Misplaced Pages

#908091

69-624: The abbey was established by the Silesian Piast Duke Henry I the Bearded and his wife Saint Hedwig of Andechs ( Polish : Święta Jadwiga Śląska ), confirmed by Pope Innocent III . The legend of its foundation relates that once Duke Henry when out hunting fell into a swamp from which he could not extricate himself. In return for rescue from this perilous position, he vowed to build the abbey. With Hedwig's consent, her brother Ekbert of Andechs , then Bishop of Bamberg , chose

138-703: A count of the Holy Roman Empire and granted him his duchy as a fief . Henry not only obtained the preeminence in Silesia but, with the help of the German party in Polonia Minor, also the duchy of Kraków and became duke of Poland. He initially wanted Wenceslaus to become his successor, but changed his plan on the deathbed and granted Wrocław to Henry III and Kraków to Przemysł II , whereas Kłodzko returned to Bohemia. As Przemysł II united Poland,

207-528: A goliard . The descent of the dynasty was also illustrated by the marriages of the dukes. The Silesian Piasts of the 13th and 14th century married into princely families especially from German families, but also other European royal lines, whereas later Piasts also married non-princely and even bourgeois women. With the adoption of the Protestant faith in Silesia, the Piasts again gained importance. Against

276-587: A close alliance with his brother-in-law, Bohemian king Wenceslaus , he consolidated his position in Greater Poland against Barnim I of Pomerania and repelled an attack on castle Lubusz by the margrave of Brandenburg and the archbishop of Magdeburg . Following an old tradition of his dynasty , he placed himself under the protection of the Holy See , with which he also allied himself against Frederick II . In spite of all his German connections, Henry

345-636: A different course. According to German scholars, by the 14th century, the Silesian Piasts were viewed as Germans on par with the other dukes of the Holy Roman Empire, at least to a much larger degree than dukes of Bohemia and Moravia. Boles%C5%82aw IV the Curly Bolesław IV the Curly ( Polish : Bolesław Kędzierzawy ; c. 1122 – 5 January 1173), a member of the Piast dynasty ,

414-476: A new expedition to Poland, thanks to the ongoing pressures by his aunt Agnes, Władysław's wife. This time the campaign was well organized, and the Emperor was well determined to force Bolesław IV to accept his own conditions. It's unknown why Bolesław opted for a highly security tactics of war, not defending the swampy areas in front of the middle Oder river, which was for centuries the natural defense of Poland, nor

483-483: A quick response against him (the voivode was blinded and muted), forcing Włostowic to go to Kiev , the high duke's final decision on his confrontation with the voivode considerably weakened his position. What's more, Włostowic convinced the Kievans to break his alliance with Władysław. At the beginning of 1146 the rebellions against Władysław's government rose mighty, sparked by the fate of Piotr Włostowic. Nevertheless,

552-514: Is said that towards the end of the thirteenth century the nuns numbered 120. The abbey also became a mausoleum of many rulers of the fragmented Silesian Piasts. In 1672 there were 32 nuns and 6 lay sisters, in 1805 there were 23 nuns and 6 lay sisters. The abbey suffered from all kinds of misfortunes both in the Middle Ages and later: from famine in 1315, 1338, 1434, and 1617, from disastrous fires in 1413, 1432, 1464, 1486, 1505, 1595, and 1782. At

621-649: The Catholic Habsburg dynasty , which ruled Silesia since 1526, the dukes sought political support by entering matrimonies with Protestant, imperial rulers like the Hohenzollern dynasty. Their last attempts of independent policies were the candidatures of Frederick II of Liegnitz for the Bohemian crown (1526) and of Henry XI (1573), Frederick IV (1576) and Christian (1668) for the Polish crown. During

690-486: The Duchy of Głogów separated from Poland as well. The last independent Silesian Piast – Bolko II of Świdnica – died in 1368. His wife Agnes ruled the Świdnica duchy until her death in 1392. From that time on, all remaining Silesian Piasts were vassals of the Bohemian crown, although they maintained their sovereign rights. In 1335, John of Bohemia renounced his claim to the title of king of Poland in favour of Casimir

