Elżbieta Austriaczka – królowa polska i wielka księżna litewska (1526–1545)
Elizabeth of Austria - the Queen of Poland and the Grand Duchess of Lithuania

Summary/Abstract: June 15 th 2015 is the 470 th anniversary of Elizabeth of Austria’s death. The story of the first wife of Sigismund August the Second is rather uncharted. There is neither her biography nor even an article considering her lot. Short life of the Queen of Poland and the Grand Duchess of Lithuania was very tragic and the queen herself was a victim of the dynastic plans of the Jagiellons and the Habsburgs as well as their international politics (considering the matter of Kingdom of Prussia or the reign of Jan Zapolya in Transylvania). All her life was she prepared to be the queen of Poland, however she found neither love nor even respect there. Due to brevity of her reign and “old queen” Bona Sforza’s dislike, she did not play any significant political role, although the Habsburgs wanted her to be the main proponent of their interests on the Polish court. Her premature death and the conflict with the powerful mother-in-law became a very popular theme in Polish literature, art and cinematography.

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