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74-599: Kalisch is the German name for Kalisz . People with the surname Kalisch: Kalisz Kalisz is one of the oldest cities in Poland and one of the two traditional capitals of Greater Poland (alongside Poznań ). It has served as an important regional center in Poland since the Middle Ages as a provincial capital and notable royal city . It is one of the historical burial sites of medieval Polish monarchs and dukes of

148-453: A Jesuit College, which became a centre of education in Poland; around this time, however, the importance of Kalisz began to decline somewhat, its place being taken by nearby Poznań . The economic development of the area was aided by a large number of Protestant Czech Brothers , who settled in and around Kalisz after being expelled from Bohemia in 1620. In the 18th century, one of two main routes connecting Warsaw and Dresden ran through

222-478: A formal reconciliation between father and son was achieved. During these events, and for unknown reasons, High Duke Casimir II the Just remained in total passivity; thanks to this, Mieszko had the opportunity to recover all Greater Poland. Mieszko still had the intention to recover the lordship over all Poland. In 1184 he tried to forge an alliance with Frederick Barbarossa's son, King Henry VI of Germany , offering him

296-507: A large sum of silver. Casimir II the Just, however, knew his intentions and had simply sent Henry more money than Mieszko. After his failure with the German king, Mieszko decided to take control over Masovia and Kuyavia , then ruled by his nephew Leszek , the only surviving son of Bolesław IV. Mieszko convinced Leszek to name him as his successor if he died without issue. However in 1185, one year before his death, Leszek changed his testament and appointed his younger uncle High Duke Casimir II

370-508: A meeting at Gniezno , were the high duke was received by the crowds with cheers. At first Greater Poland remained strongly in Mieszko's hands, thanks to his governor Henryk Kietlicz, his most important follower. At the same time, Casimir II the Just, the clear head of the rebellion, made a divisionary treaty with his allies: all of Silesia was granted to Duke Bolesław the Tall and Greater Poland

444-553: A new city hall was opened. In the 1931 Polish census, Kalisz had a population of 15,300 Jews, nearly 30% of the city's total population. In 1939 the population of Kalisz was approximately 81,000. The Jewish population of Kalisz at the time was 27,000. After the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, the proximity of the border once again proved disastrous. Kalisz was captured by the Wehrmacht after Polish resistance, and

518-460: A provincial capital within the short-lived Duchy of Warsaw . During Napoleon's invasion of Russia , following Yorck 's Convention of Tauroggen of 1812, von Stein's Treaty of Kalisz was signed between Russia and Prussia in 1813, confirming that Prussia now was on the side of the Allies. After the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte , Kalisz became a provincial capital of Congress Poland and then

592-633: A scion of the House of Babenberg and brother of Władysław's wife Agnes. This coalition brought the Polish affair back on the table. The Polish campaign of Emperor Frederick began in 1157. For unknown reasons, Bolesław IV and Mieszko III did not try to defend the traditional frontier on the Oder River, but instead burned the castles of Głogów and Bytom and began their retreat into the depths of Greater Poland , where Bolesław's forces finally surrendered to

666-680: A year later. By the end of the Great War, however, much of the city centre had been more or less rebuilt and many of the former inhabitants had been allowed to return. After the war Kalisz became part of the newly independent Poland . On December 13, 1918, the First Border Battalion, composed of volunteers from Kalisz and Ostrów Wielkopolski , was sworn in Kalisz, before joining the ongoing Greater Poland uprising (1918–19) against Germany. The reconstruction continued and in 1925

740-727: Is a home to the Henryk Melcer Music School. Although there is little heavy industry within the city limits, Kalisz is home to several large enterprises. It has the Winiary (part of the Nestlé group) and Colian food processing plants and the Big Star jeans factory. Two plane engine production factories, WSK-Kalisz and Pratt & Whitney Kalisz (a branch of Pratt & Whitney Canada ), are located in Kalisz. The Andruty kaliskie wafers originated in Kalisz, and are

814-567: The Griffin duke Bogislaw I of Pomerania , Mieszko reinforced Polish sovereignty over the Pomeranian duchy . In 1177 Mieszko III's first-born son, Odon , fearing for his inheritance, rebelled against his father. He was supported by Bishop Gedko of Kraków, his cousin Bolesław the Tall, and his uncle Casimir II the Just. For Odon, the main reason for his rebellion was the favoritism of Mieszko to