759-577: The Duchy of Opole for his eldest son Jarosław . Mieszko Tanglefoot the smaller Duchy of Racibórz around Racibórz and Cieszyn . Their minor brother Konrad Spindleshanks received Żagań , Głogów and Krosno from the hands of Bolesław the Tall. As Konrad prepared himself for a clerical career at the Fulda monastery , his brother Bolesław administered his possessions until Konrad's early death, when he incorporated Konrad's part into his own duchy. Mieszko at

SECTION 10

#1732773212909

828-622: The Germanisation of Silesia did not necessarily mean a desire to move apart from Poland. He suggests that it was more likely a way to satisfy the Silesian Piasts' ambitions inside Poland. The planned introduction of German settlers would strengthen Silesia, and also the Silesian Piast claims to the senioral throne in Kraków. Only when the Silesian Piasts' ambitions to rule in Kraków were thwarted did they decide to set their province on

897-708: The Oder river in August 1146. In subsequent years, Bolesław IV along with his younger brothers bellows sought to maintain good relations with the royal House of Hohenstaufen , Władysław's allies. To this end, in 1148 the junior dukes organized a meeting in Kruszwica , to which they invited the warlike Margrave Albert the Bear of the German Northern March (the later Margraviate of Brandenburg ), who had reached

966-674: The Protestant Reformation , most of the nuns were Poles, as were the majority until the eighteenth century. The abbey of Trebnitz suffered so greatly during the Thirty Years War that the nuns fled across the border on the territory of the most unaffected Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , as they did again in 1663 when the Turks threatened Silesia. In 1742, in the aftermath of the First Silesian War and

1035-457: The Treaty of Breslau , Trebnitz found itself under the governance of Protestant Prussia and started to suffer from political discrimination. The last abbess, Dominica von Giller, died on 17 August 1810, and on 11 November 1810, the abbey was suppressed and secularized by order of King Frederick William III . The building, which was very extensive, was sold later and turned into a cloth factory. In

1104-548: The secularisation of the abbey, it became the Trebnitz parish church . The grave of St. Hedwig is located in a chapel to the right of the high altar , donated by her grandson Archbishop Ladislaus of Salzburg in 1267. The grave of Duke Henry I, her husband, is in front of the altar. Silesian Piasts The Silesian Piasts were the elder of four lines of the Polish Piast dynasty beginning with Władysław II

1173-509: The 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, various branches of the Silesian Piasts became extinct. In 1532, the last Duke of Opole, John II the Good, died, leaving most of Upper Silesia under direct Bohemian rule. In 1675, the last legitimate Silesian Piast – George William, Duke of Liegnitz – died. The last male Silesian Piast was baron Ferdinand II Hohenstein , who died in 1706, the last female Piast, Charlotte , died in 1707. The Silesian Piasts formed

1242-603: The Archbishops of Gniezno and Kraków ; also, almost all Lesser Polish nobility was on his side. In February 1168 the rebels gathered in Jędrzejów , and there they proclaimed Mieszko III as the new high duke and Casimir was formally invested with Sandomierz. But at the end Bolesław maintained his rule by largely accepting the demands of rebels; he divided late Henry's duchy in three parts: the lands of Wiślica were granted to Casimir, Bolesław himself obtained Sandomierz proper and

1311-824: The Church of St. Mary and St. Catherine and of St. Vincent near Wrocław, the Benedictine monastery in Trzemeszno and the Collegiate church in Tum near Łęczyca. Around 1151 he founded the Canonical Regular Kolegiata in Czerwińsk . In 1137 Bolesław married Viacheslava (b. ca. 1125 – d. 15 March ca. 1162?), daughter of Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich of Novgorod and Pskov . They had three children: After

