The Duchy of Głogów ( pl, Księstwo głogowskie, cs, Hlohovské knížectví) or Duchy of Glogau (german: Herzogtum Glogau) was one of the
Duchies of Silesia
The Duchies of Silesia were the more than twenty divisions of the region of Silesia formed between the 12th and 14th centuries by the breakup of the Duchy of Silesia, then part of the Kingdom of Poland. In 1335, the duchies were ceded to the Kin ...
ruled by the
Silesian Piasts
The Silesian Piasts were the elder of four lines of the Polish Piast dynasty beginning with Władysław II the Exile (1105–1159), eldest son of Duke Bolesław III of Poland. By Bolesław's testament, Władysław was granted Silesia as his h ...
. Its capital was
Głogów
Głogów (; german: Glogau, links=no, rarely , cs, Hlohov, szl, Głogōw) is a city in western Poland. It is the county seat of Głogów County, in Lower Silesian Voivodeship (since 1999), and was previously in Legnica Voivodeship (1975–199 ...
in
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ( pl, Dolny Śląsk; cz, Dolní Slezsko; german: Niederschlesien; szl, Dolny Ślōnsk; hsb, Delnja Šleska; dsb, Dolna Šlazyńska; Silesian German: ''Niederschläsing''; la, Silesia Inferior) is the northwestern part of the ...
.
History
In 1177, under the rule of
Konrad Spindleshanks, the youngest son of High Duke
Władysław II the Exile of
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
, the town of Głogów had already become the capital of a duchy in its own right. However, when Konrad died between 1180 and 1190, his duchy was again inherited by his elder brother
Bolesław I the Tall, Duke of
Wrocław
Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...
. After the death of Bolesław's grandson Duke
Henry II the Pious
Henry II the Pious ( pl, Henryk II Pobożny; 1196 – 9 April 1241) was Duke of Silesia and High Duke of Poland as well as Duke of South-Greater Poland from 1238 until his death. Between 1238 and 1239 he also served as regent of Sandomierz and ...
at the 1241
Battle of Legnica his sons in 1248 divided the Lower Silesian Duchy of Wrocław among themselves.
Konrad I, a child when his father died, claimed his rights too and in 1251 and received the northern Głogów territory from his elder brother
Bolesław II the Bald Boleslav or Bolesław may refer to:
In people:
* Boleslaw (given name)
In geography:
* Bolesław, Dąbrowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
* Bolesław, Olkusz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
* Bolesław, Silesian Voivodeship, ...
, then Duke of
Legnica.
Under the rule of Konrad's son
Henry III the principality became smaller, as fragmentation and division continued, and other, smaller duchies were split from it like
Ścinawa
Ścinawa (german: Steinau an der Oder, links=no) is a town and municipality on the Oder river in the Lower Silesian region of Poland. The Ścinawa train station is a key gateway for travel throughout the region, connecting major destinations suc ...
(Steinau, Stínava) and
Żagań
Żagań ( French and german: Sagan, hsb, Zahań, la, Saganum) is a town in western Poland, on the Bóbr river, with 25,731 inhabitants (2019). The town is the capital of Żagań County in the historic region of Silesia. Previously in the Zielo ...
(Sagan, Zaháň) in 1273 as well as the duchies of
Oleśnica
Oleśnica (pronounced ; german: Oels; szl, Ôleśnica) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland, within the Wrocław metropolitan area. It is the administrative seat of Oleśnica County and also of the rural district of ...
(Oels, Olešnice) and
Wołów
Wołów (german: Wohlau, cz, Volov) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is the seat of Wołów County and Gmina Wołów. It lies approximately north-west of the regional capital Wrocław. , the town has a popul ...