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888-513: The Kaiserpfalz of Altenburg in Germany, under the protection of King Conrad III. Once they had consolidated their rule over Poland, Bolesław IV and Mieszko III made new decisions. Bolesław, as the elder brother, succeeded Władysław as high duke and ruler over Silesia. Mieszko, on the other hand, retained his Duchy of Greater Poland and was satisfied with his role his brother's ally. Henry,

962-457: The Piast dynasty and the site of a number of significant events in Polish history as well as several battles. Since the 19th century it has been the center of an industrial district. It is the cultural, scientific, educational and administrative center of the eastern and southern Greater Poland region, and the seat of Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalisz . There are many artefacts from Roman times in

1036-446: The Piast dynasty period, c. 9th–12th centuries. Modern Kalisz was most likely founded in the 9th century as a provincial capital castellany and a minor fort. As part of the region of Greater Poland , i.e. the cradle of the Polish state, the town formed part of Poland since the country's establishment in the 10th century. In 1106, Bolesław III Wrymouth captured the town, and made it a part of his feudal domain. Between 1253 and 1260

1110-650: The Russian Empire , but also from German states . In 1860, 4,423 Jews lived in the town, 34.5% of its residents. During the January Uprising , on April 15, 1863, Polish insurgents fought two victorious clashes against the Russians near the city. In 1881, Russian authorities expelled Jewish residents who lacked Russian citizenship. In 1897, the Jewish population of the town was 7,580, about one-third of

1184-618: The Sprevane lands against claims raised by the ambitious Duke Henry the Lion of Saxony. This assistance to pagans infuriated Albert the Bear, who arrived in Kruszwica in early 1148 to improve their alliance. Finally, they made an agreement, which was confirmed by the marriage of the junior dukes' sister Judith with Albert's eldest son Otto . To settle the dispute with Władysław II regarding

1258-570: The Teutonic Order there in 1343. As a royal city , Kalisz managed to defend many of its initial privileges, and in 1426 a new town hall was built. The Polish Duke Mieszko III the Old was buried in Kalisz. In the 14th century, Jews of the town were attacked during epidemics by mobs which accused them of poisoning the wells of the town. In 1574 the Jesuits came to Kalisz and in 1584 opened

1332-633: The administrative division of Poland , Kalisz again became the capital of a province – Kalisz Voivodeship ; the province was abolished in 1998, however, and since then Kalisz has been the county seat of a separate powiat within the Greater Poland Voivodeship . In 1976, the city limits were greatly expanded by the incorporation of the surrounding settlements of Majków, Nosków, Piwonice and Szczypiorno as new districts. The Polish anti-communist resistance Movement for Defence of Human and Civic Rights issued independent underground press in

1406-536: The 0 °C (32 °F) isotherm. There are 19 Catholic churches , five Protestant churches , and one Eastern Orthodox church in Kalisz. The city contains the Cathedral of St. Nicholas . Synagogues were built in Kalisz beginning in 1698, and a New Synagogue was built in 1879. Before World War II there were 25,000 Jews in Kalisz, but most of them were murdered by Germans in the Holocaust in Poland and by

1480-592: The Catholic Church. In 1997 Kalisz was visited by Pope John Paul II . The city was the site of the former 'Calisia' piano factory, until it went out of business in 2007. The factory building was transformed into the Calisia One Hotel, which opened in 2019. Kalisz has an oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfb ) using the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm or a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb ) using

1554-596: The German king. The dispute between Władysław and the junior dukes remained unresolved as King Conrad III was busy with the preparations for the Second Crusade to the Holy Land. Meanwhile, the junior dukes had no intention to just wait passively for an arrangement to consolidate their power. In May 1147 they received from Pope Eugene III the confirmation of a foundation for a monastery in Trzemeszno , which

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1628-639: The Imperial troops at Krzyszkowo , near Poznań. After his defeat, the high duke had to ask for forgiveness from the Emperor and the junior dukes had to pay him a large tribute. On Christmas Day in Magdeburg , they promised to send food to the Emperor's Italian expedition and to return the Silesia Province (at least). As a guarantee of the fulfillment, the junior dukes' younger brother, Casimir II,

