Helena of Znojmo

Helen of Znojmo
High Duchess consort of Poland
Reign1177–1194
Born1141?
Died1202/1206
SpouseCasimir II the Just
Issue
Detail
Maria, Grand Princess of Kiev
Leszek the White
Konrad I of Masovia
HousePřemyslid
FatherConrad II of Znojmo
MotherMarija of Rascia

Helena of Znojmo (Czech: Helena Znojemská; Polish: Helena znojemska; c. 1141[1]–1202/1206[2]), was a Bohemian princess, a member of the Přemyslid dynasty. She was the daughter of Duke Conrad II of Znojmo and his Serbian wife Marija of Rascia (daughter of Uroš I). Helena was probably named after her maternal aunt, Queen Helena of Hungary, wife of King Béla II.[3]

Born as princess of the Znojmo Appanage (named after its centre, the town of Znojmo in southern Moravia), she later became by marriage Duchess of Sandomierz (1173-1194), Grand Duchess of Kraków and the Seniorate Province (1177-1194), Duchess of Masovia (1186–1194), and Duchess-regent of Kraków and the Seniorate Province, Sandomierz, and Masovia on behalf of her minor sons from 1194–1198, then the latter two duchies plus Kuyavia until 1199/1200.

  1. ^ This date is preferred by Czech historiography; Polish historians promote the year 1145
  2. ^ Jasiński K. (2004). Rodowód pierwszych Piastów. Poznań: Wydawnictwo PTPN. pp. 266–268. ISBN 83-7063-409-5.
  3. ^ According to Jan Długosz, Helen was a daughter of Rostislav Mstislavich, Grand Prince of Kiev. He erroneously deduced her parentage on the basis of her Russian-sounding name. This was corrected by more recent historiography.