1380-527: The Curly also retained control of the most important Silesian cities such as Wrocław , Opole , Głogów , Racibórz and Legnica until 1166 when the Silesian dukes took control of these parts. Władysław's sons probably ruled Silesia together until 1172, when they divided their territory: Bolesław the Tall, eldest brother, received the large area from Legnica up the Oder River to Wroclaw and created

1449-618: The Exile (1105–1159), eldest son of Duke Bolesław III of Poland . By Bolesław's testament , Władysław was granted Silesia as his hereditary province and also the Lesser Polish Seniorate Province at Kraków according to the principle of agnatic seniority . The history of the Silesian Piasts began with the feudal fragmentation of Poland in 1138 following the death of the Polish duke Bolesław III Wrymouth. While

SECTION 20

#1732773212909

1518-497: The Great , who in return renounced his claims to Silesia. This was formalized in the treaties of Trenčín and Visegrád , ratified in 1339. The division into small and smallest territories led to a decline of prestige and power. Many Silesian Piasts now merely had the status of squires with greater rights. Some Piasts entered foreign services as mercenary leaders, like John II of Glogau and Sagan. Henry IX traveled through Europe as

1587-478: The Kraków throne, but Bolesław's resistance against his younger brother was so strong that both parties made concessions, who led finished with any riots until the end of the high duke's reign. Casimir succeeded Bolesław in Sandomierz upon his death in 1173 and became high duke four years later. Bolesław was known for his many gifts and grants to the Church. Particularly enriched thanks to him, among others were:

1656-646: The Pious would, therefore, assuredly have maintained the independence and prestige of the kingdom if all his plan had not been annihilated by an unforeseen catastrophe. In 1241, he died as a Christian hero in the Battle of Legnica , in which he was attempting to arrest the Mongolian invasion. His death left the Silesian Piast dynasty deeply shaken. After Henry's death in 1241, his brother Bolesław II ruled on behalf of his underage brothers. Since all male members of

1725-586: The Polish border in the course of the Wendish Crusade . There, Bolesław arranged the marriage of his sister Judith with the margrave's son Otto . Boleslaw and Mieszko also militarily supported the Germans in the fight against the reluctant West Slavic Lutici tribes, considerably contributing to the stability of German domination over the middle Spree region. The second important ally of the Piast prince

1794-508: The Polish crown. After the intervention of King Charles I of Hungary he left Polonia Minor , but on his way back he enforced his supremacy over the Upper Silesian Piasts. In February 1327, five principalities were carved out of Polish Upper Silesia and placed under Bohemian suzerenity: Duchy of Niemodlin , Duchy of Cieszyn , Duchy of Racibórz , Duchy of Koźle and Bytom and the Duchy of Oświęcim and Zator . In April

1863-583: The Seniorate Province. This caused the anger and frustration of his youngest brother, Casimir II the Just, who was the next in line to inherit the lands and was the only of Bolesław III' sons still without any land. Casimir was supported in his rebellion by his elder brother Duke Mieszko III the Old of Greater Poland, the magnate Jaksa of Miechów and Sviatoslav, son of Voivode Piotr Włostowic , as well as

1932-499: The Silesian province and the Kraków seniorate were assigned to Władysław II the Exile, his three younger half-brothers Bolesław IV the Curly , Mieszko III the Old , and Henry of Sandomierz received Masovia , Greater Poland and Sandomierz , respectively, according to the Testament of Boleslaw III . Władysław soon entered into fierce conflicts with his brothers and the Polish nobility. When in 1146 he attempted to take control of

2001-514: The Tall), who, forced to become a priest in his early years, was barred from the Silesian succession. Unsatisfied with this, Jarosław tried to gain power and obtain his own lands. The support of this rebellion was so strong, that his father was forced to escape to Erfurt . This originated another expedition in his aid by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who again invaded Poland and defeated the rebels. The high duke ordered Mieszko III to Magdeburg where peace

