Hedwig of Silesia: Difference between revisions

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	\|name=Saint Hedwig of Andechs<br>		\|name=Saint Hedwig of Andechs<br>Święta Jadwiga Śląska
	\|birth_date=]		\|birth_date=]
	\|death_date={{death date\|1243\|10\|15\|df=y}}		\|death_date={{death date\|1243\|10\|15\|df=y}}

Revision as of 15:33, 6 March 2008

Saint Hedwig of Andechs Święta Jadwiga Śląska
Statue of Saint Hedwig of Andechs in front of the Franciscan monastery in Panewniki, a district of Katowice, Poland
Born	1174 Castle Andechs, Bavaria
Died	(1243-10-15)15 October 1243 Trebnitz (Trzebnica)
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Canonized	1267
Major shrine	Andechs Abbey and St. Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin
Feast	16 October
Patronage	of Andechs Abbey, Brandenburg, Berlin, Cracow, Silesia, its capital Breslau/Wrocław, Trebnitz/Trzebnica, the Diocese of Görlitz, orphaned children

This article is about the 13th century duchess and saint canonized in 1267. For the 14th-century namesake queen and saint canonized in 1997, see Jadwiga of Poland

Saint Hedwig of Andechs (Template:Lang-de Template:Lang-pl, born 1174 at Castle Andechs, Bavaria - died 15 October 1243 at Trebnitz (Trzebnica), Silesia) was the daughter of Berthold III, Count of Tyrol and Duke of Carinthia and Istria (Andechs-Meran), and his wife Agnes.

One of Hedwig's sisters married king Andrew II of Hungary. Their daughter was Saint Elisabeth of Hungary, also known as Elizabeth of Thuringia. Another of Hedwig's sisters was abbess at the Benedictine convent of Lutzingen in Franconia, where Hedwig received her education.

At age 12, Hedwig married Henry I the Bearded of Silesia. In 1233 Henry also became Duke of Greater Poland.

In 1238, upon his death, Henry was buried at the Cistercian convent of Trebnitz (Trzebnica) which he had founded in 1202 on the request of Hedwig. The widow moved into the convent which was led by one of her daughters. On 15 October 1243, she died and was buried there, while relics of her are preserved at Andechs Abbey.

Hedwig and Henry had a son, Henry II the Pious who in 1241 was killed by the Mongols in the battle of Legnica.

Hedwig and Henry had lived a very pious life, and Hedwig had great zeal for religion. She always helped the poor, went barefoot even in winter, and donated all her fortune to the Church and the poor. Hedwig was canonized in 1267.

In 1773 Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, built the St. Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin, now the mother church of the Archdiocese of Berlin, for the Roman Catholic immigrants from Silesia.

Hedwig is also the patron saint of Brandenburg, of Berlin, of Andechs Abbey, of Cracow, of Trebnitz (Trzebnica), of Silesia and its capital Breslau (Wrocław), and the Diocese of Görlitz (being cut from Archdiocese of Wrocław after 1945 when German population of Silesia was expelled from their homes after World War II. German expellees still regard Hedwig as their patron saint, convening during the Cold War era at the Andechs Abbey in Bavaria were her relics are kept. In addition, the former miners from Upper Silesia also venerate the miners' patron, Saint Barbara .

St. Hedwig of Andechs is also revered as the patron saint of orphans. The pet snowy owl and companion of the orphaned Harry Potter, was named Hedwig by J.K. Rowling.

References

Augustin Knoblich: Lebensgeschichte der heiligen Hedwig, Herzogin und Landespatronin von Schlesien. 1174-1243. Schletter, Breslau 1860 (Digitalisat)
"St. Hedwig". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2007-02-18.

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