1702-627: The Just as his successor, possibly as a result of the harsh proceedings of the Duke of Greater Poland. This time Mieszko acted quickly, and upon Leszek's death in 1186 he took the Kuyavia region and annexed it to his Duchy. Shortly thereafter he ceded this land to his son Bolesław . In 1191 the foreign policy of High Duke Casimir II the Just triggered dissatisfaction in the Lesser Poland nobility, led by Mieszko's former governor Henry Kietlicz. With

1776-443: The Just, who by their father's testament had remained without lands. However, High Duke Bolesław IV, against his late brother's will, occupied Sandomierz and annexed it to his Seniorate Province. This decision sparked the rebellion of Casimir II, which was supported by his brother Mieszko III; the magnate Jaksa of Miechów ; Sviatoslav, son of Piotr Włostowic ; Archbishop Jan I of Gniezno; and Bishop Gedko of Kraków . In February 1168

1850-482: The Kalisz prison from September 1939 to March 1940, and most were murdered in large massacres in the Winiary forest. In November 1939, the Einsatzgruppe VI Nazi paramilitary killing squad murdered 41 Poles at the local Jewish cemetery; among the victims was pre-war Polish mayor of Kalisz, Ignacy Bujnicki. In April and May 1940, many Poles arrested in the region, especially teachers, were imprisoned in

1924-670: The Polish throne, Bolesław IV, through the agency of Albert the Bear and Margrave Conrad, agreed to appear at the Imperial Diet in Merseburg in 1152 and pay homage to the newly elected king of Germany , King Conrad's nephew Frederick Barbarossa . However, the high duke broke his promise and remained absent. Meanwhile, Frederick had to secure his rule in the Kingdom of Italy and his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor , wherefore he forged an alliance with Margrave Henry II of Austria ,

1998-563: The Seniorate Province for himself. In his place, it was Casimir II the Just who took control over the Seniorate Province, and, with this, was proclaimed the new high duke of Poland. After not seeing any possibility of continuing the resistance, Mieszko escaped to Racibórz , under the protection of his nephew and namesake Duke Mieszko Tanglefoot. However, shortly afterwards the deposed high duke decided to leave Poland and seek foreign support. Odon finally occupied all Greater Poland and

2072-688: The Silesian Piasts, when Duke Bolesław the Tall chose to ignore the claims of his first-born son, Jaroslaw , by designating his son from his second marriage, Henry I the Bearded , as his sole heir. When Jarosław, forced to become a priest, returned from his German exile, he claimed a share of the Silesian lands. Mieszko III supported his grandnephew in his demands, and a civil war was initiated. In order to prevent another Imperial intervention, High Duke Bolesław IV sent Mieszko III to Magdeburg, with

2146-557: The Younger the Greater Polish lands of Kalisz as his own duchy. When on 2 August 1193 Mieszko the Younger died, his Duchy of Kalisz reverted to the lands of Greater Poland. Shortly thereafter, Mieszko III granted Kalisz to his elder son Odon, who then died eight months later on 20 April 1194. These two early deaths forced Mieszko to make a new divisionary treaty: the duke retained Kalisz for himself, while southern Greater Poland

2220-481: The agency of his Pomeranian allies, Mieszko forged links with their Polish followers, grouped around Zdzisław, Archbishop of Gniezno , and in 1181 he was able to conquer the eastern Greater Polish lands of Gniezno and Kalisz , which at that time were part of the Seniorate Province. Soon after, Mieszko also managed to recover western Greater Poland, and Odon was pushed to the lands south of the Obra River . In 1182

2294-763: The area of Kalisz, indicating that the settlement had once been a stop of the Roman caravans heading for the Baltic Sea along the trade route of the Amber Trail . Calisia had been mentioned by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD, although the connection is doubted by some historians who claim that the location mentioned by Ptolemy was situated in the territory of the Diduni in Magna Germania . Archaeological excavations have uncovered early medieval settlement from

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2368-666: The capital of a province of the Russian Empire . In the 1820s a special Jewish quarter was created where the third of the town that was Jewish was required to live; it existed until 1862. Fryderyk Chopin visited Kalisz in 1826, 1828 and 1830. Prussia and Russia held joint military exercises near the town in 1835. The proximity to the Prussian border accelerated economic development of the city and Kalisz ("Калиш" in Russian Cyrillic ) began to attract many settlers, not only from other regions of Poland and other provinces of

