An Educated Jagiellonian Prince
An Educated Jagiellonian Prince

Summary/Abstract: The Jagiellonian family became a potential ruling dynasty in Europe for the beginning of the 16th century. Casimir IV has a great role to reach this position. Besides important political arrangements, and relevant provisions he also had paid attention to the education of the new generation of Jagiellons. His sons (Vladislaus, Casimir, John Albert, Alexander, Sigismund, Frederick) had a proper education as we can see it in the mirror of contemporary sources. Albeit the fact, that narrative sources contain information about the upbringing of the princes, there are other type of written sources which refer to the literacy and the erudition not only the sons but also the grandchildren of Casimir and Elisabeth. There is a unique work connected to the of the lately mentioned Elisabeth (of Austria), the mother of the prominent Jagiellonians, whose rule and political actions determined the history of Central Europe -- directly -- for decades and -- indirectly -- for centuries. The title of this treatise is 'De institutione regii pueri'. Regarding to this source and also to the court accounts of the Jagiellons, one can see the complexity of royal education. In this medieval/early modern period it has a special aspect concerning not only the transfer of "classical" knowledge, but also a proper way of life and a Christian moral which worthy enough to follow. There are numerous, barely analysed circumstantial evidences which refer to the character and the knowledge of people from the investigated target group. The habits and behaviour of the Jagiellonian brothers come into prominence in their accounts. The informative sentences shed light on the effect of their physical, mental and intellectual education as well. By the examination of them, we can see the general and also the unique elements of these personalities.

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