Wenceslaus I, Duke of Legnica ( pl, Wacław I legnicki) (ca. 1318 – 2 June 1364) was a Duke of
Namysłów
Namysłów (pronounced , german: Namslau) is a historic town in southern Poland, within Opole Voivodeship. Located along the Widawa River, it is the capital of Namysłów County. Its population was 16,551 in 2019.
History
The town began to dev ...
from 1338 and of
Legnica
Legnica (Polish: ; german: Liegnitz, szl, Lignica, cz, Lehnice, la, Lignitium) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River (left tributary of the Oder) and the Czarna Woda (Kaczawa), Czarna Woda ...
-
Brieg from 1342 until his death, but with further divisions with his brother Louis I.
He was the eldest son of
Bolesław III the Generous
Boleslaw III the Wasteful ( pl, Bolesław III Rozrzutny; 23 September 1291 – Brieg, 21 April 1352), was a Duke of Legnica, Brzeg (Brieg) from 1296 until 1342, and Duke of Wrocław from 1296 until 1311.
He was the eldest son of Henry V the Fa ...
, Duke of
Legnica
Legnica (Polish: ; german: Liegnitz, szl, Lignica, cz, Lehnice, la, Lignitium) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River (left tributary of the Oder) and the Czarna Woda (Kaczawa), Czarna Woda ...
-
Brieg by his first wife,
Margaret of Bohemia. He was named after his maternal grandfather, King
Wenceslaus II of Bohemia
Wenceslaus II Přemyslid ( cs, Václav II.; pl, Wacław II Czeski; 27 SeptemberK. Charvátová, ''Václav II. Král český a polský'', Prague 2007, p. 18. 1271 – 21 June 1305) was King of Bohemia (1278–1305), Duke of Cracow (1291–13 ...
.
Biography
Early years
The circumstances surrounding Wenceslaus's childhood and adolescence are unknown. The first attested presence of the young heir of Legnica-Brieg was in 1329, when he, alongside his father, paid homage to King
John of Luxemburg, his uncle, husband of his maternal aunt
Elisabeth.
Co-ruler
Bolesław III's free-spending way infuriated Wenceslaus, who, worried about the fate of the family's patrimony. This prompted Wenceslaus to rebel against his father. Bolesław III didn't want to fight with his son, and so gave to him the Duchy of
Namysłów
Namysłów (pronounced , german: Namslau) is a historic town in southern Poland, within Opole Voivodeship. Located along the Widawa River, it is the capital of Namysłów County. Its population was 16,551 in 2019.
History
The town began to dev ...
as an independent fief, in 1338. Four years later (1342), Bolesław III decided to abdicate all his lands to his two surviving sons - Wenceslaus and his younger brother
Louis I of Brzeg
Louis I the Fair, also known as the Wise or the Righteous ( pl, Ludwik I Sprawiedliwy, ''Roztropny'', or ''Prawy'') or Louis I of Brzeg (''Ludwik I brzeski''; – 6/23 December 1398), a member of the Silesian Piasts, was a Silesian duke of Leg ...
- in exchange for Namysłów, which was almost immediately sold by Bolesław III to King
Casimir III the Great
Casimir III the Great ( pl, Kazimierz III Wielki; 30 April 1310 – 5 November 1370) reigned as the King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He also later became King of Ruthenia in 1340, and fought to retain the title in the Galicia-Volhynia Wars. He w ...
. Together with his second wife, Katharina Šubić, Bolesław III retired to the small towns of
Brieg and
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 ...
, where he retained residences.
The two brothers initially decided to
co-rule without any land divisions, in order to pay the huge debts of the duchy. The resources of Legnica were minimal because their eccentric father had sold several productive parcels of land. Even the extraction of
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
from the mines of
Mikołajowice proved insufficient.