2070-423: The beginning of the thirteenth century he had not ceased to intervene in the disputes which were carried on between the descendants of Mieszko the Old . At last in 1234, a good half of that province was formally ceded to him. As a guardian of minor dukes, Henry moreover ruled over Opole and Sandomierz . But, he aimed higher. This Silesian prince not only intended to enlarge his possessions; he proposed to make them

2139-539: The border with the Holy Roman Empire , at first to Bohemia and later to Germany , accommodated by King Conrad III . The junior dukes reassigned the Polish provinces between them. The Duchy of Silesia and the Seniorate Province at Kraków were taken by Bolesław, who also received the title of high duke, the western Duchy of Greater Poland was retained by his brother Mieszko III , and Henry finally received his long-promised land of Sandomierz . Casimir II,

Sanctuary of St. Jadwiga, Trzebnica - Misplaced Pages Continue

2208-427: The continuous involvement of the Silesian Piasts in Polish affairs. He remarks that the dukes of Silesia did not break their connections with their relatives in the rest of Poland. The most visible evidence of this is said to be the fact that in the 13th century three Silesian Dukes – Henry I, Henry II and Henry IV – took control of Kraków and therefore of the senior throne of the whole of Poland. In Davies' opinion,

2277-491: The death of his first wife, Bolesław married Maria (d. aft. 1173), whose origins are disputed. This union was childless. Bolesław's eldest son died in 1172 aged sixteen and reportedly the high duke was devastated by his death. He was succeeded in the Masovian-Kujavian principality by his second and only surviving son Leszek, at the age of eleven or less. As overlord and holder of Kraków and Gniezno , he however

2346-458: The defeat by the German forces, Bolesław initiated a bold plan for the conquest of the pagan Prussians , settling beyond the northeastern Polish border along the Baltic coast. This concept of an early Prussian Crusade was conceived in view of the repeated seizures by more and more Baltic tribes in the several districts of Bolesław's Masovian province. The high duke proclaimed a crusade against

2415-628: The disaster and demanded a hasty reorganization of the forces of Władysław at the Battle on the Pilicą River. The major significance of this battle was to the former voivode Wszebor, whose military experience far exceeded the ability of Władysław's commanders. Soon, however, the situation was totally reversed as a result of the Kievan troops who entered in the country as Władysław's allies. Bolesław then had to agree to step down and renounce any pretension over

2484-574: The dukes of Opole and Wrocław also became the tributaries of king John. In 1329, Władysław I the Elbow-high started a war with the Teutonic Order . The Order was supported by John of Bohemia who managed to enforce his supremacy over the dukes of Masovia and Lower Silesia . In April–May 1329, following Lower Silesian duchies became subjects of the Bohemian crown: Ścinawa , Oleśnica , Żagań , Legnica - Brzeg and Jawor . In 1331

2553-429: The fall of Bolesław II , was destined by him for his eldest son, whom he associated with his rule towards the end of his life. This Henry II the Pious , who succeeded his father in 1238, was, in fact, entirely worthy of the heritage of the first Piasts. Pursuing the very able policy of Henry the Bearded, his son was moreover able to obtain the support of the clergy, with whom his father had had frequent disagreements. In

2622-448: The family were eligible to rule, a principle critical for the coming years, a hereditary division was put into practice in 1248/51. Bolesław established the duchy of Legnica , Konrad I Glogow , Henry III kept Wroclaw together with Ladislaus , who would become archbishop of Salzburg . Soon the next generation divided the territory again. Jawor and Lwówek Śląski split off from Legnica, Duchy of Żagań and Ścinawa from Głogów. In

2691-576: The final victory of Władysław seemed likely, especially after the conquest of Masovia (forcing Bolesław to escape) and the siege of Poznań in Greater Poland in the spring of 1146. However, thanks to the rebellion in Władysław's own lands, and the excommunication imposed to him by the Archbishop of Gniezno , the high duke suffered an unexpected defeat. Władysław and his family had to flee across

