Bolesław II The Horned
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Bolesław II the Horned (), known also as Bolesław II the Bald (; c. 1220/5 – 26/31 December 1278), a member of 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 Wrymouth, Bolesław III of Poland. By Bolesław's Testament of Bolesław III Krzy ...
, was
High Duke 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 Royal elections in Poland, free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electab ...
briefly in 1241 and
Duke of Silesia The Duke of Silesia was the title of 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 distri ...
at
Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
from 1241 until 1248, when the duchy was divided between him and his brothers. After the partition, he ruled the Silesian
Duchy of Legnica The Duchy of Legnica (, ) or Duchy of Liegnitz () was one of the Duchies of Silesia, formed during the fragmentation of Poland into smaller provincial duchies, ruled by a local line of the Piast dynasty between 1248 and 1675. Its capital was Legni ...
until his death. The second Mongol raid against Poland, led by
Nogai Khan Nogai, or Noğay ( Kypchak and Turki: نوغای; also spelled Nogay, Nogaj, Nohai, Nokhai, Noqai, Ngoche, Noche, Kara Nokhai, and Isa Nogai; died 1299/1300) was a general and kingmaker of the Golden Horde. His great grandfather was Jochi, son o ...
, occurred during his reign.


Family history

Bolesław was the eldest son of the Polish high duke
Henry II the Pious Henry II the Pious (; 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 Opole– Racibórz. He ...
by his wife
Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna of East Anglia, King (died c.654) * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th c ...
, a daughter of the Přemyslid king
Ottokar I of Bohemia Ottokar I (; 1155 – 1230) was Duke of Bohemia periodically beginning in 1192, then acquired the title of King of Bohemia, first in 1198 from Philip of Swabia, later in 1203 from Otto IV of Brunswick and in 1212 (as hereditary) from ...
. His paternal grandparents were
Henry the Bearded Henry the Bearded (, ; c. 1165/70 – 19 March 1238) was a Polish duke from the Piast dynasty. He was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201, Duke of Kraków and High Duke of all Poland – internally divided – from 1232 until his death. Li ...
and
Hedwig of Silesia Hedwig of Silesia (also Hedwig of Andechs (, , ; 1174 – 15 October 1243), a member of the Bavarians, Bavarian comital Counts of Andechs, House of Andechs, was Duchess of Duchy of Silesia, Silesia from 1201 and of Duchy of Greater Poland, G ...
. Among his younger siblings were
Mieszko Mieszko is a Slavic given name of uncertain origin. Onomastics There are three major theories concerning the origin and meaning of the name of Duke Mieszko I of Poland. The most popular theory, proposed by Jan Długosz, explains that Mieszko is a ...
(died 1242),
Henry III the White Henry III the White () ( – 3 December 1266), a member of the Silesian Piasts, was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1248 until his death, as co-ruler with his brother Władysław. Life He was the third son of the Polish high duke Henry II the P ...
(d. 1266),
Konrad II Conrad II (, – 4 June 1039), also known as and , was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1027 until his death in 1039. The first of a succession of four Salian emperors, who reigned for one century until 1125, Conrad ruled the kingdo ...
(d. 1274), Władysław (d. 1270), and Elisabeth (d. 1265), who married her
Piast The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of King Casimir III the Great. Branches of ...
cousin Duke
Przemysł I of Greater Poland Przemysł I (4 June 1221 – 4 June 1257), a member of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Greater Poland from 1239 until his death, from 1241 with his brother Bolesław the Pious as co-ruler. He was able to re-acquire large parts of Greater Poland, ...
.


