Bolko II of Ziębice (; 1 February 1300 – 11 June 1341) was a Duke of
Jawor
Jawor () is a town in south-western Poland with 22,890 inhabitants (2019). It is situated in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the seat of Jawor County, and lies approximately west of the regional capital Wrocław.
One of the oldest towns ...
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Lwówek
Lwówek is a town in Nowy Tomyśl County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 2,961 inhabitants (2010).
History
Town rights were granted by King Władysław II Jagiełło. The town was known as Lwów, before the name was changed to the cu ...
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Åšwidnica
Åšwidnica (; ; ) is a city on the Bystrzyca (Oder), Bystrzyca River in south-western Poland in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. As of 2021, it has a population of 55,413 inhabitants. It is the seat of Åšwidnica County, and also of the smaller dis ...
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Ziębice
Ziębice () is a town in Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It lies on the Oława River, approximately east of Ząbkowice Śląskie and south of the regional capital Wrocław. It is the seat of t ...
in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
from 1301 to 1312 (with his brothers as co-rulers), of Świdnica-Ziębice from 1312 to 1322 (with his brother as co-ruler), and sole Duke of Ziębice from 1322 until his death.
He was the fourth son of
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 ...
, Duke of
Jawor
Jawor () is a town in south-western Poland with 22,890 inhabitants (2019). It is situated in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the seat of Jawor County, and lies approximately west of the regional capital Wrocław.
One of the oldest towns ...
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Lwówek
Lwówek is a town in Nowy Tomyśl County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 2,961 inhabitants (2010).
History
Town rights were granted by King Władysław II Jagiełło. The town was known as Lwów, before the name was changed to the cu ...
-
Åšwidnica
Åšwidnica (; ; ) is a city on the Bystrzyca (Oder), Bystrzyca River in south-western Poland in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. As of 2021, it has a population of 55,413 inhabitants. It is the seat of Åšwidnica County, and also of the smaller dis ...
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Ziębice
Ziębice () is a town in Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It lies on the Oława River, approximately east of Ząbkowice Śląskie and south of the regional capital Wrocław. It is the seat of t ...
, by his wife
Beatrix
Beatrix is a Latin feminine given name, most likely derived from ''Viatrix'', a feminine form of the Late Latin name ''Viator'' which meant "voyager, traveller" and later influenced in spelling by association with the Latin word ''beatus'' or "ble ...
, daughter of
Otto V the Long, Margrave of
Brandenburg
Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...
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Salzwedel
Salzwedel (, officially known as Hansestadt Salzwedel; ) is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, and has a population of approximately 21,500. Salzwedel is located on the Ger ...
. He was named after his eldest brother Bolko, who died on 30 January 1300, just two days before his birth.
Life
At the time of his father's death in 1301, Bolko II was not quite two years old. Therefore, he and his siblings were placed under the care of their mother and the guardianship of their maternal uncle,
Herman, Margrave of Brandenburg-Salzwedel, until 1305, when the eldest living brother
Bernard
Bernard ('' Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It has West Germanic origin and is also a surname.
The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''be ...
assumed the government and the tutelage of his brothers. Out of fear that the
duchy
A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a country, territory, fiefdom, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or Queen regnant, queen in Western European tradition.
There once existed an important differe ...
would be fragmented, Bolko II was initially destined for a career in the Church. Bolko II strongly resisted these plans, and in 1322 received the district of
Ziębice
Ziębice () is a town in Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It lies on the Oława River, approximately east of Ząbkowice Śląskie and south of the regional capital Wrocław. It is the seat of t ...
as an independent duchy from Bernard.
In 1322, Bolko II, alongside Bernard, took part with
Teutonic Knights
The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to t ...
in the expedition against
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
.
On the threshold of his reign, Bolko II fell into conflict with the Church. The continued financial difficulties of the Duke lead him to invade and steal goods from the monasteries of
Henryków and
Kamieniec ZÄ…bkowicki
Kamieniec ZÄ…bkowicki () is a town in ZÄ…bkowice ÅšlÄ…skie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Kamieniec ZÄ…bkowicki. The town is an important railroad j ...
. In 1329, the Duke attacked the suite of the
Papal legate
300px, A woodcut showing Henry II of England greeting the Pope's legate.
A papal legate or apostolic legate (from the ancient Roman title '' legatus'') is a personal representative of the Pope to foreign nations, to some other part of the Catho ...
Pietro di Alverni. This action motivated the intervention of the Kings of Poland and
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
, with the support of almost all of the
Silesian dukes. Defeated, Bolko II was
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 ...
by the
Bishop of Wrocław
Bishops of the (Breslau )Wrocław Bishopric, Prince-Bishopric (1290–1918), and Archdiocese (since 1930; see Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wrocław for details).