In 1345, the brothers decided upon a formal division of their authority and rule. Louis convince his older brother to ceded him the overlordship of Legnica in exchange for the towns of
Złotoryja
Złotoryja (; german: Goldberg, ; Latin: ''Aureus Mons'', ''Aurum'') is a historic town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in southwestern Poland, the administrative seat of Złotoryja County, and of the smaller Gmina Złotoryja. Having been granted ...
,
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 ...
,
Chocianów
Chocianów (german: Kotzenau) is a town in Polkowice County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Chocianów. The town lies approximately south-west of Polkowi ...
and
Lubin (Lüben).
Consolidation of power
However, within one year, Wenceslaus changed his mind, believing the division of the Duchy of Legnica to be inherently inequitable. Two reasons motivated him: he was seriously ill, and after eight years of childless marriage, his wife was expecting their first child. Wenceslaus claimed all the inheritance of Legnica; in exchange, he promised to name Louis as his sole heir, even if his unborn child was a son. Louis agreed and resigned his lands to Wenceslaus. In exchange, he received monetary compensation of 400 pieces of silver ''per year'' and the possession of the palace of
Buczyna.
The unexpected renunciation by Louis, without a fight, may have been motivated by his belief that his brother was dying, and that he would soon regain Legnica. However, with time, it became apparent that Wenceslaus, despite his illness, was not dying. The situation was further complicated by the birth of the first of Wenceslaus's four sons, Rupert.
Louis sought to annul his resignation on the basis that the promised annual compensation was not paid, but without success. The situation remained in an unstable peace until the death of Bolesław III (21 April 1352), which resulted in a civil war between the brothers.
Period of Conflict
Despite attempts at mediation by Duke
Konrad I of Oleśnica
Konrad I of Oleśnica ( – 22 December 1366) was a Duke of Żagań and Ścinawa during 1309–1312 (with his brothers as co-rulers), Duke of Oleśnica, Namysłów, Gniezno and Kalisz during 1312–1313 (with his brother as co-ruler), Duke of Kali ...
,
Przecław von Pogarell
Przecław is a small town in Mielec County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Przecław. It lies in Lesser Poland, approximately south of Mielec and north-w ...
, Bishop of
Wroclaw, and
Emperor Charles IV
Charles IV ( cs, Karel IV.; german: Karl IV.; la, Carolus IV; 14 May 1316 – 29 November 1378''Karl IV''. In: (1960): ''Geschichte in Gestalten'' (''History in figures''), vol. 2: ''F–K''. 38, Frankfurt 1963, p. 294), also known as Charle ...
, the war continued for six years, during which time both sides won and lost advantage. The war ended in July 1359, when a settlement was reached between the brothers. In that settlement, Wenceslaus – who lost the final battle – was compelled to give to Louis the districts of
Brzeg
Brzeg (; Latin: ''Alta Ripa'', German: ''Brieg'', Silesian German: ''Brigg'', , ) is a town in southwestern Poland with 34,778 inhabitants (December 2021) and the capital of Brzeg County. It is situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on the ...
-
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 ...
(which returned to him after the death of their stepmother,
Katharina Šubić
Katharina is a feminine given name. It is a German form of Katherine. It may refer to:
In television and film:
*Katharina Bellowitsch, Austrian radio and TV presenter
* Katharina Mückstein, Austrian film director
*Katharina Thalbach, German actr ...
) and
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 ...
as an independent Duchy (however, one half of Brzeg-Oława, with Byczyna, were already sold by Wenceslaus to Duke
Bolko II of Świdnica
Bolko II the Small (c. 1312 – 28 July 1368), was the last independent Duke of the Piast dynasty in Silesia. He was Duke of Świdnica from 1326, Duke of Jawor and Lwówek from 1346, Duke of Lusatia from 1364, Duke over half of Brzeg and Oława ...
). An additional concession by Wenceslaus was the payment of 4,500 pieces of silver to his younger brother, as compensation for damages.
