Union of Horodło

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Union of Horodło (1413): a shorter, easy-to-understand version

The Union of Horodło was a set of three agreements signed in Horodło on October 2, 1413. The first act was by Polish King Władysław II Jagiełło and Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas. The second and third acts were drawn up by Polish nobles and Lithuanian boyars.

Main outcomes:

- It revised earlier unions (Krewo and Vilnius–Radom). Lithuania gained more autonomy after Vytautas’s death, with the right to elect a new Grand Duke rather than automatically handing the title to Jagiełło or his heir.

- Cultural and political ties deepened. Lithuania adopted Polish institutions like castellans and voivodes. Catholic Lithuanian nobles and church officials gained equal rights with their Polish counterparts. Forty-seven Lithuanian nobles were adopted into Polish heraldic families and given Polish coats of arms.

- This marked the start of Polonization of the Lithuanian elite and helped modernize and Europeanize Lithuania.

- The pact reinforced a joint political partnership. It acknowledged the growing power of Lithuanian nobles and promised consultation between Polish and Lithuanian elites on major matters. A joint Seimas would not meet until 1564, but the agreement laid the groundwork.

- Context: The union followed the Polish–Lithuanian victory over the Teutonic Knights at Grunwald (1410) and came during ongoing tensions with the Knights.

Impact:

- The Horodło acts are seen as a key step in closer Polish–Lithuanian cooperation, the rise of the Lithuanian nobility, and the broader modernization of Lithuania, setting the stage for the Union of Lublin in 1569.