Grand Duke Jagiello and Queen Jadwiga holding court.
The patron saint of queens and of United Europe
Jadwiga was the third daughter of King Louis I of Hungary and Elisabeth of Bosnia. Born in 1373, she was queen of Poland from 1384 until her death in 1399. Her marriage to Grand Duke Jagiello of Lithuania loosely united the two countries and started the Jagiellonian Dynasty.
With the Union of Krewo, Poles and Lithuanians finally had the opportunity to develop their economies. A lucrative agricultural export market became the foundation for Poland's wealth and prosperity. This prosperous period was further augmented by the selection of the first elected Polish king at Kamien near Warsaw in 1569, the creation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and adoption of The Golden Liberty in 1573.
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Background music: Chopin, Prelude 20
Karen Wisniewski, Metro Detroit USA, 2009
Dennis Benarz, Chicagoland USA 2009