2442-626: The city was annexed by Germany . In revenge for resistance, the Wehrmacht carried out massacres of Polish defenders, who were executed both in the city and in the nearby settlement of Winiary (today, a district of Kalisz). Over 1,000 people were arrested as hostages. Numerous Poles were arrested and murdered during the Intelligenzaktion aimed at annihilation of the Polish intelligentsia . Around 750 Poles from Kalisz, Ostrów Wielkopolski , and other nearby settlements were imprisoned in

2516-596: The city, and Kings Augustus II the Strong and Augustus III of Poland often traveled that route. In 1789, 881 Jews lived in Kalisz, 29% of the city’s population. In 1792, a fire destroyed much of the city centre. At various times, the 1st and 7th Infantry Regiments of the Polish Crown Army were stationed in Kalisz. In 1793, in the Second Partition of Poland , the Kingdom of Prussia absorbed

2590-418: The city, called Kalisch in German. That year Jews were 40% of the population. In 1801, Wojciech Bogusławski set up one of the first permanent theatre troupes in Kalisz. In 1806, the 8th Polish Infantry Regiment was formed in Kalisz and the 6th Polish Infantry Regiment was formed in the present-day district of Dobrzec. After the successful Greater Poland uprising of 1806 , it was regained by Poles and became

2664-478: The city. In August 1980, employees of local factories joined the nationwide anti-communist strikes, which led to the foundation of the Solidarity organization, which played a central role in the end of communist rule in Poland. In 1991 the city festival was inaugurated on 11 June to commemorate the confirmation of the incorporation of the city in 1282. In 1992, Kalisz became the seat of a separate diocese of

2738-585: The destination of the Warsaw–Kalisz Railway . It is currently served by Przewozy Regionalne and PKP Intercity . The name Kalisz is thought to stem from the archaic kal , meaning swamp or marsh . Kalisz is twinned with: Mieszko III the Old Mieszko III (c. 1122/25 – 13 March 1202), sometimes called the Old , was Duke of Greater Poland from 1138 and High Duke of Poland , with interruptions, from 1173 until his death. He

2812-463: The disaster to the high duke began. Władysław's cause lost support when he was excommunicated by Archbishop Jacob of Gniezno for his behavior against Piotr Włostowic. He also faced rebellion by his own subjects, who were against his tyrannical rule. The defeat of Władysław was total; by May 1146 all Poland was in the hands of the junior dukes. The former high duke and his family were forced to escape to save their lives, first to Bohemia and later to

2886-590: The eldest son of the late duke with his first wife Zbyslava of Kiev , was proclaimed high duke and overlord of the Seniorate Province at Kraków , including the Greater Polish lands of Gniezno and Kalisz , as well as duke of Silesia . The first major conflict with the high duke took place during 1140–1141, when his younger half-brothers Bolesław IV the Curly and Mieszko III together with their mother but without Władysław's knowledge divided between them

2960-582: The help of this opposition, Mieszko could finally reconquer Kraków and resume the High Ducal title. He decided to entrust the government of Kraków to one of his sons, either Bolesław or Mieszko the Younger . Casimir, however, quickly regained Kraków and the overlordship and the Prince-Governor was captured; however, he was soon released to be with his father. Probably after the failed expedition over Kraków, Mieszko gave to his son and namesake Mieszko

3034-427: The high duke had sent some of his forces, led by his eldest son Bolesław, to support Great Prince Vsevolod. Władysław's plight had made him swear allegiance to King Conrad III of Germany , half-brother of his wife Agnes. Nevertheless, Władysław was confident of his victory and it initially seemed that success was on his side, as Bolesław IV and Mieszko III, fearing clashes in an open field, escaped to Poznań. At this time

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3108-464: The high duke's widow, Helen of Znojmo . In 1198 he finally was allowed to return to Lesser Poland, but was compelled to cede Kuyavia to Casimir's sons. In 1199, the voivode Mikołaj Gryfita and Bishop Fulko of Kraków again deposed Mieszko and restored Leszek the White as high duke; however, three years later a new settlement was made and Mieszko was able to return. He retained the title of high duke, but

