Maciej Jasiński
Anna Vasa was a Swedish princess whose life became closely connected to Poland and the areas now part of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region. Born in 1568 in Eskilstuna, Sweden, she was the youngest daughter of King John III of Sweden and his wife, Catherine Jagiellon. She was also the granddaughter of King Sigismund I the Old of Poland and Queen Bona Sforza.
She spent her youth in Sweden, but in 1587, when her brother Sigismund III Vasa was elected King of Poland, she accompanied him to their mother’s homeland. Anna distinguished herself as an extraordinary woman. Renowned for her intelligence and wisdom, she frequently offered counsel to the king and other prominent figures of her era. Among the Polish nobility, there were even voices of indignation claiming that she had too much influence over her brother, which eventually led to her return to Sweden. However, her stay in her homeland proved to be temporary. In 1588, Anna was forced to leave Sweden again when Sigismund III lost his struggle to retain the Swedish throne. From that point onward, the princess remained in Poland for the rest of her life.
Anna Vasa was extraordinary in many ways. Fluent in five languages, she loved reading and ballet and had a passion for various sciences. In 1604, Sigismund III appointed her as the starosta of Brodnica, and in 1611, of Golub. At the time, such positions in Poland were typically reserved for men or widows. Consequently, entrusting Anna with the castles in Brodnica and Golub, along with their surrounding estates, was met with disbelief and even outrage among a significant portion of the Polish nobility.
The princess had a deep passion for botany. At her residences in Golub, Brodnica, and Warsaw, she established flower and herb gardens where she cultivated medicinal plants brought from various parts of the world. Anna personally studied these plants and used them to prepare remedies. She also created herbaria by hand. The medications she produced and her pharmaceutical expertise were shared not only with the king and his court but also with the ordinary residents of her estates. Her financial support also enabled the publication of Herbarium by Simon Syrenius, a monumental work and one of the most significant contributions to the history of botany.
Anna’s life was also fraught with difficulties. She was born with genetic defects affecting her skull and spine, which caused recurring pain, poor health, and susceptibility to illness from an early age. Several attempts to arrange her marriage were unsuccessful. Due to political circumstances and Sigismund III’s loss of the Swedish throne, Anna was forced to spend her adult life far from her homeland. She also paid a heavy price for her religious convictions. As a devout Lutheran, she was compelled to leave the royal court, which was dominated by Catholics. This situation became yet another source of hardship, as it limited her direct contact with those closest to her – King Sigismund III and his family.
Despite the many hardships she faced, the princess always found time and strength to support those in need. She was frequently approached by migrants from Sweden and Polish Protestants. Anna also took special care in educating the girls and women at her court. She selflessly helped the sick. She personally oversaw the reconstruction of her residences in Brodnica and Golub.
After a long illness, Anna Vasa died in Brodnica in 1625. The Catholic clergy refused to bury the princess in the royal crypt at Wawel. Due to religious disputes and the ongoing wars between Sweden and Poland in the following years, her funeral was not arranged until eleven years later. Anna was eventually buried in the Lutheran Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Toruń, where, by the order of King Władysław IV Vasa, a mausoleum was erected with a magnificent tomb featuring a statue of the deceased princess.
The memory of Anna Vasa has stood the test of time. Her kindness and care have been preserved in legends that are still told today. The princess was also commemorated by a monument in front of her palace in Brodnica, as well as by the second, ecumenical funeral held in 1995 in Toruń, after the royal tomb had been opened and her remains examined.
dr MICHAŁ TARGOWSKI historian, regionalist, research worker at Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń
writer
Maciej Jasiński
artist Jacek Michalski
cover artist Krzysztof Trystuła
consultation dr Michał Targowski
translation Agnieszka Szewczuk
ISBN year of publication
print run copies
published by Agencja Reklamowa GALL sc ul. Dworcowa /, - Toruń gall@gall.torun.pl
commissioned by Self-Government of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region, Poland
Contact:
Offi ce of the Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region in Toruń Address: Plac Teatralny 2, 87-100 Toruń, Poland tel. +48 56: 6218600, 6218610
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e-mail: punkt.informacyjny@kujawsko-pomorskie.pl www.kujawsko-pomorskie.pl
Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa Kujawsko-Pomorskiego w Toruniu Plac Teatralny 2, 87-100 Toruń, tel. 56 62-18-600, 56 62-18-610 e-mail: punkt.informacyjny@kujawsko-pomorskie.pl www.kujawsko-pomorskie.pl
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Ghosts, haunted castles, and time travel… Who doesn’t love stories that blur the line between reality and fairy tales? You'll find all of this in this comic book, where the story takes place in the Golub Fortress, located in our region.
Legend has it that at night, in Golub Castle, you might encounter the White Lady, the ghost of Princess Anna Vasa, who lived there over four hundred years ago. Why would the sister of King Sigismund III Vasa (the same king who moved the capital of our country from Kraków to Warsaw) roam the halls of her former residence by starlight? There is a certain hypothesis, which I can’t reveal just yet to avoid spoiling your reading experience.
Princess Anna Vasa was born and raised in Sweden. She received a thorough education in her youth. She was fluent in several languages, including Polish and Swedish. When her brother Sigismund was crowned King of Poland, she decided to settle by the Vistula River. She was appointed the starosta of Brodnica and Golub, which linked her to our region. Anna spent much of her time in the Gothic castles of Golub and Brodnica, which served as her residences. Historical sources note her interest in herbalism, as she grew plants and prepared medicines herself.
Golub Castle is a truly special place, where the annual knight tournaments make a journey through time possible. Despite living in the age of smartphones and the Internet, on Golub Hill, you can still witness knights clad in steel armour from across Europe, competing in duels and various events, all in a bid to win the admiration and hearts of the court’s beautiful ladies, just as they did centuries ago. We can take pride in the fact that it was here, for the first time in Europe after centuries of absence, that such a spectacle was revived. Additionally, every year, during the opening of the New Year's Eve ball at Golub Castle, the symbolic White Lady is escorted through the castle's cloisters – to the rhythm of the polonaise – by the castle's castellan himself.
I hope that reading this comic book will bring you joy and entertainment, while also inspiring you to learn more about its heroine, Anna Vasa – an extraordinary princess whose story is intertwined with the fascinating history of our region.
I invite you not only to read, but also to embark on a journey through time and visit the Golub Fortress.
PIOTR CAŁBECKI Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region
ISBN: xxxx