Sigismund II Augustus Against the Background of the Era. To the 500th Anniversary of the Last Jagiellon's Birth

The article deals with the image of the last Jagiellonian King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund II Augustus (1520–1572) as it was commemorated during his five hundredth anniversary in August, 2020. I briefly outline the state of historiography about Augustus in Polish and Ukrainian and then place Sigismund II and his self-fashioning efforts in relation to his contemporaries, namely the Habsburgs. Through three case studies (Augustus’ name and its meaning; art collecting practices; the case of the Order of the Golden Fleece), I argue that Augustus’ public image and representation should be compared to those of the Habsburgs in order to understand his politics, actions and intentions.