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

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual trinity amen. We Cunegund, by the grace of god queen of the Bohemians, to the monastery Kladeruby. Since what is done by men disappears with the men, unless preserved for memory by writing and witnesses, for the letter lives and the action of the letter skillfully preserves: We make known to those of the present and future that since Swatobor, noble baron (suppanus), died without heir and all his holdings/estates fell to the crown according to the law of ancient princes, which holdings our beloved lord and husband Wenceslaus, by grace of god illustrious king of that kingdom, conferred on his dearest sister and the other sisters serving the lord God at St. Francis, with permission to sell to raise structures of the church and any necessities of the cloister. We, therefore, bending to the prayers of said sister Agnes, have sold the neighborhood of Prestice with all its appurtenances, towns, fields, meadows, cultivated and uncultivated woods, pastures and waters to the venerable man Reinher, abbot of Kladruby and the brothers serving the lord god there, for 1200 silver marks to be possessed by hereditary right. And so that our sale and the purchase by that abbot may have force that will hold up in the future, we have had the present privilege displayed fortified by the force of our seal. Witnesses who went around the foresaid estates marking boundaries at the command of the lord king and of us: Brecislaus son of Brecislaus of Birkow, Protiwa of Zizinkaw, his brother Pota, Sobehrid son of Crinin of Hlovicz, Sezema son of Drisislas of Dulen, Drysicrag son of Budiwogy of Swichow, Blasius his son of Poley, Boguchwal of Lukawicz with his brother Witla, Sasyn of Oprinc, Ludwig of Slednicz, Amcha of Mecholup, Peter of Petrovicz, Lemar of Oplot, Predlow of Trebiczin, Otto of Maskrow, Ymmram of Luzan, Adam of Horssicz, Mladota brother from the Teutonic home brother Mrakote, whom our dearest sister Agnus sent on the part of her house to the neighborhood of the foresaid goods of Prestice. Enacted at Prague in the 1245th year of the lord’s incarnation, 15th indiction, dated by the hand of our notary Frederick, schoolman of the church of Vysehrad.

Original letter:

In nomine sanctae et individuae trinitatis amen. Nos Chunegundis, dei gratia Boemorum regina, caenobio Cladrubiensi in perpetuum. Quoniam, quae geruntur per homines, labuntur cum hominibus, nisi scripto et testibus memoriae commendantur, littera enim vivit et actio litterae solerter commendata: Notum siquidem facimus praesentibus et futuris, quod, cum Swatobor, nobilis suppanus, carens heredibus decessisset et omnia praedia sua coronae regiae cessissent iure exigente principum antiquorum, quae praedia dilectus dominus et maritus noster Wenceslaus, dei gratia illustris rex eiusdem regni, charissimae sorori suae et aliis sororibus ad sanctum Franciscum domino deo famulantibus contulit cum licentia vendendi ad structuras ecclesiae et ad claustri et quaevis necessaria elevanda: nos igitur inclinatae precibus praedictae sororis Agnetis, circuitum Prestycz cum omnibus attinentiis, villis, agris, pratis, silvis cultis et incultis, pascuis et aquis venerabili viro Reinherio, abbati Cladrubensi, et fratribus ibidem domino deo famulantibus vendidimus pro mille marcis argenti et ducentis iure hereditario possidenda. Et ut nostra venditio ac eiusdem abbatis emptio robur habeat in posterum valiturum, praesens privilegium fecimus exhiberi nostri sigilli robore communitum. Testes, qui sepedicta praedia circumierunt ex mandato domini regis et nostro metas facientes: Brecislaus filius Brecislai de Birkow, Protiwa de Syzncow, Pota frater eiusdem, Sobehrid filius Crinin de Hlouicz, Sezema filius Drzislay de Dulen, Drysicrag filius Budiwogy de Swichow, Blasius filius eiusdem de Poley, Boguchwal de Lukawicz cum fratre Witla, Sazyn de Orprinicz, Ludwik de Slednicz, Amcha de Mecholup, Petrus de Petrouicz, Lemar de Oplot, Predlow de Trebiczin, Otto de Maskrow, Ymmram de Luzan, Adam de Horssicz, Mladota frater de domo Theuthonica frater Mrakote, quem soror nostra charissima Agnes ex parte domus suae miserat ad circuitionem bonorum praedictorum de Presticy. Actum Pragae anno dominicae incarnationis millesimo ducentesimo quadragesimo quinto, indictione quindecima, datum per manus notarii nostri Friderici, scholastici Wissegradensis ecclesiae.

Historical context:

The queen sells to the monastery in Kladruby the neighborhood of Prestice, which her husband king Wenceslaus I conferred on his sister Agnes of Prague with the permission to sell for the purpose of constructing the St. Francis church and cloister.

Printed source:

Codex Diplomaticus et Epistolarius Regni Bohemiae, ed. Gustavus Friederich, Jindrich Sebanek and Sasa Duskove (Prague: 1962), 4.174-75, ep.85.

Date:

1245