Accession

Bolesław succeeded as Duke of Silesia after his father, Henry II the Pious, was killed in the
Battle of Legnica The Battle of Legnica (), also known as the Battle of Liegnitz () or Battle of Wahlstatt (), was fought between the Mongol Empire and combined European forces at the village of Legnickie Pole (''Wahlstatt''), approximately southeast of the ci ...
on 9 April 1241, fighting against the Mongol invaders led by
Batu Khan Batu Khan (–1255) was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire established after Genghis Khan's demise. Batu was a son of Jochi, thus a grandson of Genghis Khan. His '' ulus'' ruled over the Kievan ...
. At the time, he and his immediate younger brother Mieszko were the only heirs who had reached majority. Their mother Anna helped them during the transition; some sources even call this period a
regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
. The Mongol forces conquered most of Silesia, but then withdrew to
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
. After Henry's death, the Silesian Piasts were not able to maintain their supremacy in the Polish lands. Bolesław's inheritance, including the Southern Greater Polish estates and the Lesser Polish
Seniorate Province Seniorate Province, also known as the Senioral Province, was a district principality in the Duchy of Poland that was formed in 1138, following the fragmentation of the state.Kwiatkowski, Richard. The Country That Refused to Die: The Story of t ...
was threatened by neighboring Piast dukes. By July 1241, his cousin
Konrad I of Masovia Konrad I of Masovia (ca. 1187/88 – 31 August 1247), from the Polish Piast dynasty, was the sixth Duke of Masovia and Kuyavia from 1194 until his death as well as High Duke of Poland from 1229 to 1232 and again from 1241 to 1243. Life Konrad w ...
tried to take over the Polish throne at Kraków. The local nobles, led by the Kraków governor Clement of Ruszczy, strongly resisted but eventually had to yield to Konrad's superior forces. Disappointed by Bolesław's lack of action, they turned their support to
Bolesław V the Chaste Bolesław V the Chaste (; 21 June 1226 – 7 December 1279) was Duke of Sandomierz in Lesser Poland from 1232 and High Duke of Poland from 1243 until his death, as the last male representative of the Lesser Polish branch of Piasts. Birth and n ...
, who ascended the Kraków throne in 1243. There was a similar situation in Greater Poland: after hearing the news of the defeat of Henry II in Legnica, Duke Przemysł I and his brother
Bolesław the Pious Bolesław the Pious (1224/27 – 14 April 1279) was a Duke of Greater Poland during 1239–1247 (according to some historians during 1239–1241, sole Duke of Ujście), Duke of Kalisz during 1247–1249, Duke of Gniezno during 1249–1250, Duk ...
retook the estates of
Kalisz Kalisz () is a city in central Poland, and the second-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship, with 97,905 residents (December 2021). It is the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of Gr ...
which once had been ruled by their father, the late Duke
Władysław Odonic Władysław Odonic, nicknamed Plwacz or the Spitter, ( – 5 June 1239) was a duke of Kalisz 1207–1217, duke of Poznań 1216–1217, ruler of Ujście in 1223, ruler of Nakło from 1225, and duke of all Greater Poland 1229–1234; from 1234 unt ...
. The local nobility supported them as the true heirs to those lands. Bolesław decided to avoid a fight and renounced all his Greater Poland lands. He tried to retain some districts, such as
Santok Santok (German : ''Zantoch'') is a village in Gorzów County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Santok. Geography Santok is located at the confluence of the Noteć and W ...
and
Międzyrzecz Międzyrzecz (; , , ) is a town in western Poland, on the Obra (river), Obra and Paklica river, with 17,667 inhabitants (2020). The capital of Gmina Międzyrzecz and Międzyrzecz County. Since the Local Government Reorganization Act of 1998, it ha ...
, but in 1247 the Dukes of Greater Poland ultimately forced Bolesław to resign all his rights to lands in Greater Poland.


First division of Lower Silesia

When in 1242, Bolesław next oldest brother Mieszko died suddenly without leaving an heir, his
Lubusz Lebus () is a historic town in the Märkisch-Oderland District of Brandenburg, Germany. It is the administrative seat of '' Amt'' ("collective municipality") Lebus. The town, located on the west bank of the Oder river at the border with Poland, wa ...
estates reverted to Bolesław and his younger brothers became co-rulers of the Lower Silesian lands. When his brother
Henry III the White Henry III the White () ( – 3 December 1266), a member of the Silesian Piasts, was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1248 until his death, as co-ruler with his brother Władysław. Life He was the third son of the Polish high duke Henry II the P ...
came of age in 1247, however, he and his younger brothers revolted against Bolesław and even were able to imprison him shortly thereafter. To regain freedom, Bolesław signed an agreement with Henry III, dividing the Lower Silesian lands of
Legnica Legnica (; , ; ; ) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River and the Czarna Woda. As well as being the seat of the county, since 1992 the city has been the seat of the Diocese of Legnica. Le ...
and
Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
. To avoid further fragmentation, the two pledged to offer hospitality to their minor brothers, Bolesław to Konrad I, and Henry to Władysław. Bolesław, as the eldest, got first choice of the districts, and he chose the Legnica estates, possibly because of the
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
discovery in the Kaczawa and Wierzbiak Rivers.


