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Dobrawa (Doubravka) av Böhmen

Dobrawa (Doubravka) av Böhmen

Female 0945 - Abt 0977  (37 years)

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  • Name Dobrawa (Doubravka) av Böhmen 
    Birth Between 0940 and 0945  Böhmen, Tsjekkia Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    • Dobrawa (Dabrówka) (Czech: Doubravka, Polish: Dobrawa) var en bøhmisk (tsjekkisk) prinsesse. Hun tilhørte dynastiet Premislovci og var datter av hertug Boleslav 1 av Böhmen og Adiva av England, som var datter av kong Edvard den eldre.

      Dobrawa's date of birth is not known. The only indication is communicated by the chronicler Cosmas of Prague, who stated that the Bohemian princess at the time of her marriage with Mieszko I was an old woman. The message is regarded as tendentious and of little reliability, and some researchers believe that the statement was made with malicious intent. It is possible that in the statement about Dobrawa's age, Cosmas was making a reference to the age difference between her and her sister Mlada. That would give him a basis for determining Dobrawa as old. It also found that Cosmas confuses Dobrawa with Mieszko 1's second wife Oda, who at the time of her marriage was around 19–25 years old, a relatively advanced age for a bride according to the customs of the Middle Ages. Some researchers have taken up speculative views, such as Jerzy Strzelczyk, who assumed that in the light of contemporary concepts and habits of marriage of that time (when as a rule marriages were contracted with teenage girls) is assumed that Dobrawa had passed her early youth, so, it's probable that she was in her late teens or twenties. [1]
    Gender Female 
    Death Abt 0977  [1
    • Dobrawa died in 977. In his study of 1888, Józef Ignacy Kraszewski wrote that her tomb was discovered in Gniezno Cathedral. It was a simple stone marked with a cross. Purple robes and a weighty gold loincloth were the only objects found in her tomb.

      A similar view of Dobrawa's burial place was expressed earlier, in 1843, by Edward Raczynski in his study Wspomnienia Wielkopolski to jest województw poznanskiego, kaliskiego i gnieznienskiego (Memories of the Greater Poland districts of Poznan, Kalisz and Gniezno). However, the burial place of the Bohemian princess is now considered to be unknown.

      Dobrawa's death weakened the Polish-Bohemian alliance, which finally collapsed in the mid-980s. [1]
    Person ID I4571  My Genealogy
    Last Modified 18 Aug 2016 

    Father Boleslav (Boleslaus) av Böhmen, "Boleslav 1",   b. Abt 0915   d. Between 15 Jul 0967 and 0972 (Age 52 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Mother Biagota 
    Relationship Birth 
    Marriage Y  [1
    • It is not even sure that Biagota was the mother of all four adult children of Boleslaus 1 (Dobrawa, Boleslaus 2 of Bohemia, Strachkvas and Mlada of Bohemia).

      Her origins are unclear. She could have originated from one of the German states of the Holy Roman Empire or from a Slavic country (Blahota or Bjegota was an old Bulgarian name). [1]
    Family ID F2521  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Mieszko av Polen, "Mieszko 1",   b. Between 0922 and 0945   d. 25 May 0992 (Age 70 years) 
    Marriage Between 0965 and 0966  [1
    • According to earlier sources, Dobrawa urged her husband Mieszko 1 of Poland to accept baptism in 966, the year after their marriage. Modern historians believe, however, that the change of religion by Mieszko was one of the points discussed in the Polish-Bohemian agreement concluded soon before his marriage with Dobrawa. Her role in his conversion is not considered now to be as important as it is often represented in medieval chronicles.

      In the second half of 964 an alliance between Boleslav 1 the Cruel, Duke of Bohemia, and Mieszko 1 of Poland was concluded. In order to consolidate the agreement, in 965 Boleslav 1's daughter Dobrawa was married to Mieszko 1. There was a difference of religion between the spouses; she was a Christian, he was a pagan.

      Two independent sources attribute Dobrawa's important role in the conversion to Christianity of Mieszko 1 and Poland. The first is the chronicles of Thietmar, who was born two years before the death of Dobrawa. He wrote that the Bohemian princess tried to persuade her husband to accept Christianity (even at the cost of breaking their marriage and with it the Polish-Bohemian Alliance). It the end, she finally obtained the conversion of Mieszko 1 and with him, of all Poland.
      In turn, the 12th century chronicler Gallus Anonymus says that Dobrawa came to Poland surrounded by secular and religious dignitaries. She agreed to marry Mieszko I providing that he was baptized. The Polish ruler accepted, and only then was able to marry the Bohemian princess.
      However, modern historians allege that the baptism of Mieszko I was dictated by political benefits and should not be attributed to any action of Dobrawa, who according to them had virtually no role in the conversion of her husband. They note that the conversion of Mieszko 1 thanks to Dobrawa formed part of the tradition of the Church which stressed the conversion of Pagan rulers through the influence of women.
      On the other hand, literature doesn't refuse to give Dobrawa a significant role in the Christianization of the Poles. In her wedding procession, she arrived to Poland with Christian clergymen, among them possibly Jordan, the first Bishop of Poland (since 968).

      Tradition attributes to Dobrawa the establishment of the Holy Trinity and St. Wit Churches in Gniezno and the Church of the Virgin Mary in Ostrow Tumski, Poznan.
      Dobrawa's marriage cemented the alliance of Mieszko 1 with Bohemia, which continued even after her death. On 21 September 967 Mieszko 1 was assisted by Bohemians in the decisive Battle against the Volinians led by Wichmann the Younger.

      When, after the death of Emperor Otto 1 in 973, a struggle for the supremacy in Germany began, both Dobrawa's husband and brother Boleslav II the Pious, Duke of Bohemia, supported the same candidate for the German throne, Duke Henry 2 of Bavaria.

      The marriage of Mieszko 1 and Dobrawa produced 3 children:

      1. Boleslaw 1 the Brave (Chrobry) (b. 967 - d. 17 June 1025).

      2. A daughter, perhaps named Swietoslawa, perhaps identical to the legendary Sigrid the Haughty (b. 968/72 - d. ca. 1016), perhaps married firstly with Eric the Victorious, King of Sweden, and later wife of Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, by whom she is said to have been mother of Canute the Great, King of Denmark, Norway and England.

      3. Gunhilda of Poland, who married Swyen 1 Forkbeard, King of Denmark and England [1]
    Children 
    +1. Swietoslawa av Polen,   b. Abt 0967   d. Abt 1014 (Age 47 years)  [Birth]
    +2. Boloslav av Polen, "Boloslav 1",   b. Abt 0967   d. 17 Jun 1025 (Age 58 years)  [Birth]
    Family ID F2460  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 18 Aug 2016 

  • Photos
    Dobrawa.jpg
    Dobrawa.jpg
    Dobrawa (Doubravka) av Böhmen (ca.940-ca.977).

  • Sources 
    1. [S754] Wikipedia (Reliability: 1).

    2. [S754] Wikipedia.


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