(Wohlau, Volov) in 1312. After Henry's son
Przemko II had died without heirs in 1331, King
John the Blind
John the Blind or John of Luxembourg ( lb, Jang de Blannen; german: link=no, Johann der Blinde; cz, Jan Lucemburský; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of ...
was able to seize the duchy as a
fiefdom
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of f ...
of the
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia ( cs, České království),; la, link=no, Regnum Bohemiae sometimes in English literature referred to as the Czech Kingdom, was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe, the predecessor of the modern Czec ...
and granted it to the Piast Duke
Henry I of Jawor
Henry I of Jawor ( pl, Henryk I. Jaworski; german: Heinrich I. von Jauer; – 15 May 1346), was a duke of Jawor-Lwówek-Świdnica- Ziębice during 1301–1312 (with his brothers as co-rulers), sole Duke of Jawor-Lwówek since 1312 and Duke of Gło ...
six years later. As Henry I left no issue, King John's son,
Charles IV incorporated one half of Głogów into
Crown of Bohemia
The Lands of the Bohemian Crown were a number of incorporated states in Central Europe during the medieval and early modern periods connected by feudal relations under the Bohemian kings. The crown lands primarily consisted of the Kingdom of Bo ...
, granting the remaining half to Duke
Henry V of Iron
Henry V (III) of Iron ( pl, Henryk V Żelazny; – after 8 April 1369), was a Duke of Żagań since 1342, from 1349 Duke of half-Głogów, and from 1363 Duke of half-Ścinawa.
He was the only son of Henry IV (II) the Faithful, Duke of Żagań, ...
of
Żagań
Żagań ( French and german: Sagan, hsb, Zahań, la, Saganum) is a town in western Poland, on the Bóbr river, with 25,731 inhabitants (2019). The town is the capital of Żagań County in the historic region of Silesia. Previously in the Zielo ...
in 1349.
When in 1476 the Głogów line of the
Piast dynasty became extinct with the death of
Henry XI, fights over his succession broke out between his cousin Duke
Jan II the Mad of Żagań and Elector
Albert III Achilles of Brandenburg, the father of Henry's widow
Barbara of Brandenburg. In consequence the duchy's northern part of
Krosno Odrzańskie
Krosno Odrzańskie (german: Crossen an der Oder) is a city on the east bank of Oder River, at the confluence with the Bóbr. The town in Western Poland with 11,319 inhabitants (2019) is the capital of Krosno Odrzańskie County, Krosno County. I ...
(Crossen an der Oder) was incorporated by the
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg (german: link=no, Markgrafschaft Brandenburg) was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe.
Brandenburg developed out ...
in 1482. The truce however was broken by Duke Jan II, who continued his attacks on the neighbouring territories and in 1480 even invaded the royal Bohemian half of the Głogów duchy. This action finally brought the Bohemian antiking
Matthias Corvinus
Matthias Corvinus, also called Matthias I ( hu, Hunyadi Mátyás, ro, Matia/Matei Corvin, hr, Matija/Matijaš Korvin, sk, Matej Korvín, cz, Matyáš Korvín; ), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. After conducting several m ...
to the scene, who in 1488 conquered Głogów, deposed Jan II and made his son
János the duke.
Upon Matthias' death in 1490 his territories were reacquired by Bohemian king
Vladislaus II Jagiellon, who granted the fief of Głogów to his brothers
John I Albert
John I Albert ( pl, Jan I Olbracht; 27 December 1459 – 17 June 1501) was King of Poland from 1492 until his death in 1501 and Duke of Głogów (Glogau) from 1491 to 1498. He was the fourth Polish sovereign from the Jagiellonian dynasty, the s ...
in 1491 and later
Sigismund I the Old in 1499, both future
kings of Poland
Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16th ...
. In 1506 the duchy finally became an immediate dominion of the Bohemian Crown, which, after Vladislaus' son
Louis II Jagiellon had died in 1526, were inherited by Archduke
Ferdinand I of Austria
en, Ferdinand Charles Leopold Joseph Francis Marcelin
, image = Kaiser Ferdinand I.jpg
, caption = Portrait by Eduard Edlinger (1843)
, succession = Emperor of AustriaKing of Hungary
, moretext = ( more...)
, cor-type = ...
and became part of the
Habsburg monarchy.
Głogów remained part of the Crown of Bohemia within the province of Silesia until the end of the
First Silesian War
The First Silesian War (german: Erster Schlesischer Krieg, links=no) was a war between Prussia and Austria that lasted from 1740 to 1742 and resulted in Prussia's seizing most of the region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland) from Austria. T ...
in 1742 when, like the majority of Silesia, it became part of
Frederick the Great
Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the S ...