Duke of Legnica

Bolesław soon regretted his choice and tried to recover Wrocław. Henry III refused to surrender his new duchy, and war was inevitable. Both began preparing for battle, but didn't have adequate funds. Bolesław sought allies among the
Ascanian The House of Ascania () was a dynasty of German rulers. It is also known as the House of Anhalt, which refers to its longest-held possession, Anhalt. The Ascanians are named after Ascania (or Ascaria) Castle, known as ''Schloss Askanien'' in ...
relatives of his wife Hedwig, daughter of Count
Henry I 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 ...
. Archbishop Wilbrand of Magdeburg contributed funds after Bolesław sold half of Lubusz Land to him. The German aid only gave Bolesław a temporary advantage in the war against his brother. In 1249 his younger brother and co-ruler Konrad I unexpectedly returned to the country (after concluding his studies in Paris). Bolesław proposed him as
Bishop of Passau The Diocese of Passau (; ) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Germany that is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.Duchy of Głogów The Duchy of Głogów (, ) or Duchy of Glogau () was one of the Duchies of Silesia, formed in course of the medieval fragmentation of Poland into smaller provincial duchies. Its capital was Głogów in Lower Silesia. It existed in 1177–1185 an ...
to Konrad. Bolesław only retained the small district of Legnica proper.


Conflict with the bishop of Wrocław

It took Bolesław another two years and the help of his brother Henry III to recover full authority over his principality. Bolesław made some agreements with the other Piast dukes, especially with the princes of Greater Poland and with Bishop Thomas I of Wrocław. However, Bolesław never forgave the bishop for his tendency to support the younger princes. Bolesław's conflict with the bishop of Wrocław reached a more critical point in 1257, when the Bolesław incarcerated the bishop at Wleń Castle. Bolesław was immediately
excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in communion with other members of the con ...
. His brothers quickly intervened and negotiated a settlement. In 1261, Bolesław's paid a large tribute and paid public penance at the gates of Wrocław Cathedral. He had been excommunicated twice before, in 1248 and 1249, and a call had been issued to the neighboring nobility to a crusade against him. He was later forgiven by the Bishop, and both of the previous excommunications were rescinded. Bolesław also remained in hostile relations with his brother Duke Konrad of Głogów. In 1257 Konrad kidnapped Bolesław from his castle in Legnica. The duke regained his freedom a few months later. In 1271 Bolesław took the town of
Bolesławiec Bolesławiec (pronounced , ) is a historic city situated on the Bóbr River in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the administrative seat of Bolesławiec County, and of Gmina Bolesławiec, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Gm ...
, near
Bóbr The Bóbr (; ; ) is a river which flows through the north of the Czech Republic and the southwest of Poland. It is a left tributary of the Oder. Its Polish name translates directly to ' beaver'. Course The Bóbr has a length of (3 in Czech ...
.


Final years

In the 1270s, Bolesław gave more and more power to his adolescent sons. In 1273 he granted the
Duchy of Jawor Duchy of Jawor (, ) was one of the duchies of Silesia and medieval Poland established in 1274 as a subdivision of the Duchy of Legnica. It was ruled by the Silesian Piasts, with its capital at Jawor in Lower Silesia. It was the southwesternmost ...
to his oldest son
Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...
and it seemed that Bolesław had resigned from adventurous politics. Nevertheless, in 1277, he signed an alliance with King
Rudolph I of Germany Rudolf I (1 May 1218 – 15 July 1291) was the first King of Germany of the Habsburg dynasty from 1273 until his death. Rudolf's election marked the end of the Great Interregnum which had begun after the death of the Hohenstaufen Emperor ...
, straining the alliance of the other Piast dukes with rivalling King
Ottokar II of Bohemia Ottokar II (; , in Městec Králové, Bohemia – 26 August 1278, in Dürnkrut, Austria, Dürnkrut, Lower Austria), the Iron and Golden King, was a member of the Přemyslid dynasty who reigned as King of Bohemia from 1253 until his death in 1278 ...
. At Rudolph's insistence, Bolesław kidnapped Ottokar's ally, Duke Henry IV of Wrocław, Bolesław's nephew, and demanded one-third of Wrocław after the death of his uncle Władysław, Bolesław's youngest brother, in 1270. Henry IV was imprisoned in Legnica Castle. A coalition was formed between Ottokar II, Duke Henry III of Głogów, and Duke Przemysł II of Greater Poland, but it soon failed: while Bolesław's forces were greatly outnumbered at the bloody battle of Stolec, his son Henry V turned the tide and the allied dukes were defeated. A settlement was reached; Henry IV was freed and Bolesław was given one-third of the Duchy of
Środa Śląska Środa Śląska (, ; ) is a town in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of Środa Śląska County, and of the smaller administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Środa Śląska. The town lies approximately w ...
. Bolesław II died between 26 and 31 December 1278 and was buried at the Dominican monastery of his Legnica residence. His three sons, Henry V the Fat, Bolko I and Bernhard, inherited his lands.


