Albertas Manvydas

Albertas Manvydas or Albertas Vaitiekus Manvydas, died in 1423 was a Lithuanian noble, the first Voivode of Vilnius and founder of the Manvydai family. During the turbulent disputes over Samogitia, he was sent as a negotiation to the Teutonic Knights. Along with Stanislovas Čiupurna, Manvydas was the most influential noble during the early reign of Grand Duke Vytautas. Biography Manvydas was first mentioned in a document dated 1387–89 when he, along other nobles, vouched for Hryćka Konstantynowicza who organized a rebellion against Skirgaila, regent of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the name of his brother Jogaila. He was a starosta of Vilnius from 1396 to 1413. After an administrative reform that established Vilnius Voivodeship in 1413, Manvydas became the first Voivode of Vilnius and held that position until his death. During the First Samogitian uprising, he was sent on diplomatic missions to the Teutonic Knights and helped negotiate the Peace of Raciąż (1404). In 1403, komtur of Balga gifted him spurs, a symbol of knighthood. Very likely, he commanded a Lithuanian unit in the Battle of Grunwald. He participated in the 1413 Union of Horodło and received Leliwa coat of arms though he had used a personal coat of arms as early as the 1398 treaty of Salynas. Manvydas was among Lithuanian diplomats negotiating with Benedict Makrai, mediator of the Lithuanian–Teutonic dispute over Samogitia. Property Die Littauischen Wegeberichte mentioned Manewidendorf near Hieraniony (now in Belarus). Other patronymic territories included Vishnyeva, , and possibly Braslaw. He also had possessions in Vilnius. He funded the Chapel of St. Albert and St. George (his and his brother's Christian names) within Vilnius Cathedral, which is possibly the present-day Chapel of Ignatius of Loyola, and was buried there. He also funded a Catholic church in Braslaw. His donation to a Franciscan monastery in Ashmyany in 1407 is the first known surviving personal document of a Lithuanian noble; the surviving copy is a forgery, but likely was based on a similar document. Family The document from 1387–89 recorded his patronymic name as Коиликиновичъ which allows to deconstruct his father's name as Gailiginas (Kojlikin, Gojligin). Manvydas was his pagan Lithuanian name. When Lithuania converted to Christianity, he was given Albertas (Albert) as his baptismal name. Since Wojciech is interchangeable with Albert in the Polish language, he is also known as Wojciech.