's
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...
(which was definitively confirmed by the
Treaty of Aachen in 1748). Even the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (175 ...
did not change this status. In 1815 the Duchy (along with other Silesian duchies) ceased to exist due to radical administrative reform. All of Silesia was unified into a single administrative unit,
Province of Silesia
The Province of Silesia (german: Provinz Schlesien; pl, Prowincja Śląska; szl, Prowincyjŏ Ślōnskŏ) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1919. The Silesia region was part of the Prussian realm since 1740 and established as an official p ...
(''Provinz Schlesien'').
Finally, after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
the territories of Prussian Silesia east of the
Oder-Neisse line were granted to
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
by the Allied Powers under the
Potsdam Agreement.
Dukes of Głogów
* 1177-1180:
Konrad Spindleshanks
Again part of the Duchy of Wrocław, from 1248 on part of
Legnica
* 1251 (1241?)-1274:
Konrad I
* 1274-1309:
Henry III, son
* 1309-1331:
Przemko II, son
Duchy vassalized by the Kingdom of Bohemia
* 1337-1346
Henry I of Jawor
Henry I of Jawor ( pl, Henryk I. Jaworski; german: Heinrich I. von Jauer; – 15 May 1346), was a duke of Jawor-Lwówek-Świdnica- Ziębice during 1301–1312 (with his brothers as co-rulers), sole Duke of Jawor-Lwówek since 1312 and Duke of Gło ...
Annexed by Bohemia, one half to Duchy of Żagań (1349), ruled by:
* 1349-1369:
Henry V of Iron
Henry V (III) of Iron ( pl, Henryk V Żelazny; – after 8 April 1369), was a Duke of Żagań since 1342, from 1349 Duke of half-Głogów, and from 1363 Duke of half-Ścinawa.
He was the only son of Henry IV (II) the Faithful, Duke of Żagań, ...
, Duke of Głogów and Żagań
* 1369-1393:
Henry VI the Older, son, jointly with his brothers
** 1369-1395:
Henry VII Rumpold
** 1369-1378:
Henry VIII the Sparrow
* 1395-1397: Henry VIII the Sparrow (alone)
* 1397-1401:
Rupert I of Legnica
Rupert I of Legnica ( pl, Ruprecht I Legnicki) (27 March 1347 – by 12 January 1409) was a Duke of Legnica from 1364 until his death, and also regent over half of the Duchy of Głogów-Żagań during 1397–1401.
He was the eldest son of Wen ...
, regent for
* 1397-1412:
Jan I of Żagań, son of Henry VIII, jointly with his brothers
** 1397-1467:
Henry IX the Older
** 1397-1417:
Wenceslaus of Krosno
** 1397-1423:
Henry X Rumpold
* 1467-1476:
Henry XI, son of Henry IX
Line extinct, whole duchy directly under the Crown of Bohemia
* 1476-1488
Jan II the Mad of Żagań
1482: Northern part sold to
Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 sq ...
* 1488-1490:
János Corvinus
John Corvinus ( Hungarian: ''Corvin János'', Croatian: ''Ivaniš Korvin'', Romanian: ''Ioan Corvin''; 2 April 1473 – 12 October 1504) was the illegitimate son of Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, and his mistress, Barbara Edelpöck.
Biogra ...
as Jan II, Duke of Głogów
** 1491-1498: hold in pledge by
John I Albert of Poland
John I Albert ( pl, Jan I Olbracht; 27 December 1459 – 17 June 1501) was King of Poland from 1492 until his death in 1501 and Duke of Głogów (Glogau) from 1491 to 1498. He was the fourth Polish sovereign from the Jagiellonian dynasty, the s ...
** 1499-1506: hold in pledge by
Sigismund I the Old
See also
*
Dukes of Silesia The Duke of Silesia was the sons and descendants of the Polish Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth. In accordance with the last will and testament of Bolesław, upon his death his lands were divided into four or five hereditary provinces distributed amo ...
*
Silesia Walls of the Duchy of Głogów
{{DEFAULTSORT:Glogow, Duchy Of
Duchies of Silesia
States and territories established in 1177
States and territories disestablished in 1742