The Union of Krewo initiated a dynastic bond between Poland and Lithuania that evolved over four centuries into the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- 14 August 1385
- Location
- Kreva Castle
- Jogaila crowned King of Poland
- 1386
- Duration of shared Polish-Lithuanian history
- Four centuries (1385–1795)
- Successor state formed
- Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, by 1569
- End of Commonwealth
- Third Partition of Poland, 1795
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Poland required a successor to secure the throne following the death of King Louis I. Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania, sought an alliance with Poland to strengthen Lithuania's position against the Teutonic Knights and other regional threats, making a dynastic marriage to Queen Jadwiga politically advantageous for both sides.
On 14 August 1385, Jogaila made a series of prenuptial promises at Kreva Castle committing to marry the reigning Queen Jadwiga of Poland. The agreement stipulated that Jogaila would convert to Christianity and unite his Lithuanian lands with the Polish Crown, marking the formal inception of the Polish–Lithuanian union.
Following the 1385 document, Jogaila converted to Christianity, married Jadwiga, and was crowned King of Poland in 1386. The union gradually deepened over the following centuries, culminating in the formal creation of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, which endured as a major European state until the Third Partition of Poland in 1795.
Political Outcome
Jogaila agreed to marry Queen Jadwiga, convert to Christianity, and unite Lithuanian lands with the Polish Crown, founding the Polish–Lithuanian dynastic union.
Poland and Lithuania were separate polities; Lithuania remained largely pagan
Dynastic union under Jogaila as King of Poland; Lithuania Christianized; foundation laid for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth