Casimir IV Jagiellon

ROGALSKI LEON, DZIEJE KRZYŻAKÓW ORAZ ICH STOSUNKI Z POLSKĄ, LITWĄ I PRUSSAMI, WARSZAWA, 1846.

Casimir IV Jagiellon became Grand Duke of Lithuania when still a child. Although he is considered to have reigned for 52 years (1440–1492), the true ruler was John Goštautas, Palatine of Trakai and Vilnius. In the middle of the XV century, the Grand Duke’s power was weakening. Grand dukes were elected by the Seimas from the reigning dynasty and the one who agreed to safeguard and expand the rights and privileges of the nobility was elected Grand Duke. Due to parcelling of land to serving noblemen, the domain and the income of the Grand Duke of Lithuania was decreasing. Under the 1447 Casimir Privilege, all noblemen were granted the right to try their peasants. The Casimir Code of 1468was the first attempt to codify the laws of GDL. Casimir IV was the lastGrand Duke of Lithuania who could speak Lithuanian.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album DELINEATIO LITUÆ (2009). Text authors Jevgenij Machovenko, Algimantas Muzikevičius, RES PUBLICA (2018). Compiler and author Rūta Janonienė

ROGALSKI LEON, DZIEJE KRZYŻAKÓW ORAZ ICH STOSUNKI Z POLSKĄ, LITWĄ I PRUSSAMI, WARSZAWA, 1846.

Casimir IV Jagiellon became Grand Duke of Lithuania when still a child. Although he is considered to have reigned for 52 years (1440–1492), the true ruler was John Goštautas, Palatine of Trakai and Vilnius. In the middle of the XV century, the Grand Duke’s power was weakening. Grand dukes were elected by the Seimas from the reigning dynasty and the one who agreed to safeguard and expand the rights and privileges of the nobility was elected Grand Duke. Due to parcelling of land to serving noblemen, the domain and the income of the Grand Duke of Lithuania was decreasing. Under the 1447 Casimir Privilege, all noblemen were granted the right to try their peasants. The Casimir Code of 1468was the first attempt to codify the laws of GDL. Casimir IV was the lastGrand Duke of Lithuania who could speak Lithuanian.

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album DELINEATIO LITUÆ (2009). Text authors Jevgenij Machovenko, Algimantas Muzikevičius, RES PUBLICA (2018). Compiler and author Rūta Janonienė