The aim of this article is to present the life and significance of St Jadwiga of Silesia. In order to understand this figure, the author has not only looked at her immediate surroundings and social environment, but has also analysed the broad background of the time: the mentality, customs and face of the late Middle Ages. In the outline presented, St Jadwiga appears to us as a symbol of an illegitimate daughter of her contemporaries, and at the same time as one of the most outstanding female personalities of the 13th century in Poland.