The Jagiellonian University: Historical names of the university includes: Studium Generale, University of Krakow, Krakow Academy, The Main Crown School, and Main School of Krakow.
It is a research university founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Krakow. It is the oldest university in Poland, the 2nd oldest in Central Europe and one of the oldest in the World. It was positioned as the best Polish University among the World's top 500 and the best Polish higher-level institution.
Casimir III the Great (Polish:KaziMierz III Wielki; 30April 1310-5November1370) reigned as a King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He was the son of King Wladyslaw(The Elbow-High) and Duchess Hedwig of Kalisz, and the last Polish king of the Piast Dynasty, the 1st historical ruling dynasty.
The Piasts intermarried with several nobles lines of Europe, and possessed numerous titles, some with the Holy Roman Empire.
Casimir III was born in Kowal, and he married 4 times. His first wife was Anna, or Aldona Ona, the daughter of Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania. The marriage produced 2 daughters: Cunigunde (d.1357)who was married to Louis VI the Roman, the son of Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor, and Elisabeth, who was married to Duke Bogislaus V of Pomerania. His wife died in 1339, and Casimir then married Adelaide of Hesse. He divorced her in 1356, and married Christina. He divorced her and while Adelaide and Christine possibly were still alive, he married Hedwig of Glogow and Sagan in 1365. He had 3 daughters by his 4th wife, and they were still very young when he died, and regarded as of dubious legitimacy because of Casimir's bigamy.
The early Dukes and Kings of Poland regarded themselves as descendants of the semi-legendary Piast the WheelWright (Piast KolodzIej). In the Polish Chronicle of Gallus Anonymus, Piast makes his appearance along with his father ChosciSko and his wife Rzepka. The chronicle tells the story of an unexpected visit paid to Piast by 2 strangers. They ask to join Piast's family in celebration of the 7th birthday of Piast's son, Siemowit. To celebrate the birthday they had to perform the rite of passage for young boys. In return for the hospitality, the guests cast a spell making Piast's cellar ever full of plenty.
Seeing this, Piasts' compatriots declared him their New Prince, to replace the late Prince Popiel.
The Piasts were native of Gniezno, a well fortified Castle Town founded between the 8th and 9th century, within the tribal territory of the Lendians. He died in 861 aged 120 years.
Two theories explain the etymology of the word "Piast." The 1st gives the root as Piasta (Polish:"Hub")
a reference to his profession. The 2nd relates Piast to Piastun (Custodian or Keeper). This explain the initial position as a majordomo, or steward of the house, in the court of another ruler, and the subsequent takeover of power by Piast.
In 1305 King Wenceslaus II died and his son Wenceslaus III, the last PremySlid, was murdered in the following year. The Polish sovereignty turned again to the Piasts, when Wladyslaw I The Elbow-High became High Duke. Nevertheless Wenceslaus' successors in Bohemia, Henry of Carinthia and Rudolph of Austria also claimed the title of a Polish king but could not prevail.
The Bohemian aspirations to power rose again after in 1310. John The Blind, son of Henry VII of Germany of the mighty LuxemBourg Dynasty, had assumed the Crown and the claims to the Polish Throne. Though he failed to succeed his father as King of the Romans, he had several Silesian Dukes swore an oath of allegiance to him against the resistance of Wladyslaw I The Elbow-High.
The tensions intensified when King John campaigned and annexed the Duchy of Glogow in 1331 and began to interfere in the Polish-Teutonic War that broke out in Kuyavia and Dobrzyn Land.
In 1333 Wladyslaw was succeded by his son Casimir III, who was prepared for compromise. He resorted to sue The Teutonic Order at the Roman Curia and settled a rising conflict with Bohemia by the provisory TrentSchin Treaty: the king "in perpetuity" renounced all Polish claims to Silecia in favor of Bohemia. The split of Silesia off the Polish Crown was made. Upon the death of the Bohemian king Louis II, at the 1526 Battle of Mohacs, his crown lands were inherited by the HabsBurg king Ferdinand I and became a constituent of the HabsBurg Monarchy.
Casimir III inherited a kingdom weakened by War. It was depopulated and exhausted and the economy ruined. He made it prosperous and wealthy. He reformed the Polish Army and doubled the size of the kingdom through conquest. He reformed the Judicial System and introduced a Legal Code, gaining the title "the Polish Justinian." This was as an attempt to end the overwhelming superiority of the nobility.
He built extensively. In the mid-14th century realizing that the nation needed a class educated people, especially lawyers, who could codify the country's laws and administer the courts and offices his efforts to found an institution of higher learning in Poland were rewarded when Pope Urban V granted his permission to set up a University in Krakow. A royal charter of foundation was issued on May12,1364.
The king provided funding for 1chair in Liberal Arts, 2 in Medicine, 3 in Canon Law and 5 in Roman Law, funded by a quarterly payment taken from the proceeds of the royal monopoly on the Salts Mines at Wieliczka. It stalled upon Casimir's death and lectures weld held in various places across the city including the Professor's houses, Churches, and the Cathedral School on the Wawel Hill. The institution was restored in the 1390s by King WladySlaw and his wife Saint Jadwiga, the daughter of the King Louis of Hungary and Poland. The faculties of Astronomy, Law and Theology attracted eminent scholars : for example, John Cantius, StanIslaw of Skarbimierz, Pawel wlodkowic, Jan of Glogow, and Albert BrudzewSki, who from 1491 to 1495 was one of Nicolaus Copernicus' teachers.
For several centuries , the entire intellectual elite of Poland was educated at the university. Over its long history, the university have educated thousands of foreign students from countries such as Lithuania, Russia, Hungary, Bohemia, Germany and Spain. By 1520 Greek philology was introduced, Hebrew was also Taught. At this time , the Collegium Maius comprised 7 reading rooms, 6 of which were named for the great ancient scholars: Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Galen, Ptolemy and Pythagoras. The faculties of Law, Medicine, Theology and Philosophy were established in their own premises.
The golden era took place between 1500 and 1535, when it was attended by 3,215 students in the 1st decade of the 16th century and the foundations of the Jagliellonian Library were set.
Casimir III was favorably disposed toward Jews On 9 October 1334, he confirmed the privileges and protection previously granted to Jewish Poles in 1264 by BoleSlaw V the Chaste. Under the penalty of death , he prohibited the kidnapping of Jewish children for the purpose of enforcing Christian Baptism, and he infilcted heavy punishment for the desecration of Jewish cemeteries. While Jews had lived in Poland since before his reign, he encouraged and allowed them to settle in Poland in great numbers and protected them as People of the King.
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