2760-411: The first nuns that occupied the convent. The first abbess was Petrussa from Kitzingen Abbey; she was followed by Gertrude, the daughter of Hedwig. The abbey was richly endowed with lands by Duke Henry. When Hedwig became a widow in 1238, she went to live at Trzebnica and was buried there. Up to 1515, the abbesses were the first princesses of the Piast dynasty and afterwards members of the nobility. It

2829-530: The further control over the Polish lands; also, he had to pay an enormous tribute to Emperor. For unknown reasons however, despite Barbarossa's victory, Władysław II to his great disappointment was not restored in the Polish throne. Bolesław formally swore loyalty to the Emperor on Christmas Day in Magdeburg , and gave his younger brother, Casimir II, as a hostage. Two years later Władysław died in exile, having never returned to his country again. Not before 1163

Sanctuary of St. Jadwiga, Trzebnica - Misplaced Pages Continue

2898-542: The high duke on an expedition to the Kievan Rus' as ambassadors during 1142–1143. The "peace" lasted only two years until 1144 when, after Salomea's death and according to Bolesław III's Testament, the Łęczyca province reverted to the Seniorate Province of High Duke Władysław II. The idea to reserve the lands for his younger brothers Henry and Casimir II was not popular with Wladyslaw, who thought that

2967-409: The land was only temporarily separated from his Dzielnica senioralna and now in its entirety should be returned. The outbreak of civil war was therefore only a matter of time. The war erupted with full force in 1145, and it seemed that the junior dukes were defeated and the high duke finally achieved the unification of the country. At first the combined forces of Bolesław IV and his brothers prevented

3036-465: The lands belonging to his mother. The concessions of the junior dukes ultimately didn't resolve the problem. Moreover, Władysław's confidence in his forces had him embark on a final solution, the removal of his stepbrothers from their lands. Suddenly, the junior dukes could rely on the support of the high duke's all-powerful voivode Piotr Włostowic , for whom Władysław's plans were too radical and threatened to weaken his position. While Władysław opted for

3105-399: The late 19th century, the ruined abbey was bought by Knights Hospitaller and later by the female order of Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo as a hospital conducted by the sisters. The church, a basilica with pillars in the late Romanesque style, to which Baroque additions were made from 1741. It features several paintings with scenes from the life of St. Hedwig by Michael Willmann . After

3174-422: The legal age to take on the government of the lands he inherited according to his father's testament , the newly created Duchy of Masovia (composed of Masovia and eastern Kuyavia ). In the first years of his government, young Bolesław remained under the strong influence of his mother and Voivode Wszebor, who feared the ambition of his elder half-brother High Duke Władysław II . Władysław II tried to restore

3243-434: The newly Papal legate Guy arrived to the country in connection with the refusal to restore the former high duke, and declared the ban over Poland. The penalty, thanks for the cohesive support of the Polish church hierarchy by the junior dukes, was virtually without repercussions. Things worsened for Bolesław in 1157, when King Conrad's nephew Frederick Barbarossa , crowned emperor by Pope Adrian IV in 1155, decided to make

3312-485: The next generation Brzeg was detached from Wrocław, Świdnica and Duchy of Ziębice from Lwówek Śląski-Jawor and Oleśnica from Głogów . The Duchy of Opole , which was established by Mieszko I and called after its residence Opole, wasn't spared from the divisions, they only began one generation later. The four sons of Wladyslaw I of Opole, a grandson of Mieszko, split the duchy into Opole, Koźle - Bytom , Racibórz and Teschen . These duchies were also split again in

3381-518: The next generation. Opole was divided into Opole, Niemodlin and Strzelce Opolskie , Koźle-Bytom in Koźle, Bytom and Toszek , Teschen in Teschen and Oświęcim . These divisions often were the result of fierce and militant conflicts, in which not only the Silesian parties but also their partisans from other parts of Poland and neighboring Bohemia were involved. Whereas the connections to Poland diminished

