poland. Built at the behest of King Casimir III the Great, it consists of a number of structures situated around the Italian-styled main courtyard. The castle, being one of the largest in Poland, represents nearly all European architectural styles of medieval, renaissance and baroque periods. The Wawel Royal Castle and the Wawel Hill constitute the most historically and culturally significant site in the country. In 1978 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Centre of Kraków.
Wawel
Wawel is a fortified architectural complex erected over many centuries atop a limestone outcrop on the left bank of the Vistula river in Kraków, Poland, at an altitude of 228 metres above sea level.
Polish Crown Jewels
The only surviving original piece of the Polish Crown Jewels from the time of the Piast dynasty is the ceremonial sword – Szczerbiec. It is currently on display along with other preserved royal items at the Wawel Royal Castle Museum in Kraków.
Crown of Queen Maria Josepha
Crown of Maria Josepha was made for Archduchess Maria Josepha of Austria, wife of King Augustus III of Poland, for her coronation as Polish queen in 1734.
Crown of Augustus II the Strong
The Crown of Augustus II was intended for his coronation as a King of Poland. The crown was made in 1697 by Freiburg's goldsmith Johann Friedrich Klemm. It was not used, however. The Augustus II's crown is kept in Dresden Armory (Rüstkammer) in Dresden, Germany.
Crown of Augustus III of Poland
The Crown of Augustus III was made in 1733 for Augustus III's coronation in Kraków in 1734.
Swedish Crown
The Swedish Crown, also known as the "Purchased Crown", was a part of the Polish Crown Jewels.
Grunwald Swords
The Grunwald Swords were a gift presented by Ulrich von Jungingen, the Grand Master of the Order of Teutonic Knights, to King Władysław II Jagiełło of Poland and Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania on 15 July 1410, just before the Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg). The gift, a pair of simple bare swords, was a formal invitation to the battle. After the Polish-Lithuanian victory, both swords were taken as a war trophy by King Władysław II to Kraków, Poland's capital at the time, and placed in the treasury of the Royal Wawel Castle.
Muscovy Crown
The so-called Muscovy Crown was a part of the Polish Crown Jewels. It was made in about 1610 in anticipation of Prince Władysław Vasa's coronation as Tsar of Russia, which was also known as Muscovy. Due to his father's opposition and a popular uprising in Russia, he never actually took the Russian throne, despite being elected by the Seven Boyars. Nevertheless, until 1634 he used the title of Grand Duke of Muscovy.
Hungarian Crown
The Hungarian Crown was a part of the Polish Crown Jewels. It was made in the 16th century, resembling the Crown of Saint Stephen, as a private crown of John II Sigismund Zápolya.
Funeral Crown
The Funeral Crown, also known under its Latin name as the Corona Funebris or Funebralis, was a part of the Polish Crown Jewels. It was probably lost before 1669.
Homagial Crown
The Homagial Crown, also known under its Latin name as the Corona Homagialis, was a part of the Polish Crown Jewels. It was mentioned for the first time in the 15th century in the inventory of the Wawel Royal Treasury. It was probably the coronation crown of Władysław II Jagiełło.
Queen's Crown
The Queen's Crown was a part of the Polish Crown Jewels until it was destroyed in 1809. It was mentioned for the first time in the inventory of the Wawel Royal Treasury in the 15th century.