Nicholas I of Opole ( pl, Mikołaj I; – 3 July 1476) was a duke of
Opole
Opole (; german: Oppeln ; szl, Ôpole) ;
* Silesian:
** Silesian PLS alphabet: ''Ôpole''
** Steuer's Silesian alphabet: ''Uopole''
* Silesian German: ''Uppeln''
* Czech: ''Opolí''
* Latin: ''Oppelia'', ''Oppolia'', ''Opulia'' is a city loc ...
since 1437 (until 1439 with his brother as co-ruler), Duke of
Brzeg from 1450, ruler over
Kluczbork from 1451 and Duke of
Strzelce,
Niemodlin and
Olesno
Olesno is a town in Opole Voivodship, Poland about north-east of the city of Opole. It is the capital of Olesno County and seat of the Gmina Olesno.
History
The area near the ancient Amber Road had been settled since the Neolithic era. Olesno ...
from 1460.
He was the fourth son of Duke
Bolko IV of Opole
Bolko IV of Opole ( pl, Bolko IV opolski; 1363/67 – 6 May 1437), was a Duke of Strzelce and Niemodlin during 1382–1400 (with his brothers as co-rulers), Duke of Opole from 1396 (until 1400 with his brother as co-ruler, except Olesno).
He was ...
by his wife Margareta, possibly member of the
House of Gorizia.
Life
At the time of his father's death in 1437 Nicholas I was still a minor, and therefore was placed under the care of his older brothers
Bolko V and
Jan I. On 6 October 1438 Nicholas I and his brothers paid homage to
Casimir Jagiełło as King-elect of
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
, but after his resignation and the coronation of
Albert of Habsburg as King, he paid homage again, this time to the Austrian ruler, during the Congress 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 ...
on 3 December 1438.
In 1439 Jan I died unexpectedly without issue, and Nicholas I inherited the whole Duchy of
Opole
Opole (; german: Oppeln ; szl, Ôpole) ;
* Silesian:
** Silesian PLS alphabet: ''Ôpole''
** Steuer's Silesian alphabet: ''Uopole''
* Silesian German: ''Uppeln''
* Czech: ''Opolí''
* Latin: ''Oppelia'', ''Oppolia'', ''Opulia'' is a city loc ...
. In 1443 Nicholas received as a pledge the Duchy of
Brzeg from his nephews (sons of his sister), Dukes
Jan I and
Henry X of
Lubin
Lubin (; german: Lüben, szl, Lubin) is a city in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is the administrative seat of Lubin County, and also of the rural district called Gmina Lubin, although it is not part of the territory of ...
-
Oława
Oława (pronounced , , szl, Oława) is a historic town in south-western Poland with 33,029 inhabitants (2019). It is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship (from 1975–1998 it was in the former Wrocław Voivodeship), within the Wrocław me ...
-
Chojnów
Chojnów (german: Haynau, Silesian German: Hoyn, Silesian language: ''Chojnůw'') is a small town in Legnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is located on the Skora river, a tributary of the Kaczawa at an ave ...
. For unknown reasons, in 1447 Jan I and Henry X recovered Brzeg and pledged it again, this time to the knight Heinz Stoschow. Only after a new settlement on 11 April 1450 did Brzeg finally return to the hands of the Duke of Opole.
A further enlargement of his domains took place in 1450, when his uncle
Bernard, in exchange for a loan granted to Nicholas I his rights over his part of the Duchy of Opole and one year later (1451) he obtained
Kluczbork. Finally, when his oldest brother Bolko V died without surviving male issue, all his possessions (
Strzelce,
Niemodlin and
Olesno
Olesno is a town in Opole Voivodship, Poland about north-east of the city of Opole. It is the capital of Olesno County and seat of the Gmina Olesno.
History
The area near the ancient Amber Road had been settled since the Neolithic era. Olesno ...
