Gertrude of Poland

Who was Gertrude of Poland?

Gertrude-Olisava, princess of Poland, was the daughter of King Mieszko II of Poland and Queen Richeza of Lotharingia, and the great-granddaughter of German Emperor Otto II.

In 1043, Gertrude married Iziaslav I of Kiev, with whom she had three sons: Yaropolk Iziaslavich, Mstislav and Sviatopolk II.

Her daughter Eupraxia later married her cousin's son Mieszko Bolesławowic of Piast dynasty, the Prince of Kraków. Often acknowledged as her son, Sviatopolk II of Kiev may have been the son of Izyaslav by another mother.

Gertrude inherited a medieval illuminated manuscript, known as the Egbert Psalter or Trier Psalter, which had been created in the late 10th century for archbishop Egbert of Trier. She included her prayer book as part of the codex. In the prayer book she prays six times for Yaropolk, unicus filius meus.