Family tree Riny Doyle geboren Marinus van Waard » Salomea OF BERG (± 1097-1144)

Personal data Salomea OF BERG 

• She was born about 1097.
• Title: Duchess consort of Poland
• Profession: Duchess.
• She died on July 27, 1144 in Leczyca, Poland.
• A child of Henry I OF BERG and Adelaide OF MOCHENTAL

Household of Salomea OF BERG

She is married to Boleslaw III Wrymouth OF POLAND.

They got married in the year 1115.

Child(ren):

1. Richeza OF POLAND  1116-1156 
2. Mieszko III OF POLAND  ± 1126-1202 
3. Judith OF POLAND  ± 1132-1175 
4. Agnes OF POLAND  1137-???? 
5. Casimir II OF POLAND  1138-1194 

Notes about Salomea OF BERG

Salomea of Berg (German: Salome von Berg), Polish: Salomea z Bergu, Salomea Bergska; b. ca. 1093/1101 - d. 27 July 1144), was a German noblewoman and by marriage Duchess of Poland.

She was the daughter of Henry, Count of Berg (near Ehingen in Swabia) by his wife Adelaide of Mochental. According to some sources, her paternal grandmother was Princess Sophia, only daughter of King Solomon of Hungary by his wife Judith of Swabia (later stepmother of Salome's husband), but this fact seems was now discarted by modern historiography.

The marriage of Salome's sister Richeza with Duke Vladislav I of Bohemia in 1110 changed the status of the relative obscure Count Henry of Berg in the political affairs. Another sister, Sophie married with another member of the Premyslid dynasty, Otto II the Black, Duke of Olomouc, in 1113.

Life
Marriage
The Polish ruler Boleslaw III Wrymouth, after began to expand his domains in the Pomerelia, decided to normalized his relations with his southern Bohemian neighbors. This took place in 1114 at a great convention on the border river Nysa Klodzka. Participants included Boleslaw III himself, as well as Bohemian Dukes of the Premyslid line: Vladislav I, Otto II the Black and Sobeslav I. Then was also decided that the Duke of Poland (then a widower) could married with the Swabian noblewoman Salomea, sister of the Duchesses of Bohemia and Olomouc.

The marriage negotiations, led by Bishop Otto of Bamberg, ended successfully, and between March and July of 1115 took place the wedding of Boleslaw III Wrymouth and Salomea of Berg. By the end of that year, the new Duchess gave birth a son named Leszek, the first of the thirteen children who she bore to her husband.

Salomea began to participate actively in the Polish politics on behalf of her children; she feared that her stepson Wladyslaw (Boleslaw III's oldest son from his first marriage) would succeeded his father as sole ruler and her sons would be at the mercy of his half-brother. In 1125 the powerful Piotr Wlostowic was forced to resign his post of Count Palatine; the main instigator of this decision was probably Salomea, who replaced him with Wszebor, a man she considered more likely to support her and her sons against Wladyslaw.

Boleslaw III's Testament
Boleslaw III died on 28 October 1138. Before his death, in his will he divided the country between his sons. In addition Salomea received the town of Leczyca, several castles and towns throughout Poland (including Pajeczno, Malogoszcz, Radziejów, Kwieciszewo) as her Oprawa wdowia (Widow's seat); this was the first documented case where a Polish ruler leave to his widow her own piece of land. The terms of the Oprawa wdowia stated that the beneficiary could obtain the full sovereignty over the land for her life, and could loss it in two cases: if she remarried or became a nun (the self-resignation wasn't count). The youngest child of the couple, Casimir, wasn't assigned any province; it is speculated that he was born after Boleslaw III's death.

Later Years
From her domains in Leczyca, the now Dowager Duchess continue her intrigues against the High Duke Wladyslaw II. However, the hostilities only began openly in 1141, when Salomea, without the knowledge and consent of the High Duke, commenced to divide Leczyca between her sons. Also, she tried to resolve the marriage of her youngest daughter Agnes and thus to find a suitable ally for her sons. The most appropriate candidate for a son-in-law had to be one of the sons of the Grand Prince of Kiev, Vsevolod II Olgovich. After hearing the news about the events in Leczyca, Wladyslaw II decided to make a quick response, as a result of which the Grand Duke of Kiev not only broke all his pacts with the Junior Dukes, but also arranged the betrothal of his daughter Zvenislava to Wladyslaw's eldest son Boleslaw. The wedding took place one year later, in 1142.

Salomea died at her mansion in Leczyca on 27 July 1144. In accordance with the will of Boleslaw III, her province of Leczyca reverted to the Senoriate. Unexpectedly, her bitter enemy Piotr Wlostowic allied with the Junior Dukes against the High Duke, who, after being captured and blinded Wlostowic in 1145, was defeated and deposed. Salomea's older surviving son, Boleslaw IV the Curly became in the new High Duke of Poland in 1146.

Children
Leszek (born 1115)
Casimir (d. 1131)
Boleslaw IV the Curly (born c. 1122);
Mieszko III the Old (born c. 1125);
Henryk of Sandomierz (born 1127-1132);
Casimir II the Just (born 1138);
Rikissa of Poland (born 1116), who married firstly Magnus the Strong, pretender of Sweden and Denmark; secondly Volodar of Polatsk, Prince of Minsk; and thirdly king Sverker I of Sweden
Dobroniega of Poland (born before 1128), who married Dietrich I, Margrave of Lusatia;
Gertrude of Poland, nun
Judith of Poland (born 1130-1136), who married Otto I of Brandenburg; and
Agnes of Poland (born 1137), who married Mstislav II of Kiev.

Source: Wikipedia

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Timeline Salomea OF BERG

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