Poland / Austria: common history and the curse of Jagiellon tomb
Wawel royal castle, Kraków, Poland
Elisabeth of Austria Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania, Polish: Elżbieta Rakuszanka (* 1437 in Wien, Austria; † 30. August 1505 in Cracow, Wawel Cathedral, Poland). She was a member of Habsburg dynasty.
![]()
Queen Elisabeth was the daughter of King of Hungary and Croatia Albert II of Germany (1397–1439) and his wife Elisabeth of Bohemia (1409–42). She married on 10 March 1454 King Casimir IV of Poland (Kazimierz Jagellończyk, 1427–92), monarch of Poland and Lithuania. It was a very successful marriage. Four of their sons became king one became Holy Catholicthus. Five of their daughters were married to German princes, as a result of which the Polish name Casimir became a familiar one among German dynasties. When Casimir and Elisabeth died they left a dynasty renowned among the courts of Europe.
That is why Queen Elizabeth of Austria is also called "mother of the Jagiellons" or "mother of kings". A nickname "Rakuszanka" in the old Polish language means an Austrian woman. She also had a big political impact.
King Casimir IV Jagiellon
![]()
The curse of the Jagiellon tomb
The remains of King Casimir IV and his wife Elizabeth were interred in a tomb situated in the chapel of Wawel Castle in Krakow, Poland. With the consent of Cardinal Wojtyla (better known as Pope John Paul II), a team of scientists was given permission to open the tomb and examine the remains, with restoration as the ultimate objective.
Interior of Holy Cross Chapel in Wawel Cathedral, Historical Museum in Kraków, circa 1872 - Author Polish painter Aleksander Gryglewski.
![]()
Casimir's tomb was opened on Friday, April 13 /sic!/, 1973. Twelve researchers were present. Inside the tomb they found a wooden coffin that was heavily rotted. It contained what was left of the king's decayed corpse. Little did anyone know that a real "mummy's curse" had been initiated.
Within a few days, four of the twelve had died. Not long after, there were only two survivors: Dr. Boleslaw Smyk, a microbiologist, and Dr. Edward Roszyckim. Smyk was to suffer problems with his equilibrium for the next five years. In the course of his microbiological examinations, Dr. Smyk found traces of fungi on the royal insignia taken from the tomb. He identified three species: Aspergillus flavus, Penicillim rubrum, and Penicillim rugulosum. These fungi are known to produce aflatoxins B1 and B2.
Source i.a. catchpenny.org
Casimir and Elisabeth had the following children:
-Vladislaus II (1456 – 1516), King of Bohemia and Hungary.
-Hedwig - Polish: Jadwiga (1457 – 1502), married on 14 November 1475 to George, Duke of Bavaria-Landshut.
-Casimir - Polish: Kazimierz (1458 – 1484), patron Saint of Poland and Lithuania.
-John I Albert - Polish: Jan I Olbracht (1459 – 1501), King of Poland and Duke of Głogów.
-Alexander - (1461 – 1506), Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland.
-Sophia - Polish: Zofia Jagiellonka (1464 – 1512), married on 14 February 1479 to Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach.
-Elizabeth (1465 – 1466).
-Sigismund I - Polish: Zygmunt I Stary (1467 – 1548), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.
-Frederick - Polish: Fryderyk (1468 – 1503), Archbishop of Gniezno and Primate of Poland.
-Elizabeth (1480? - 1481).
-Anna (1476 – 1503), married on 2 February 1491 to Bogislaw X, Duke of Pomerania.
-Barbara (1478 – 1534), married on 21 November 1496 to George, Duke of Saxony.
-Elizabeth (1482 – 1517), married on 25 November 1515 to Frederick II, Duke of Legnica.
Source: Wikipedia.
Pictures: Public Domain.
Wawel royal castle, Kraków, Poland
 |
| Fot. Arkadiusz Frankowicz |
That is why Queen Elizabeth of Austria is also called "mother of the Jagiellons" or "mother of kings". A nickname "Rakuszanka" in the old Polish language means an Austrian woman. She also had a big political impact.
King Casimir IV Jagiellon
The curse of the Jagiellon tomb
The remains of King Casimir IV and his wife Elizabeth were interred in a tomb situated in the chapel of Wawel Castle in Krakow, Poland. With the consent of Cardinal Wojtyla (better known as Pope John Paul II), a team of scientists was given permission to open the tomb and examine the remains, with restoration as the ultimate objective.
Interior of Holy Cross Chapel in Wawel Cathedral, Historical Museum in Kraków, circa 1872 - Author Polish painter Aleksander Gryglewski.
Within a few days, four of the twelve had died. Not long after, there were only two survivors: Dr. Boleslaw Smyk, a microbiologist, and Dr. Edward Roszyckim. Smyk was to suffer problems with his equilibrium for the next five years. In the course of his microbiological examinations, Dr. Smyk found traces of fungi on the royal insignia taken from the tomb. He identified three species: Aspergillus flavus, Penicillim rubrum, and Penicillim rugulosum. These fungi are known to produce aflatoxins B1 and B2.
Source i.a. catchpenny.org
-Vladislaus II (1456 – 1516), King of Bohemia and Hungary.
-Hedwig - Polish: Jadwiga (1457 – 1502), married on 14 November 1475 to George, Duke of Bavaria-Landshut.
-Casimir - Polish: Kazimierz (1458 – 1484), patron Saint of Poland and Lithuania.
-John I Albert - Polish: Jan I Olbracht (1459 – 1501), King of Poland and Duke of Głogów.
-Alexander - (1461 – 1506), Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland.
-Sophia - Polish: Zofia Jagiellonka (1464 – 1512), married on 14 February 1479 to Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach.
-Elizabeth (1465 – 1466).
-Sigismund I - Polish: Zygmunt I Stary (1467 – 1548), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.
-Frederick - Polish: Fryderyk (1468 – 1503), Archbishop of Gniezno and Primate of Poland.
-Elizabeth (1480? - 1481).
-Anna (1476 – 1503), married on 2 February 1491 to Bogislaw X, Duke of Pomerania.
-Barbara (1478 – 1534), married on 21 November 1496 to George, Duke of Saxony.
-Elizabeth (1482 – 1517), married on 25 November 1515 to Frederick II, Duke of Legnica.
Source: Wikipedia.
Pictures: Public Domain.