Bernard the Lightsome (also known as of Lwówek) ( pl, Bernard Zwinny or Lwówecki ) (ca. 1253 or 1257 – 25 April 1286) was a Duke of Lwówek (Löwenberg) since 1278 (with his brother until 1281) and Jawor (Jauer) during 1278–1281 (as a co-ruler of his brother). He was the third son of

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, ...

, 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 ...

by his first wife Hedwig, daughter of

Henry I, Count of Anhalt Henry I ( 1170 – 1252), a member of the House of Ascania, was Count of Anhalt from 1212 and the first ruling Anhalt prince from 1218 until his death. Life He was the oldest son of Count Bernhard of Anhalt probably by his first wife Judith (o ...

. It is not known when exactly he was born but had to happen before 1258, because seven years later he was sent to Wroclaw by his father with the ''

Tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...

'' to the Bishop Thomas.

Life

Bernard actively supported the policy of his father Bolesław II and his brothers,

Henry V the Fat Henry V the Fat (german: Heinrich V der Dicke, pl, Henryk V Brzuchaty) ( – 22 February 1296) was a Duke of Jawor (Jauer) from 1273, of Legnica (Liegnitz) from 1278, and Duke of Wrocław ( Breslau) from 1290. He was the eldest son of Bo ...

and

Bolko I the Strict Bolko (Bolesław) I the Strict also known as the Raw or of Jawor ( pl, Bolko I Surowy or ''Srogi'' or ''Jaworski''; german: Bolko I. von Schweidnitz; 1252/56 – 9 November 1301), was a Duke of Lwówek (Löwenberg) 1278–81 (with his brother as c ...

(for example, he participated in the victorious Battle of Stolec). After the death of his father in 1278, Henry V gave his younger brothers Bernard and Bolko I the Duchies of Lwówek (''Löwenberg'') and Jawor as co-rulers. However, his independent rule began only three years later, in 1281, when he and Bolko made the division of their domains and Bernard received Lwówek. Little is known about this period in Bernard's life, and the only certain fact was (according to the chronicles), that he promoted and protected knights, a common practice among medieval princes. This also maybe justified thé nickname "Zwinny" (Lightsome, Clever) given to him by contemporary sources. Lwówek had a special gratitude to him after he supported the Silesian monastery of the

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...

, where he was a generous benefactor, giving them among other things in 1281, the village of . Bernard died unmarried and childless in 1286. He was buried in the Dominican church in

, and his lands were inherited by his brother Bolko.

References

{{Authority control 1250s births 1286 deaths Dukes of Silesia Piast dynasty