Gediminas

Founder of Vilnius and Grand Duke of Lithuania, establishing a vast empire.

Chronology: 1275 – 1341

Origins & Early Life

Gediminas (c. 1275 – December 1341) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1315 or 1316 until his death in 1341. Gediminas is traditionally considered the founder of Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania (see: Iron Wolf legend). During his reign, he brought under his rule lands stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The Gediminids dynasty he founded and which is named after him came to rule over Poland, Hungary, and Bohemia. == Biography == === Origin === Gediminas was born in about 1275. Because written sources of the era are scarce, Gediminas' ancestry, early life, and assumption of the title of Grand Duke in c. 1316 are obscure and continue to be the subject of scholarly debate. Various theories have claimed that Gediminas was either his predecessor Grand Duke Vytenis' son, his brother, his cousin, or his hostler.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

For several centuries only two versions of his origins circulated. Chronicles—written long after Gediminas' death by the Teutonic Knights, a long-standing enemy of Lithuania—claimed that Gediminas was a hostler to Vytenis; according to these chronicles, Gediminas killed his master and assumed the throne. Another version introduced in the Lithuanian Chronicles, which...

Source: Wikipedia