The Turul and the White Eagles King Andrew II of Hungary and his Polish Relatives

Abstract

The research of the relations between certain rulers, territories or peoples can be considered as one of the classic topics of historiography in general and of Medieval Studies as well. The history of Polish–Hungarian contacts in the Middle Ages is no exception, several scientific and popular works have dealt with the relations of the Piasts and Árpáds, and their respective realms. Nevertheless, it is important to emphasize, that we can only speak indirectly about international relations concerning the High Middle Ages, the personal contacts of the rulers and the dynastic ties established between the ruling families are of great importance when studying the various elements of the relations. This paper focuses on the analysis of certain episodes of the relations of the rulers of Poland and King Andrew II of Hungary (1205–1235) in the early thirteenth century. Family ties were of paramount importance in the case of the Hungarian king as well. This was particularly true given that during his reign matrimonial relations were reestablished between the Árpáds and the Piasts after a hiatus of nearly eighty years. In 1214, Andrew II made an agreement with the ruler of Cracow, Leszek the White, on the marriage of their children, Prince Coloman and Princess Salomea. However, the Hungarian king’s relations with Poland were not limited to the marriage of his second son. The relation between the brothers-in-law, Andrew II and Duke Henry I the Bearded of Silesia, or the case of Władysław Odonic of Greater Poland, and his hypothetical exile in Hungary are perhaps not among the most well-known episodes of this era, but they offer quite interesting details regarding the Polish-Hungarian relations.