), where inherited by Nicholas I, who had to defend his rights against the
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
n King
George of Poděbrady
George of Kunštát and Poděbrady (23 April 1420 – 22 March 1471), also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad ( cs, Jiří z Poděbrad; german: Georg von Podiebrad), was the sixteenth King of Bohemia, who ruled in 1458–1471. He was a leader of the ...
, who claimed that as an emptied fiefs, Bolko V's lands would revert to Bohemia. The settlement between King George and Nicholas I was signed on 16 August 1460: the King finally accepted the rule of the Duke of Opole over Strzelce, Niemodlin and Olesno, but in exchange Nicholas I had to resign his claims over the Duchy of
Opawa
Opawa is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located 2.5 kilometres south-east of the city centre.
The name is a contraction of "Ōpāwaho", which, in Māori, means a place of ('ō') an outer '' pā'' or outpost ('pāwaho'). "Ōpāwa ...
(he bought the Duchy in 1454 from his co-ruler
Ernest
Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic languages, Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include:
People
*Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman ...
, but as a result of the King's strong opposition, Nicholas I wasn't able to take effective control over this land).
Soon after, Nicholas I suffered further difficulties from his Silesian relatives, this time with Duke
Jan IV of Oświęcim, who claimed the payment of all the debts of Nicholas I's late father-in-law, Duke
Louis II of Brzeg
Louis II of Brieg; (1380/85 – 30 May 1436), was a Duke of Brzeg (Brieg) from 1399 (until 1400 with his older brother as a co-ruler) and Duke of Legnica from 1413.
He was the second son of Henry VII with a Scar, Duke of Brzeg, but the eldest ...
. Jan IV managed to conquer the town of
Leśnica, but finally he was expelled with the help of the
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 ...
citizens on 6 October. In 1461 Nicholas I paid to Bolko V's widow Hedwig Beess of Kujawy an unspecified amount for damages in exchange for the resignation of her
dower lands, and on 3 June of that year ended the long-lasting dispute with the local church, when Nicholas returned to them the goods stripped by Bolko V and reinitiated the building of the Kolegiata of
Głogówek
Głogówek (pronounced , German: ''Oberglogau'', cs, Horní Hlohov, szl, Gogōwek) is a small historic town in southern Poland. It is situated on the Osobloga River, in Opole Voivodeship of the greater Silesian region. The city lies approximat ...
, which began during the rule of his father Bolko IV.
In 1463 the Duke
Henry IX of
Głogów revived his claims over the inheritance of his grandfather
Władysław Opolczyk
Vladislaus II of Opole ( pl, Władysław Opolczyk, german: Wladislaus von Oppeln, hu, Oppelni László, uk, Владислав Опольчик; ca. 1332 – 18 May 1401), nicknamed Naderspan, was Duke of Opole from 1356, Count palatine of Hu ...
. On 26 October Henry IX, with the support of King George of Bohemia, obtained the annulment of the Decree granted by the
Emperor Sigismund
Sigismund of Luxembourg (15 February 1368 – 9 December 1437) was a monarch as King of Hungary and Croatia ('' jure uxoris'') from 1387, King of Germany from 1410, King of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 until his death in ...
in 1435 and the validity of the decision of
King Wenceslaus IV
Wenceslaus IV (also ''Wenceslas''; cs, Václav; german: Wenzel, nicknamed "the Idle"; 26 February 136116 August 1419), also known as Wenceslaus of Luxembourg, was King of Bohemia from 1378 until his death and King of Germany from 1376 until he w ...
in 1418. Nicholas I, with the assistance of the
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 ...
citizens initially attempted to make an armed resistance, but on 29 April 1464 was signed a definitive settlement between the Dukes of Opole and Głogów: under the terms of this treaty, Nicholas I was forced to pay the enormous amount of 14,000
Hungarian złoty. In the same year was also ended the dispute with the Bishopric of Wrocław when Nicholas I returned the city of
Ujazd
Ujazd (german: Ujest) is a town in Strzelce County in the Opole Voivodeship in southern Poland. Population 1,647.
The town lies on bank of the river Kłodnica. Tourist attractions in the town include the Ujazd Castle (formerly used by bishops of ...
