First ruler of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-72)
"Sigismund II" redirects here. For the Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, see Sigismund II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau.
Sigismund II Augustus
Portrait by Lucas Cranach the Younger, 1553
King of Poland Grand Duke of Lithuania
Reign
1 April 1548 – 7 July 1572
Coronation
20 February 1530
Predecessor
Sigismund I the Old
Successor
Henry of Valois (in 1573)
Born
1 August 1520 Kraków, Poland
Died
7 July 1572(1572-07-07) (aged 51) Knyszyn, Poland-Lithuania
Burial
10 February 1574
Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland
Spouses
Elizabeth of Austria
(m. 1543; died 1545)
Barbara Radziwiłł
(m. 1547; died 1551)
Catherine of Austria
(m. 1553; died 1572)
Dynasty
Jagiellon
Father
Sigismund I the Old
Mother
Bona Sforza
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Signature
Sigismund II Augustus (Polish: Zygmunt II August, Lithuanian: Žygimantas Augustas; 1 August 1520 – 7 July 1572) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548. He was the first ruler of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the last male monarch from the Jagiellonian dynasty.
Sigismund was the only son of Italian-born Bona Sforza and Sigismund the Old. From the beginning he was groomed and extensively educated as a successor. In 1529 he was crowned vivente rege while his father was still alive. Sigismund Augustus continued a tolerance policy towards minorities and maintained peaceful relations with neighbouring countries, with the exception of the Northern Seven Years' War which aimed to secure Baltic trade. Under his patronage, culture flourished in Poland; he was a collector of tapestries from the Low Countries and collected military memorabilia as well as swords, armours and jewellery. Sigismund Augustus' rule is widely considered as the apex of the Polish Golden Age; he established the first regular Polish navy and the first regular postal service in Poland, known today as Poczta Polska. In 1569 he oversaw the signing of the Union of Lublin between Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which formed the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and introduced an elective monarchy.
Sigismund Augustus married three times; his first wife, Elizabeth of Austria, died in 1545 at just eighteen. He was then involved in several relationships with mistresses, the most famous being Barbara Radziwiłł, who became Sigismund's second wife and Queen of Poland in spite of his mother's disapproval. The marriage was deemed scandalous and was fiercely opposed by the royal court and the nobility. Barbara died five months after her coronation, presumably due to ill health, however, rumours circulated that she was poisoned. Sigismund finally wedded Catherine of Austria, but remained childless throughout his life.
Sigismund Augustus was the last male member of the Jagiellonian dynasty. Following the death of his sister Anna in 1596 the Jagiellonian dynasty came to an end.
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SigismundIIAugustus (Polish: Zygmunt II August, Lithuanian: Žygimantas Augustas; 1 August 1520 – 7 July 1572) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania...
later historiography to distinguish him from his son and successor, SigismundIIAugustus. Before ascending to the Polish and Lithuanian thrones, he was Duke...
blamed for the "bad education" of young Prince SigismundAugustus (the future King SigismundIIAugustus), as well as for seeking to increase her power...
(such are the cases of Sigismund Kęstutaitis, Sigismund Korybut, Sigismund I the Old, SigismundIIAugustus). The Polish spelling is Zygmunt, and the Serbo-Croatian...
remained unmarried until the age of 52. After the death of King SigismundIIAugustus, her brother and the last male member of the Jagiellonian dynasty...
Renaissance paintings, prints, sculpture, textiles, among them the SigismundIIAugustus tapestry collection, goldsmith's work, arms and armor, ceramics...
acted as the sultan's advisor, wrote diplomatic letters to King SigismundIIAugustus of Poland (r. 1548–1572) and patronized major public works (including...
by again using the Supreme Duke of Lithuania title when his son SigismundIIAugustus was his vicegerent in Lithuania. The inaugurations of the Lithuanian...
corresponding to the period of rule of the King Sigismund I the Old (1506–1548) and his son, SigismundIIAugustus, the last of the Jagiellonian Dynasty monarchs...
Duchy of Lithuania with a real union and an elective monarchy, as SigismundIIAugustus, the last of the Jagiellons, remained childless after three marriages...
re-incorporated into the Crown of the Polish Kingdom. In 1568 Polish King SigismundIIAugustus granted Knyszyn town rights, and subsequently a town hall, public...
Renaissance as fostered by the last Jagiellonian Kings Sigismund I the Old (r. 1506–1548) and SigismundIIAugustus (r. 1548–1572) resulted in an immense cultural...
(1568–1636) Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg (1783–1853) SigismundIIAugustus (1520–1572), King "Augustus I" of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Auguste I...
sister Anna were moved to the Palace of Vilnius by their brother SigismundIIAugustus of Poland, to ensure a royal presence in Lithuania. Their stay in...
himself. Later, SigismundIIAugustus granted this privilege to the city magistrates in 1552. Since the 1522 privilege by Sigismund I the Old, Vilnius...
houses the tombs of its founder and those of his children, King SigismundIIAugustus and Anna Jagiellon (Jagiellonka). The Wawel Cathedral has been the...
ordered by Sigismund I the Old. It is believed that the reconstruction was made for the proclamation ceremonies of SigismundIIAugustus, the only son...
all parties had been financially drained, Frederick II let his ally, King SigismundIIAugustus of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, know that he was ready...
the Polish Renaissance, continued until the Union of Lublin under SigismundIIAugustus, which unofficially marked the end of the Polish Golden Age. After...
will of SigismundIIAugustus. The first tapestries were brought by Queen Bona Sforza as her wedding dowry. Then in 1526 and 1533, Sigismund I the Old...
to SigismundIIAugustus Stanislaw Bojanowski was royal secretary to SigismundIIAugustus 1543- Jan Borukowski was royal secretary to SigismundII Augustus...
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