3182-525: The high duke, he had the final voice on Agnes' engagement. In retaliation for this omission, he supported Kievan military actions against Salomea and her sons in the winter of 1142–1143. The first clash between the brothers was a complete success for the high duke. On 27 July 1144, the Dowager Duchess Salomea died and High Duke Władysław II incorporated the Łęczyca Land into the Seniorate Province as intended by his father's testament. This

3256-413: The independent plans of the junior dukes fail. Grand Prince Vsevolod II, facing the choice between an alliance with the strong high duke or the weak junior dukes and their mother, chose the former, which was sealed with the betrothal of Władysław's eldest son, Bolesław I the Tall , to Vsevolod's daughter, Zvenislava in 1142. Władysław II had not been invited to the Łęczyca meeting, despite the fact that as

3330-522: The junior dukes finally returned Silesia to their nephews in 1163. The province thereby became the ancestral homeland of the Silesian Piasts . In 1166 Mieszko III and his brothers started another Prussian crusade , whereby Duke Henry of Sandomierz was killed in battle in October of that year. Before his departure, and in case of his death, he had left his duchy to his youngest brother Casimir II

3404-447: The lands of Łęczyca , which were held only as a wittum by Bolesław's widow Salomea for life and should revert to Władysław's Seniorate Province upon her death. In 1141 Salomea of Berg organized a meeting at Łęczyca, where she and her sons decided to marry their younger sister Agnes to one of the sons of Grand Prince Vsevolod II of Kiev in order to gain an ally against High Duke Władysław II. Only by Władysław's rapid intervention did

3478-562: The local prison, and afterwards deported to the Mauthausen and Dachau concentration camps, where they were murdered. In Kalisz, the Germans established a Germanisation camp for Polish children taken away from their parents ( Gaukinderheim ). The children were given new German names and surnames, and were punished for any use of the Polish language, even with death ( e.g. , a 14-year-old boy Zygmunt Światłowski  [ pl ]

3552-684: The most well-known traditional food from the city in Poland. Another officially protected traditional specialty of the area (as designated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland ) are homemade cold pressed juices from fresh fruits of the Kalisz Region, produced according to traditional recipes without any additional ingredients. These include juices from apples , pears , cherries , blackcurrant , redcurrant , strawberries and raspberries . The tradition dates back several centuries. The district of Szczypiorno , as

3626-407: The next-born, finally received his Duchy of Sandomierz . Only the youngest brother, Casimir II , remained without lands. Urged by his brother-in-law Władysław, King Conrad III of Germany attempted to restore the former high duke to the Polish throne. Eventually an agreement was reached under which King Conrad accepted the rule of Bolesław IV, and in return the new high duke had to pay a tribute to

3700-406: The offspring of his second marriage and the attempts of the high duke to force him to become a priest so as to eliminate him from succession. To the other rebels, the reason was the harsh and dictatorial government of the high duke. The rebellion was a complete surprise to Mieszko; during Easter of 1177 he was totally convinced of the loyalty of his relatives, especially when the junior dukes organized

3774-416: The place of pioneering games of handball in Poland , is the namesake for szczypiorniak , the Polish name of the sport. Other popular sports in Kalisz include football and volleyball . Notable sports teams include: Kalisz is also the location of Kaliskie Towarzystwo Wioślarskie  [ pl ] , one of the oldest Polish rowing clubs, founded in 1894. Kalisz railway station was built in 1902 as

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3848-529: The population of the city was 43,000 – approximately half the pre-war figure. In 1945, Kalisz was restored to Poland, although with a Soviet -installed communist regime, which stayed in power until the Fall of Communism in the 1980s. Following the war, Jewish Holocaust survivors returned to the city, by 1946 numbering some 500. By the late 1940s only some 100 remained, and those few who stayed blended into Polish society. In 1975, after Edward Gierek 's reform of

3922-430: The power ended at the bloody Battle of Mozgawa on 13 September 1195, where Mieszko himself was seriously injured and his son Bolesław of Kuyavia died. After the battle Mieszko withdrew to Kalisz without waiting for the Silesian troops of his allies, Mieszko Tanglefoot and Jarosław of Opole. The Battle of Mozgawa convinced Mieszko that to gain the throne through battle was extremely difficult, so he began to negotiate with

