Jagiellons

The Jagiellon dynasty, also spelled Jagellon, was a European royal house that originated in Lithuania and came to dominate eastern and central Europe from the late 14th century. It began with Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania, who converted to Christianity and married Queen Jadwiga of Poland, becoming Władysław II Jagiełło and founding a personal union between Poland and Lithuania through the Union of Krewo in 1385.

Under the Jagiellons, the Polish-Lithuanian realm expanded its influence across the region. Casimir IV Jagiellon (r. 1447–1492) reinforced royal authority and maintained the Polish-Lithuanian union. His successors, Sigismund I the Old (r. 1506–1548) and Sigismund II Augustus (r. 1548–1572), presided over the Union of Lublin in 1569, which formed the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The dynasty also produced rulers in Bohemia and Hungary, notably Louis II, who reigned there until his death at Mohács in 1526, after which the crowns passed to the Habsburgs.

The Jagiellon era is associated with the Polish and Lithuanian Renaissance, cultural patronage, and administrative consolidation, reaching a high point in the mid-16th century. The dynasty ended with the death of Sigismund II Augustus in 1572, leaving the throne to the Habsburgs in many domains and shaping the dynastic and political landscape of Central Europe for generations. The Jagiellons left a lasting legacy in state formation, education, and culture, including associations with the Jagiellonian University in Kraków.