CASIMIR, kils'i-mer, properly KAztmtErtz. The name of a number of Polish princes and kings.—CAstmia I., the Restorer, King of Poland 11034-58). was the son of the Polish King Aliecis las 11., and a German princess, Rixa, who ruled during ('asimir's minority. She excited opposi tion and the young Prince was driven from his throne (about 1037). Be was reeaned, however. after a few years through the mediation of the German Emperor, Henry III. Ile strengthened Christianity in Ids dominions. which he enlarged by recovering Silesia from lb,hemin. He married the daughter of Vladimir the Great of Russia. —C.tstma II_ known as the Just, was the youngest son of liols•slas lie ruled over re united Pillaml from 1177 and died in 1194. Casi mir showed himself an able ruler in defending the peasants from the oppression of the nobles. Pe died much beloved by his subjects.—CASIMIR III., the Great. was born about 1310, and suc ceeded his father, Ladislas Lokietek. as King of Poland, in 1333. Ili* possessions were threat ened by the Teutonic Knights and the King of Bohemia. hut he succeeded in winning the friend ship of both. Ile added lied Russia to his dominions in 1341. and repelled the Tartars who threatened Poland. 11c gave the Bishop of Gali cia the title of metropolitan. Ile developed com merce. protected the .pews and Germans. who made many settlements in his domains. and im
proved the condition of the peasants, so that he is known as King of the Peasants. In 13)14 he founded the University of Cracow, after the model of Bologna, and it soon became the second university of Central Europe. He reconstructed the whole administration, and made Poland a power in Europe. He had three wives and two mistresses. one a JewesA. Casimir was the last of the dynasty of the Piasts.—CAsimix IV. ( 1427 112 I , King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithu ania. was the son of Ladislas Jagellon. The Poles, after the death of King Ladislas Ill. in the disastrous battle of Varna, in 1444. invited his brother. Casimir, to accept the crown. This lie did reluctantly in 1447. His determination to strengthen the royal power led to a threat of deposition by the nobles, and from that time Poland became more and more an aristocracy. Casimir waged a long war with the Teutonic Knights, who were compelled in the Treaty of Thorn (1460) to cede West Prussia to Poland and to render homage for East Prussia. In this reign Latin became the oiI'wia) language and part of the curriculum of the schools. Of his six sons, three succeeded each other on the throne of Poland. the eldest became King of Bohemia and Hungary, a second was made a cardinal. and a third was canonized by Paul V.