The Visegrad congress of 1335 is a key event in Polish history in the 14th century. Although Casimir’s coronation did not guarantee him international recognition, the congress brought significant changes.
Casimir the Great, facing a threat from the Teutonic Knights and Bohemia, set himself the goal of dismantling the alliance between the Teutonic Order and Bohemia. He pursued this by extending truces and strengthening the potential of his country. His policy led to a truce with the Teutonic Knights in 1333. Nevertheless, the main problem was the claim of John of Luxemburg, the Bohemian king, to the Polish throne. In this context, support from the King of Hungary, Charles Robert, was invaluable to Casimir.
The first Polish-Czech negotiations took place in Trenčín in August 1335, where Poland offered to buy the rights to the crown from John of Luxembourg. The Czech ruler regarded Casimir only as „King of Kraków” and laid claim to the Polish throne. The final agreement was signed on 24 August, in which John of Luxembourg relinquished his claims to most of the Polish territories.
The key moment for the Polish king was the congress at Visegrad, which began on 1 November 1335, where the three monarchs met: Casimir, John of Luxemburg, and Charles Robert. On 12 November, Casimir pledged to pay 20,000 sexagenas of Prague groshes to John of Luxembourg in return for giving up his claim to the Polish throne.
The issue of disputed territories with the Teutonic Knights was also settled at this congress. They agreed to return Cuiavia and Dobrzyń Land to Poland, but Gdansk Pomerania remained with them.
As a result of the Visegrad congress, Casimir the Great was recognised as the legitimate king of Poland internationally. This agreement had far-reaching consequences for the future of the region, regulating relations between Poland, Bohemia, and the Teutonic Order.
The reunion had its continuation in recent history. On 15 February 1991, the presidents of Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary met in Visegrad and committed themselves to mutual cooperation. The group was initially called the Visegrad Triangle but was later given the abbreviated name V4 – due to the division of Czechoslovakia into the two new states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.