A letter from Cunegund of Swabia, Queen of Bohemia (1245, before October 10)

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual trinity amen. Since the memory of men is fleeting, lest those things which are done in time also disappear with time, they are usually fortified by writings and witnesses. Everyone present and future should know seeing the present page that we, Cunegund, by the grace of god queen of the Bohemians, have caused to be bestowed on the church of Meissen a certain pension, namely eight measures (modiorum = bushels?) of wheat and the same of rye from the food that is commonly called wahtcorn, and three shillings of money and again three shillings for corn and six measures of rye, which were paid to the administration at Lausitz, which were paid to us each year in the land of Bautzen from the towns of Dobranitz, Canjewitz, and Coblenz, for the salvation of our souls and our children’s and also for the faithful service of our beloved chaplain Hermann of Liznic, canon of Meissen, [we have caused to be bestowed on that church of Meissen,] freely and perpetually, establishing that that H. may enjoy these payments for the time of his life. Moreover we have granted to said church to be absolved from every law or custom observed up to now of charge, fee, claim, or tax by whatever name, in said towns for respect to blessed John the Evangelist and Donatus the martyr. And in order for the force of our donation to be valid in the future, we have displayed the present writing fortified by the sign of our seal. Our beloved son Vladislaus was present at this donation of ours and agreed to it. Witnesses to this thing are: Zacharias, sub-prior of the order of Preachers in Prague, Benesius of that order, Divis and his brother Andreas, knights of Zacharon, Lambinus knight of Prague, Willric knight of Gusc and several others. Enacted at Prague in the year of the lord’s incarnation 1245, 15th indiction, dated by the hand of Frederick our notary, schoolman of Vysehrad.

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue trinitatis amen. Quoniam labilis est memoria hominum, ne ea, que fiunt in tempore, simul labantur cum tempore, solent scriptis et testibus communiri. Noverint universi tam presentes quam futuri presentem paginam inspicientes, quod nos Cvnegundis, dei gratia regina Boemorum, pensionem quandam, octo videlicet modiorum tritici et totidem siliginis de annona, que vulgariter nominatur wahtcorn, et trium solidorum in denariis et item trium solidorum pro melle et sex mensurarum siliginis, que solvebantur ad custodiam versus Lvsaciam, qui nobis singulis annis solvebantur in terra Bvdesinensi de villis de Dobranowiz, Canowiz et Gobliz, pro remedio animarum nostre nostrorumque liberorum necnon pro fideli servicio dilecti capellani nostri Hermanni de Liznic, Misnensis canonici, ecclesie eidem Misnensi liberaliter et perpetuo duximus indulgendam, statuentes, ut hiis percipiendis idem H. gaudeat tempore vite sue. Preterea et ab omni iure sive ex consuetudine hactenus observata exactionis, honoris, petitionis, vel quocumque nomine censeatur, in predictis villis pro reverentia beati Johannis Ewangeliste et Donati martyris prefate ecclesie cedimus absolute. Et ut nostre donationis robur valeat in futurum, presens scriptum exhibuimus nostri sigilli karactere communitum. Huic donationi nostre interfuit et consensit dilectus filius noster Wadizlaus. Huius rei testes sunt: Zacharias supprior ordinis Predicatorum in Praga, Benesius eiusdem ordinis, Divis et Andreas frater eius milites de Zacharon, Lambinus miles Pragensis, Willricus miles de Gusc et alii quam plures. Actum Prage anno dominici incarnationis MCCXLV, indictione XV, datum per manus Friderici notarii nostri, scolastici Wissegradensis.

Historical context:

The queen donates the rent of food and money from the towns of Dobranitz, Cannewitz, and Coblenz to the church of Meissen.

Printed source:

Codex Diplomaticus et Epistolarius Regni Bohemiae, ed. Gustavus Friederich, Jindrich Sebanek and Sasa Duskove (Prague: 1962), 4.167-68, ep.79.

Date:

1245, before October 10