3996-408: The rebels gathered at Jędrzejów , were Mieszko III was elected high duke and vested Casimir II with Sandomierz. The final defeat of Bolesław IV did not occur, however, because the high duke accepted the demands of the rebels and divided Henry's duchy into three parts: Wiślica was given to Casimir, Bolesław took Sandomierz proper, and the rest was left to Mieszko. In 1172 another conflict arose among

4070-500: The rule in the new Duchy of Racibórz . After his brother Bolesław IV died on 3 April 1173, Mieszko III became the new high duke of Poland ( dux Totius Poloniae ) according to the principle of agnatic seniority . His policy focused on maintaining full power for himself, as the oldest surviving member of the dynasty. Despite his succession to the throne at Kraków, the new high duke remained in Greater Poland, while Lesser Poland

4144-410: The strong opposition from his Silesian voivode Piotr Włostowic , who support the interests of the junior dukes in order to maintain his own power and position. Władysław, instigated by his wife Agnes of Babenberg , decided to eliminate Włostowic for good. The voivode was captured in an ambush. Agnes demanded Włostowic's death for treason, but the high duke instead chose a terrible punishment: Włostowic

4218-515: The sum of 8,000 pieces of silver as a tribute to the Emperor and the promise to resolve this conflict soon. This time, the terms of the 1173 agreement were to be strictly realized. Bolesław the Tall retained his power over Wrocław ; however, he had to cede the Silesian Duchy of Opole to his son Jarosław for life and furthermore had to agree on the division of the remaining Silesian lands with his younger brother Mieszko Tanglefoot, who assumed

4292-466: The summer of 1942 the Jewish community in Kalisz was entirely destroyed. Kalisz is a centre of education in the region. It is home to 29 primary schools, 15 junior high schools, and five high schools . Seven colleges and a dozen or so vocational schools are also located there. The city is also home to branches of Poznań University , Poznań University of Economics , and Poznań University of Technology , as well as other institutions of higher education. It

4366-440: The total population. In 1902, a new railway linked Kalisz to Warsaw and Łódź . Since the 19th century, Kalisz has been one of the leading Polish centers of piano manufacturing. In the early 20th century, it became the leading center, surpassing Warsaw. With the outbreak of World War I , the proximity of the border proved disastrous for Kalisz; it was one of the first cities destroyed in 1914. Between 2 and 22 August, Kalisz

4440-569: The town was incorporated according to the German town law called the Środa Śląska Law  [ pl ] (after Środa Śląska ), a local variation of the Magdeburg Law , and soon began to grow. One of the richest towns of Greater Poland , during the feudal fragmentation of Poland it formed a separate duchy ruled by a local branch of the Piast dynasty . In 1264, the Statute of Kalisz

4514-737: Was a clear recognition of their sovereignty. In addition, they also sought to improve their relations with the German rulers. In 1147, simultaneously with the arrival of King Conrad III to the Holy Land, Duke Mieszko III joined the Wendish Crusade against the pagan Polabian Slavs in the former Northern March , which was organized by the Ascanian count Albert the Bear and the Wettin margrave Conrad of Meissen . However, during this trip Mieszko III politically and militarily supported some Slavic tribes in an effort to protect Polish interests in

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4588-443: Was again opposed by Bolesław IV and Mieszko III, who wished to give this land to their minor brother, Henry . Fighting took place in 1145. After an unexpected defeat, the high duke was finally able to obtain the victory (Battle of Pilicy), thanks to his Kievan allies. An agreement was made under which Władysław retained Łęczyca. However, the high duke continued with his intention of reuniting all of Poland under his rule. This provoked

4662-463: Was blinded, muted, and expelled from the country. However, the voivode had numerous supporters, who were disgusted by this cruel act. Włostowic fled to the Kievan court, where he began to intrigue against the high duke, thus beginning Władysław's downfall. The war erupted again in early 1146. This time, Władysław could not count on his Kievan allies, because they were busy with their own issues; in fact

