Barbara Rockemberg

Barbara Rockemberg (d. aft. 12 November 1463), also known as Barbara Orientowa, was a Polish bourgeois lady who in her third marriage became Duchess of Racibórz, Krnov, Bruntál and Rybnik during 1451-1452 and Sovereign ruler over Pszczyna during 1452-1462.

Barbara was a member of the Kraków patrician family of Rokenberg, whose name was derived from the town of Rockenberg in Upper Hesse) and was variously recorded as Rokenberg, Rockenberg, Rokembarg, Rokembark,Rokemberk and Rokemborg, and in the Polish female form of Rokemborgowa. The name of her parents are unknown, although is probable that her mother was related with the Weinrichów family. Barbara's brothers Kaspar and Hieronim are both scholastic rectors of the University of Kraków.

Her first husband was the juror and councilor Wilhelm Willandt, who appeared in Kraków documents during the years 1417-1436.

After the death of her first husband, Barbara married secondly with the merchant Jerzy Orient, from Silesian background, who appeared in documents during 1427-1445 and was a widower of certain Katharina. From this short-lived second union, Barbara had one known daughter, Anna Orientówna, who married firstly the citizen Jan Stancz and secondly with the noblemen from Bronocice Jakub Obulc (Obulcz), member of the Odrowąż family and cupbearer of Kraków. Barbara's second husband died between September 1445 and May 1448.

Prior to 10 March 1451, Barbara contracted her third marriage with Nicholas V, Duke of Racibórz, Krnov, Bruntál and Rybnik, who belonged to an illegitimate branch of the Přemyslid dynasty. For the Duke, this was his second marriage with a woman from the local middle-class (his first wife was Margaret Clemm of Ellguth, also from bourgeois origins). The Přemyslid Dukes of Racibórz mainly married with members from the Czech and Polish nobility; presumably, the reason of Nicholas V for this wedding was the wealth who Barbara inherited from her two previous husbands, who could improve his Ducal treasury. This union, who lasted almost two years, produced two children in quick succession: a son, Nicholas (who died in infancy and was buried at Wawel Cathedral) and a daughter, Margareta (also known as Machna), wife of Duke Casimir II of Zator.

...
Wikipedia