3450-509: The nucleus of a restored Kingdom of Poland . He became duke of Kraków ( Polonia Minor ) in 1232, which gave him the title of the Senior Duke of Poland (see Testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty ). Henry expanded his realm also outside Poland ruling over Barnim , Teltow (owned temporarily) as well as parts of Lower Lusatia . Unfortunately, despite his efforts, he never gained the Polish crown. The royal crown, almost forgotten since

3519-416: The oldest branch of the first Polish royal dynasty. This was the reason that even after the fragmentation of Poland their interest in Polish matters was still strong. Norman Davies stated that the dynastic loyalty of all Piast dukes as well as a single ecclesiastic organisation still secured the unity of the divided Kingdom of Poland. In his opinion the alleged "will" to separate from Poland is contradicted by

SECTION 50

#1732773212909

3588-491: The pagans and pressured the collaboration of both the pope and the Emperor. The initial campaigns were successful however efforts and attempts to conquer these province were finally defeated in 1166. Furthermore, during one of the battles the younger brother of the high duke, Henry of Sandomierz, was killed. After Henry's death, against the dispositions of the Bolesław III's Testament, the high duke incorporated Sandomierz into

3657-518: The political ties with Bohemia became increasingly stronger. In their exile in Germany, the Piasts had witnessed the inner colonizations along the Elbe river and strived to develop sparsely populated Silesia by calling in Germans from the west, slowly increasing Silesia's German population which came to dominate the region over the next centuries. The reign of duke Henry IV Probus was exemplary for

3726-469: The position of Silesias duchies in the area of tension between Poland and Bohemia. After the death of his father Henry III, he was raised in Prague at the court of Bohemian king Ottokar II , who also became his guardian. After Ottokar's death, he did not, as expected, became viceregent of Bohemia for underage Wenceslaus II but was compensated with Kłodzko by Rudolf of Habsburg , who also ennobled Henry to

3795-604: The rest passed to Mieszko III. After the disaster of the Prussian Crusade, the Silesian dukes Bolesław I the Tall and Mieszko IV Tanglefoot attempted to dethrone the high duke and to recover the Seniorate Province and thereby the Polish overlordship. Bolesław's reprisal expedition in the following year ended with a total disaster, so the high duke eventually had to reconcile with his Silesian nephews. In 1172 Duke Mieszko III rebelled again; this time supporting his grandnephew Jarosław of Opole (the eldest son of Bolesław I

3864-513: The same time was able to expand his duchy with the former Lesser Polish territories of Bytom and Oświęcim , given to him by High Duke Casimir II the Just , and also with the Duchy of Opole, which he received after the death of Duke Jarosław and his father Bolesław in 1201. One year later, Bolesław's heir, Duke Henry I the Bearded , and his uncle Mieszko moreover specified to rule out the right of succession among their branches, an arrangement which

3933-406: The same year King Conrad III attempted to regain power for Władysław, but failed. Not until 1157 Duke Bolesław IV the Curly was defeated in a campaign by Konrads successor Emperor Frederick Barbarossa , however, the "Silesian issue" was not mentioned in the treaty concluded by the rulers, and so Władysław remained in exile. He died in 1159 without returning to Poland. In 1163, Bolesław the Curly

4002-536: The sons of the late Władysław, Bolesław I the Tall and Mieszko IV Tanglefoot , backed by the Emperor insisting on the agreement made with Bolesław IV, were restored in their Silesia heritage; but this return didn't affect the power of Bolesław as a high duke. Thanks to its German affinities, the senior branch of the Silesian Piasts at least managed to retain its Silesian lands ( Wrocław , Legnica , Głogów , Opole and Racibórz ) without problems. Following

4071-553: The strongholds of Głogów and Bytom in Silesia. The Imperial army quickly advanced and soon laid siege to Poznan. Given the difficult situation, Bolesław was forced to accept the humiliating negotiations and in a shameful ceremony on 30 August 1157, was declared a vassal of the Empire at his camp in Krzyszkowo . Bolesław was in his knees and beg for forgiveness to the Emperor, in return for which he kindly received from Barbarossa