4736-470: Was declared duke. By 1179, Mieszko went to Bohemia , ruled by his son-in-law Soběslav II, who nevertheless refused to help him. Mieszko then turned to Germany and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who offered help in his restoration on the Polish throne upon a payment of 10,000 pieces of silver, a sum that Mieszko couldn't amass. Finally in Pomerania, his other son-in-law Duke Bogislaw I agreed to help him. By

4810-469: Was forced to give up part of his powers. He died shortly afterwards; at that time, he had survived all his siblings and his sons except for Władysław III Spindleshanks, who succeeded him as Polish high duke and duke of Greater Poland. Around 1136, Mieszko married firstly with Elisabeth (b. ca. 1128 – d. ca. 1154), daughter of King Béla II of Hungary . They had: By 1154, Mieszko married secondly with Eudoxia of Kiev (b. ca. 1131 – d. aft. 1187), possibly

4884-413: Was given to Odon. This was a significant complication, because since 1173 Bolesław had ruled Silesia alongside his brother Mieszko Tanglefoot and his own son Jarosław of Opole. After they learned of this agreement, both Mieszko Tanglefoot and Jarosław sided with the high duke and rebelled against Bolesław the Tall, who now, busy fighting with his brother and son, lost the opportunity to gain Kraków and obtain

4958-414: Was given to his youngest son Władysław III Spindleshanks , who also assumed the guardianship of the minor son of Odon, Władysław Odonic . High Duke Casimir II the Just died on 5 May 1194, and Mieszko's pretensions over Lesser Poland were reborn. Unfortunately, this time the local nobility preferred to see on the throne the minor sons of Casimir, Leszek the White and Konrad . Mieszko's attempts to retake

5032-466: Was issued in the city by Bolesław the Pious . It was a unique protective privilege for Jews during their persecution in Western Europe, which in the following centuries made Poland the destination of Jewish migration from other countries. After Poland was reunited, the town became a centre of weaving and wood products, as well as one of the cultural centres of Greater Poland. In 1282 the city laws were confirmed by Przemysł II of Poland , and in 1314 it

5106-401: Was made the capital of the Kalisz Voivodeship by King Ladislaus the Short . Located roughly in the centre of Poland (as its borders stood in that era), Kalisz was a centre of trade. In 1331, the city was successfully defended by the Poles during a siege  [ pl ] by the Teutonic Knights . Because of its strategic location, King Casimir III the Great signed a peace treaty with

5180-439: Was murdered). After their stay in the camp, the children were deported to Germany; only some returned to Poland after the war, while the fate of many remains unknown to this day. By the end of World War II approximately 30,000 local Jews had been murdered, and 20,000 local Catholics were either murdered or expelled to the more eastern part of German-occupied Poland ( General Government ) or to Germany as slave workers . In 1945

5254-400: Was ruled by Henryk Kietlicz as a governor appointed by Mieszko. Harsh tax measures were introduced, which incurred the displeasure of the Lesser Polish magnates . On the other hand, Mieszko had several foreign policy successes through his daughter's marriages: Elisabeth married Duke Soběslav II of Bohemia circa 1173, and through the dynastic arrangement between his daughter Anastasia and

5328-539: Was sent to Germany as a hostage. Frederick Barbarossa regarded the conflict as resolved and marched against Milan the next year. However, while the Emperor was engaged in the Italian affairs, Bolesław IV did nothing to fulfill the agreement. On 30 May 1159, Władysław II died in exile without having ever seen Poland again. Only renewed Imperial pressure enabled Władysław's sons Bolesław the Tall and Mieszko IV Tanglefoot to come into their inheritance four years later, when

5402-467: Was shelled and then burned to the ground by German forces under Major Hermann Preusker, even though Russian troops had retreated from the city without defending it and German troops – many of them ethnic Poles – had initially been welcomed peaceably. Eight hundred men were arrested and then several of them slaughtered, while the city was set on fire and the remaining inhabitants were expelled. Out of roughly 68,000 citizens in 1914, only 5,000 remained in Kalisz

5476-473: Was the fourth and second surviving son of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth of Poland, by his second wife Salomea , daughter of the German count Henry of Berg- Schelklingen . According to the 1138 Testament of Bolesław III , Mieszko received the newly established Duchy of Greater Poland , comprising the western part of the short-lived Greater Poland . He had previously been duke of Poznań where he had his main residence. His older half-brother, Władysław II ,

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