Medieval Serbia: The Families

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The Kotromanics
Serbian: Kotromanic /Kotromanitch/

COAT OF ARMS DETAILS


T
his family left many documents and things with their coat of arms on it but almost every member of the family modified it. Yellow lily flowers on blue background symbolize that this family was subdued to Hungarian royal house - even Stefan Lazarevic from time to time added lily flowers to his coat of arms when he was close to the king of Hungary. 

 

The Bosnian family of Kotromanics lived and ruled the areas of Bosnia and later parts of Serbia and Hungary (Croatia) from the 13th century until their state was overrun by the Turks.

Stefan Tvrtko I was Bosnian chief duke from 1353 to 1377 when he was crowned as the king of Serbia too in the monastery of Mileseva. He adopted the Nemanjics' tradition and took over the name of "Stefan" since he wanted to emphasize his direct family ties with the royal house of Nemanjic. After his death in 1371 many family members claimed the throne and surprisingly, he was succeeded by Stefan Dubisa, man who was a Kotromanic but it is still unclear whose son he was.

Nevertheless, Dubisa's grandson, Stefan Tomasevic, was the last ruler of  Bosnia and he defended his state when the Turks finally decided to conquer it. Stefan Tomasevic was proclaimed "Bosnia's king" by the pope Pie II in 1461. He surrendered to the Turks who previously promised him that "no harm will be done against him" but he was beheaded. With his head, Bosnian state was lost too and his underage children, Sigismund and Katarina were converted to Islam.

 

 

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