4140-402: The unity of the country and deposed the junior dukes. Trouble began openly in 1141, when Dowager Duchess Salomea — without the consent of High Duke Władysław II — organized a meeting with her sons at her residence in Łęczyca . Here was decided the betrothal of her youngest daughter, Agnes , to Mstislav II of Kiev , in order to gain allies in a possible conflict. She also set up the division of

4209-444: The weak and divided Silesian dukes needed a strong partner who could provide cover. They were now separated from the Polish state and subjected to the Bohemian crown. After the death of Wenceslaus III , king of Bohemia and Poland, the right to the Polish crown was disputed, being claimed by various Piast dukes as well as the successors of Wenceslaus III on the Bohemian throne. In 1327, John of Bohemia invaded Poland in order to gain

SECTION 60

#1732773212909

4278-407: The whole of Poland, he was excommunicated by Archbishop Jakub ze Żnina of Gniezno and his brothers finally drove him into exile. He was received by King Conrad III of Germany , his brother-in-law by Władysław's consort Agnes of Babenberg , at the imperial palace of Altenburg . Silesia and the Seniorate Province came under the control of second-born Bolesław IV the Curly , Duke of Masovia. In

4347-420: The youngest brother, again remained without lands. Thanks to the intrigues of his wife, Agnes of Babenberg , a half-sister of King Conrad III, Władysław II succeeded in convincing his brother-in-law to make a military expedition to Poland. The hastily organized expedition however clashed with the reluctance of the former subjects of the deposed high duke, and was finally defeated already on the Polish border near

4416-421: The Łęczyca lands, her dower , between her sons upon her death. The junior dukes in this first struggle were definitely defeated, because Grand Prince Vsevolod II of Kiev decided to make an alliance with Władysław II, reinforced by the marriage of Vsevolod's daughter Zvenislava with the high duke's eldest son, Bolesław the Tall . An additional humiliation for Bolesław IV and his brothers was that they were sent by

4485-477: Was Duke of Masovia from 1138 and High Duke of Poland from 1146 until his death in 1173. Bolesław was the third son of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth of Poland by his second wife Salomea of Berg . The death of his older brothers, Leszek and Casimir, before 1131 and in October 1131, respectively, left him as the eldest son of their parents. Bolesław was 13 years old at the time of his father's death (1138) and of

4554-514: Was largely responsible for the special position of what would become Upper Silesia . In the same year, Poland abolished the seniorate and the Silesian duchies became independent entities. Henry I the Bearded actively took part in the inner-Polish conflicts and expanded his dominion with determination. Henry, before securing in 1229 the sovereignty in Kraków , had made no less persevering efforts to bring Greater Poland also under his dominion. From

4623-547: Was made with the Empire after the payment of 8,000 pieces of silver and the Silesian duchy was again granted to Bolesław I the Tall at the Emperor's mercy; despite his victory, the high duke finally accepted the autonomy of his Silesian nephews. Shortly afterwards another rebellion took place, this time of the Lesser Polish nobles, who were extremely dissatisfied with the harsh and dictatorial high duke's government. The rebels invited Casimir II, then duke of Wiślica, to take

4692-491: Was pressed by Frederick Barbarossa to return the hereditary Silesian province to Władysław's sons Bolesław the Tall , Konrad Spindleshanks and Mieszko Tanglefoot , though he retained the Seniorate Province and the Polish throne at Kraków. The Duchy of Silesia remained within the Polish seniorate constitution, but Władysław's sons were obliged to pay a yearly tribute to the Holy Roman Emperor . High Duke Bolesław

4761-630: Was the Wettin margrave Konrad of Meissen . Initially, Bolesław also had a difficult relationship with another opposing force policy like the Hohenstaufens: the Roman Curia under of Pope Eugene III . At first in 1147 the Papal legate Humbold recognized Bolesław as the new high duke and overlord of Poland. However, one year later, and again instigated by the intrigues of Władysław's wife Agnes,

#908091