In addition to the conflict with his brother, Wenceslaus was also involved in promoting the rule of the
House of Luxemburg
The House of Luxembourg ( lb, D'Lëtzebuerger Haus; french: Maison de Luxembourg; german: Haus Luxemburg) or Luxembourg dynasty was a royal family of the Holy Roman Empire in the Late Middle Ages, whose members between 1308 and 1437 ruled as king ...
in
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
. In 1348 he represented the Emperor as a mediator in a dispute between the Bishop of Wroclaw, Przecław von Pogarell, and the local nobility. In February 1348, Wenceslaus was part of the entourage who accompanied Emperor Charles IV, when he traveled to
Bautzen
Bautzen () or Budyšin () is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree river. In 2018 the town's population was 39,087. Until 1868, its German name was ''Budis ...
in order to arrange a meeting with
Frederick II, Margrave of
Meissen
Meissen (in German orthography: ''Meißen'', ) is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrecht ...
and Landgrave of
Thuringia
Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million.
Erfurt is the capital and larg ...
with the purpose of settling their frontier disputes. Eleven years later, in 1360, Wenceslaus was again a mediator in the dispute between Duke Konrad I of Oleśnica and Duke
Przemyslaus I of Cieszyn (Teschen) over the control of the Duchy of
Bytom
Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', german: Beuthen O.S.) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital ...
-
Koźle
Koźle (german: Cosel) is a district of Kędzierzyn-Koźle (since 1975), Poland and is at the junction of the Kłodnica and Oder rivers, km southeast of Opole. The district has a Roman Catholic church, a medieval chateau, remains of a 19th-cent ...
.
Final years
During the entire period of his reign, Wenceslaus was confronted with the financial difficulties of his Duchy. The lands and property that he had inherited from his father, Duke Bolesław III, came with enormous debts attached. In an effort to manage this debt, Wenceslaus was forced to rent out large portions of his Duchy to neighboring Princes and Bishops, and even ordinary Knights and townspeople.
Despite the disastrous financial situation of Legnica, Wenceslaus embarked upon several costly ventures, in an effort to raise the prestige of the Duchy, and himself. He founded a Benedictine monastery and Kolegiate in Legnica called "Church of God" (pl: ''Bożego Grobu''), and ordered the creation of a gold coin called a "''wacławki''", which was circulated throughout the realm.
Wenceslaus died on 2 June 1364 and was buried in the Church of God in Legnica, which was then under construction. His excommunication, as a punishment for unpaid debts, led to major complications. It was not until 1365 that his sons finally obtained a pardon for him. Wenceslaus's ornate tombstone remains intact and is currently maintained in the Legnica Cathedral.
Marriage and issue
By 1338, Wenceslaus married with Anna (b. ca. 1325 – d. 1367), daughter of Duke
Casimir I of Cieszyn. They had five children:
#
Rupert I (b. 27 March 1347 – d. bef. 12 January 1409).
#
Wenceslaus II
Wenceslaus II Přemyslid ( cs, Václav II.; pl, Wacław II Czeski; 27 SeptemberK. Charvátová, ''Václav II. Král český a polský'', Prague 2007, p. 18. 1271 – 21 June 1305) was King of Bohemia (1278–1305), Duke of Cracow (1291–1 ...
(b. 1348 – d. 30 December 1419).
#
Bolesław IV (b. ca. 1349 – d. 3/4 March 1394).
#
Hedwig Hedwig may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Hedwig (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Grzegorz Hedwig (born 1988), Polish slalom canoeist
* Johann Hedwig, (1730–1799), German botanist
* Romanus Adol ...
(b. ca. 1351 – d. 1 August 1409), married on 10 February 1372 to
Henry VI, Duke of Głogów-Żagań.
#
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
(b. ca. 1355 – d. 12 December 1398).
References
*
*
*''This article was translated by his Polish Wikipedia version''.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wenceslaus 01 Of Legnica
1318 births
1364 deaths
Dukes of Brzeg
Dukes of Legnica