, conquered by Bolko V years before.
On 1 September 1466 Nicholas I and other Silesian rulers came up with the project to reconcile the
Hussite King George of Bohemia with the Bishopric of Wrocław and
Pope Paul II
Pope Paul II ( la, Paulus II; it, Paolo II; 23 February 1417 – 26 July 1471), born Pietro Barbo, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States
from 30 August 1464 to his death in July 1471. When his maternal uncle Eugene IV ...
; however, due to rejection by the Catholic hierarchy, on 23 December the Bohemian King made the formal announcement of the war in
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 ...
. In this new conflict Nicholas I wasn't too much involved and therefore the Pope's threats of
excommunication
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
had no effect on Opole.
On 8 June 1469 Nicholas I paid homage to King
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 mi ...
in Wrocław. The attempts of the Duke of Opole to maintain neutrality during the war between King Matthias and Poland in 1471 failed, and under pressure from the Hungarian King, in 1473 Nicholas I led a military expedition against Duke
Wenceslaus III of
Rybnik, who was an ally of the Kingdom of Poland. In response, one year later (1474) Polish troops invaded the Duchy of Opole, which was substantially destroyed. Nicholas I was forced to flee to Wrocław under the protection of the Hungarian army.
During 1469–1472 Nicholas I entered into a successful dispute with his son-in-law, Duke
Przemysław of Toszek over the possession of
Łabędy, which is today part of
Gliwice.
Nicholas I died on 3 July 1476 and was buried in the
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
monastery in
Opole
Opole (; german: Oppeln ; szl, Ôpole) ;
* Silesian:
** Silesian PLS alphabet: ''Ôpole''
** Steuer's Silesian alphabet: ''Uopole''
* Silesian German: ''Uppeln''
* Czech: ''Opolí''
* Latin: ''Oppelia'', ''Oppolia'', ''Opulia'' is a city loc ...
.
Marriage and issue
By February 1442, Nicholas I married with Magdalena (ca. 1430 – 10 September 1497), daughter of Duke
Louis II of Brzeg
Louis II of Brieg; (1380/85 – 30 May 1436), was a Duke of Brzeg (Brieg) from 1399 (until 1400 with his older brother as a co-ruler) and Duke of Legnica from 1413.
He was the second son of Henry VII with a Scar, Duke of Brzeg, but the eldest ...
. They had ten children:
#Margareta
achna
Achna ( el, Άχνα; tr, Düzce) is an abandoned village in the Famagusta District of Cyprus. It is just north of the Buffer Zone and it is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. After the 1974 Turkish invasion, its displaced in ...
(ca. 1450 – before 26 April 1472), married by 23 February 1463 to Duke
Przemysław of Toszek.
#
Louis Louis may refer to:
* Louis (coin)
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
Derived or associated terms
* Lewis (d ...
(1450 – before 4 September 1476).
#Elizabeth (ca. 1452 – 29 August 1507), Abbess of St. Klara in
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 ...
(1473).
#
Jan II the Good (ca. 1460 – 27 March 1532).
#
Nicholas II
Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Pola ...
(by 1462 – 27 June 1497).
#Magdalena (ca. 1463 – May 1501), married on 13 January 1478 to Duke
Jan V of Racibórz
Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to:
Acronyms
* Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN
* Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code
* Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group
* Japanese Article Numb ...
.
#Katharina (died 26 August 1507), a nun at St. Klara in Wrocław (1481).
#Bolesław (died in infancy, before 27 January 1477).
#Bernard (died in infancy, before 27 January 1477).
#Elekta (died August 1507?), a nun at St. Klara in Wrocław.
Nicholas I's children were raised in the spirit of the Polish education. There are certain assumptions that Jan II and Nicholas II only knew the Polish language, which at that time, during the strong Germanization of Silesia, was looked down on.
References
*
*
Genealogicial database by Herbert Stoyan
, -
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholas 01 of Opole
1420s births
1476 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
Piast dynasty
Dukes of Opole