He was the most faithful advisor to King Władysław II Jagiełło of Poland, the son of a priest. He could have become the first pope of Polish origin, but from the Council of Constance he brought back the title of the first Primate of Poland in history. Discover the story of a man who was Polish and could have ascended to the Throne of St. Peter several centuries before St. John Paul II!
Mikołaj Trąba – Childhood and Youth
He was the son of Jakub – a scholastic and dean of the Sandomierz collegiate church. Little is known about the mother of the future bishop and Primate of Poland. She was probably named Anna or Elżbieta. His father may have influenced his career in the Church. He was soon adopted by his mother’s husband – Wilhelm of the Trąba coat of arms, received a noble title, and therefore became known as Mikołaj Trąba.
Mikołaj Trąba’s stepfather – Wilhelm – was an administrator of royal estates. We know little about Mikołaj Trąba’s education. It is known that he completed cathedral school, where he received holy orders.
At the Side of Władysław II Jagiełło
In 1390, Mikołaj Trąba became the confessor to King Władysław II Jagiełło. He possessed tremendous organizational talent and was also proficient in canon law. This was noticed and appreciated by the king, who made Mikołaj Trąba his notary and Crown Vice-Chancellor.
Mikołaj Trąba participated in the Christianization mission to Lithuania in 1387. Jagiełło entrusted him with this mission because he held great trust in the clergyman. Earlier, Trąba had taken part in negotiations concerning the marriage of Władysław Jagiełło to Jadwiga of Anjou.
As the closest advisor to King Władysław II Jagiełło, Mikołaj Trąba was present when the most important decisions were made. He pursued an anti-Teutonic policy, which naturally aligned with Jagiełło’s policy.
The Union of Krewo and Mikołaj Trąba
Mikołaj Trąba was also present at the conclusion of the Union of Krewo on August 14, 1385. According to Jan Długosz, the clergyman’s tasks included explaining to the Lithuanian side what Jagiełło’s conversion to Roman Catholicism would entail and what obligations the Polish monarch would assume as a result. This included those related to marrying Jadwiga of Anjou.
It is worth noting, however, that while Mikołaj Trąba was present at these events, his role was secondary and was only magnified later by Jan Długosz because he knew that Mikołaj Trąba held high positions. At the time of negotiations for the Union of Krewo, Trąba was still a young clergyman, though already well-educated and versed in canon law.
In other words, Mikołaj Trąba dealt with formal matters concerning the Union of Krewo itself, as well as ensuring that the marriage of Jagiełło and Jadwiga would be concluded in a manner that would not raise any doubts. This was especially important since Jadwiga of Anjou was betrothed through sponsalia de futuro to Wilhelm of Habsburg. The Habsburgs were waiting for any misstep by Jagiełło, whom they would have gladly eliminated.
The Council of Constance (1414-1418)
Mikołaj Trąba led the Polish delegation to the Council of Constance (1414-1418). This council ended the Great Western Schism, during which there were as many as three popes: Benedict XIII, Gregory XII, and John XXIII. During the Council of Constance, their successor was elected – Pope Martin V. Mikołaj Trąba also vied for the papal tiara, and had he won, he would have been the first pope from Poland, hundreds of years before St. John Paul II.
Instead of becoming pope, Mikołaj Trąba received the title of Primate of the Kingdom of Poland. This was the first such high title in our country’s history.
The Council of Constance also addressed the Teutonic question. The new primate criticized the activities of the Teutonic Order. Together with the Polish delegation, he also opposed the imprisonment of the religious reformer Jan Hus, but soon reconciled himself to this decision.
Mikołaj Trąba and the Elżbieta Granowska Affair
After the death of Anna of Cilli, Władysław II Jagiełło wanted to marry Elżbieta Granowska, who was, however, already of advanced age by medieval standards and, as Stanisław Ciołek wrote about her, was a matron exhausted by childbearing.
According to Jan Długosz, while Mikołaj Trąba was not entirely convinced of the wisdom of this marriage, he did not oppose the royal decision as others did. He did, however, gently suggest to the Polish monarch that this marriage might weaken the king’s position and expose him to criticism, including from the nobility and foreign courts.
Mikołaj Trąba did not fully accept the king’s decision to marry Elżbieta Granowska, but he ensured that everything was in accordance with canon law. He obtained the dispensation required by canon law, since Elżbieta Granowska was Jagiełło’s spiritual sister. Her mother – Jadwiga Pilecka of Melsztyn – was Władysław II Jagiełło’s godmother. Ultimately, it was Mikołaj Trąba who performed the marriage ceremony for Jagiełło and Elżbieta Granowska, which took place in Sanok on May 2, 1417.
The king’s third marriage provoked strong opposition at court. Elżbieta was, after all, a noblewoman and did not come from a royal lineage. Even greater opposition was caused by news of Elżbieta Granowska’s coronation as Queen of Poland. The weather also showed its „opposition,” as the carriage in which he was traveling with his wife was struck by lightning. The king was temporarily deafened by the noise.
The Final Years of Mikołaj Trąba’s Life
In 1420, Mikołaj Trąba issued the so-called Statutes of Mikołaj Trąba. This was a collection of rules and laws governing the Church in the Kingdom of Poland.
Toward the end of his life, Mikołaj Trąba continued to work with Jagiełło, although some of his decisions from the Council of Constance were criticized by his contemporaries. He was particularly accused of being too lenient regarding the condemnation of Jan Hus and withdrawing from some of the postulates presented by Włodkowic.
He died on December 2, 1422, during his diplomatic mission to Hungary, where he had been sent by the king. He was buried in Gniezno Cathedral, which was then given even greater significance – it was not only a place of worship for St. Adalbert but also the seat of the first primate in Poland’s history.