Marriages and children

In 1242, Bolesław married firstly Hedwig (d. 21 December 1259), 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 ...
. They had seven children: #Agnes (born c. 1243/50 – died 13 March 1265, buried Stuttgart Stiftskirche), married c. 1260/64 to Count Ulrich I of Württemberg. #
Henry V the Fat Henry V (, ; – 22 February 1296), called the Fat (, ) was a Duke of Jawor from 1273, of Legnica from 1278, and Duke of Wrocław from 1290. He was the eldest son of Bolesław II the Bald, Duke of Legnica and Hedwig, daughter of Henry I, Count ...
(born c. 1248 – died 22 February 1296). #Hedwig (Jadwiga) (born c. 1250/55 – died aft. 1280), married c. 1265/70 to Duke
Konrad II of Masovia Konrad II of Czersk (pl: ''Konrad II czerski''; c. 1250 – 24 June/21 October 1294 assumed that both dates are equally likely), was a Polish prince member of the House of Piast, Duke of Masovia during 1264-1275 jointly with his brother, after 127 ...
. #
Bolko I the Strict Bolko (Bolesław) I the Strict, also known as Bolko (Bolesław) of Jawor ( or ''Srogi'' or ''Jaworski''; 1252/56 – 9 November 1301), was a Duke of Lwówek Śląski, Lwówek 1278–81 (with his brother as co-ruler) and Duchy of Jawor, Jawor after ...
(born c. 1252/56 – died Krzeszów, 9 November 1301, buried
Krzeszów Abbey Krzeszów Abbey (, ) is a historical Baroque architecture, Baroque Cistercians, Cistercian monastery in Krzeszów, Lower Silesia, Poland. The Abbey, a 1242 Benedictine foundation, from 1289 to 1810 was run by Cistercians, until it was secularized ...
). #
Bernhard Bernhard is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar (1604–1639), Duke of Saxe-Weimar *Bernhard, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen (1901–1984), head of the House of Saxe-Meiningen 1946 ...
(born c. 1253/57 – died 25 April 1286, buried Dominican Monastery,
Legnica Legnica (; , ; ; ) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River and the Czarna Woda. As well as being the seat of the county, since 1992 the city has been the seat of the Diocese of Legnica. Le ...
). #Konrad (d. young). #Katharina (d. 25 April 1286, buried Dominican Monastery,
Legnica Legnica (; , ; ; ) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River and the Czarna Woda. As well as being the seat of the county, since 1992 the city has been the seat of the Diocese of Legnica. Le ...
). In 1261, Bolesław married secondly Euphemia (also called Alenta or Iolanta or Adelheid) (born c. 1245 - died c. 15 February 1309), daughter of
Sambor II, Duke of Pomerania Sambor II of Tczew (; c. 1211/1212 – December 1277 or 1278) was a duke of Pomerania and prince of Lubiszewo Tczewskie. Sambor was a son of Mestwin I, Duke of Pomerania, and member of the Samborides. He was married to Matilda, daughter of ...
. Around 1270, he began living with his mistress Sophia of Dyhrn. They had a son, Jarosław, who died in infancy. Gravely ill and deeply offended by her husband's affair, Euphemia fled to her homeland in Pomerania in 1275. Their marriage was considered annulled. In 1277 Bolesław finally married his mistress, but the union lasted only a few months until the Duke's death in 1278. Euphemia returned to Silesia after Bolesław's death.Karl Friedrich Pauli: Allgemeine preußische Staats-Geschichte etc., 7. Band. Verlag C.P.Franckens, Halle 1767.


References


Sources

*
Bolesław II Rogatka (Łysy, Okrutny, Srogi, Cudaczny)
* , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Boleslaw 02 The Bald 1220s births 1278 deaths 13th-century Polish monarchs Medieval nobility of the Holy Roman Empire 13th-century Polish people Dukes of Legnica Dukes of Głogów Dukes of Greater Poland People excommunicated by the Catholic Church People of Byzantine descent