Bishops
* 1000–? – John (Johannes)
* 1051–1062 – Hieronymus
* 1063–1072 � ...
,
Nanker
Nanker (born Jan Kołda; also known as Nankier; ca. 1270–1341) was a Polish nobleman of Oksza coat of arms as well as bishop of Kraków (1320–1326) and bishop of Wrocław (1326–1341).
Supporter of King Władysław I the Elbow-high, Ladisl ...
. The excommunication was only removed after Bolko II paid large sums to both the Papal legate and the monasteries as compensation.
In 1335, the Duchy of Ziębice was attacked by
Charles of Luxembourg
Charles 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 Charles of Luxembourg, born Wenceslaus (, ), was H ...
,
Margrave
Margrave was originally the Middle Ages, medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a monarchy, kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain Feudal ...
of
Moravia
Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The medieval and early ...
and heir of the Bohemian Kingdom, because Bolko II refused to pay homage for his duchy. It was the shortest route between
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
and the most important Silesian city,
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 ...
, at that time under the control of the Bohemian Kingdom. Charles ignored Bolko II's determination, and sent a small force against him. The Duke quickly defeated the force, capturing 150 of the major Bohemian knights, but he failed to halt the destruction of the Bohemian lands made by Charles's army. Bolko II was able to take advantage from the captivity of the Bohemian knights; however, he only asked a very small ransom for them. Bolko II won the 1335 war.
However, in June 1336, Bolko II voluntary paid homage to the King of Bohemia. The withdrawal of the Silesian Dukes by King
Casimir III the Great
Casimir III the Great (; 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, retaining the title throughout the Galicia–Volhynia Wars. He was the last Polish king fr ...
of Poland eliminated Bolko II's hope of building an effective power against the Bohemian Kingdom. Also, Bolko II received the
Kłodzko Land
Kłodzko Land (; ; ) is a historical region in southwestern Poland.
The subject of Czech–Polish rivalry in the High Middle Ages, it became a Bohemian domain since the 12th century, although with periods of rule of the Polish Piast dynasty in th ...
during his lifetime. Bolko II's act of homage confirmed that, after the eventual extinction of the male line of the Dukes of Ziębice, the Duchy would fall under the direct rule of the King of Bohemia.
Bolko II struggled with his continuing financial problems, increased by his prodigality. In 1337, he was forced to pledge
ZÄ…bkowice to Charles of Luxembourg, and shortly after, for the amount of 2,300 fines he pledged
Strzelin
Strzelin (, ) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is located on the Oława river, a tributary of the Oder, about south of the region's capital Wrocław. It is part of the Wrocław metropolitan area.
The town i ...
and
Kąty Wrocławskie
Kąty Wrocławskie (; ), often abbreviated to Kąty, is a town in Wrocław County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Kąty Wrocławskie. It lies approximately so ...
. At the end, Bolko II only retained the capital of the Duchy, Ziębice. Despite this, Bolko II cared about the economic development of his estate, which enjoyed a relatively high popularity among the Silesian cities.
Bolko II died on 11 June 1341 in Ziębice, and was buried in the
Henryków.
Marriage and issue
By 21 November 1321, Bolko II married Bonne de Savoie (also named ''Guta'' or ''Judith''), daughter (either legitimate) or illegitimate
of
Louis II of Savoy, Baron of
Vaud
Vaud ( ; , ), more formally Canton of Vaud, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of Subdivisions of the canton of Vaud, ten districts; its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat ...
. Bonne was the widow of Matthew IV Csák, a Hungarian nobleman (son of the infamous oligarch
Matthew III Csák
Máté Csák or Matthew III Csák (between 1260 and 1265 – 18 March 1321; , ), also Máté Csák of Trencsén (, ), was a Hungarian oligarch who ruled ''de facto'' independently the north-western counties of Medieval Hungary (today roughly th ...
) and also mother of two sons, Matthew V and James. Bolko II and Guta had two children:
#
Nicholas the Small
Nicholas the Small (Mikołaj Mały) (1322/1327 – 23 April 1358) was a Duke of Ziębice from 1341 until his death.
He was the only son of Duke Bolko II of Ziębice and his wife Guta. He was born between 1322 and 1327. He had a sister, Małgorzat ...
(b. c. 1327 – d. 23 April 1358).
#Margareta (b. c. 1330 – d. August aft. 1368), a nun in
Strzelin
Strzelin (, ) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is located on the Oława river, a tributary of the Oder, about south of the region's capital Wrocław. It is part of the Wrocław metropolitan area.
The town i ...
.
Ancestry
References
External links
BOLKO II ZIĘBICKI*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolko 02 of Ziebice
1300 births
1341 deaths
14th-century Polish nobility
People excommunicated by the Catholic Church
Piast dynasty