The
Duchies of Silesia resulted from divisions of the original
Duchy of SilesiaThe Duchy of Silesia was a medieval duchy located in Silesia. Soon after it was formed in 1163, it fragmented into various Duchies of Silesia....
after 1138.
In accordance with the last will and testament of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth, the Kingdom of Poland was, upon his death in 1138, divided into five hereditary provinces distributed among his sons, including the
Seniorate ProvinceSeniorate Province was the superior among the five provinces established in Testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty. It existed during the period of fragmentation of Poland...
of
KrakówKraków , in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow and pronounced
, is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland and a popular tourist destination. Its historic centre was inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites as the first of its kind...
reserved for the eldest, who was to be High Duke of all Poland. This act inadvertently started the process known as Fragmentation of Poland.
Bolesław's son, Władysław II the Exile received the
Duchy of SilesiaThe Duchy of Silesia was a medieval duchy located in Silesia. Soon after it was formed in 1163, it fragmented into various Duchies of Silesia....
and, as the eldest, was also granted the title of a High Duke among with the Seniorate Province of Kraków.
The
Duchies of Silesia resulted from divisions of the original
Duchy of SilesiaThe Duchy of Silesia was a medieval duchy located in Silesia. Soon after it was formed in 1163, it fragmented into various Duchies of Silesia....
after 1138.
In accordance with the last will and testament of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth, the Kingdom of Poland was, upon his death in 1138, divided into five hereditary provinces distributed among his sons, including the
Seniorate ProvinceSeniorate Province was the superior among the five provinces established in Testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty. It existed during the period of fragmentation of Poland...
of
KrakówKraków , in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow and pronounced
, is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland and a popular tourist destination. Its historic centre was inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites as the first of its kind...
reserved for the eldest, who was to be High Duke of all Poland. This act inadvertently started the process known as Fragmentation of Poland.
Bolesław's son, Władysław II the Exile received the
Duchy of SilesiaThe Duchy of Silesia was a medieval duchy located in Silesia. Soon after it was formed in 1163, it fragmented into various Duchies of Silesia....
and, as the eldest, was also granted the title of a High Duke among with the Seniorate Province of Kraków. Nevertheless, after he had tried to gain control over all Poland, he was banned and expelled by his younger brothers in 1146. Władysław's half-brother Bolesław IV the Curly, the
Duke of MasoviaThe Duchy of Masovia was a duchy formed when the Kingdom of Poland fragmented in 1138. It was reincorporated into the Polish kingdom in 1526.-History:...
, became High Duke. When, in 1163, Władysław's three sons, backed by
Emperor Frederick I BarbarossaFrederick I Barbarossa was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1154, and finally crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV on 18 June 1155. He was crowned King of Burgundy at Arles on 30 June 1178...
returned to Poland, Bolesław IV had to restore their heritage. After ten years of joint rule, the sons finally divided Silesia in 1173:
- Bolesław I the Tall, the eldest, received the Duchy of Wrocław including Legnica
The Duchy of Legnica or Duchy of Liegnitz was one of the duchies of Silesia.Its capital was Legnica , which had become a residence of the dukes of Lower Silesia in 1163 and from 1248 was the seat of a principality ruled by a Silesian branch of the Piast dynasty until 1675...
and OpoleDuchy of Opole was one of the duchies of Silesia. Its capital was Opole .The Duchy was formed in 1172 as a territory for the eldest of Bolesław I the Tall sons, Jarosław, Duke of Opole. In the years 1201-1202 it was briefly incorporated into the Duchy of Wrocław...
. In 1280, he granted the Duchy of Opole to his son Jarosław († 1201).
- Mieszko I Tanglefoot became Duke of Racibórz
Duchy of Racibórz was one of the duchies of Silesia. Its capital was Racibórz .The Duchy was formed in 1172 as a territory for Mieszko I Tanglefoot. It was centered around the towns of Racibórz, Koźle and Cieszyn. In 1202 Duchy of Opole was merged into it, forming the entity known as the Duchy of...
and received BytomBytom is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The central-western district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - metropolis with the population of 2 millions. Bytom is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Bytomka river .The city belongs to the Silesian Voivodeship since...
and OświęcimOświęcim, Lesser Poland Voivodeship is a town in southern Poland, situated west of Kraków, near the confluence of the rivers Vistula and Soła...
in 1177. After his brother Bolesław had died in 1201, he also conquered and took the Duchy of Opole from Bolesław's son Henry I the BeardedHenry I the Bearded , of the Silesian line of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Lower Silesia from 1201. He was later also Duke of Lesser Poland and thus senior prince of all Poland - internally divided - from 1232 until his death.He was the son of Bolesław I the Tall, Duke of Wrocław, by his second...
.
- Konrad Spindleshanks
Konrad Spindleshanks , was a Duke of Głogów since 1177 until his death.He was the third and youngest surviving son of Władysław II the Exile by his wife Agnes of Babenberg, daughter of Margrave Leopold III of Austria and half-sister of King Conrad III of Germany.-Life:Little is known about Konrad's...
(Konrad Laskonogi), the youngest, in 1177 also claimed his rights and received the Duchy of Głogów from his brother Bolesław, who after Konrad's death about 1180/90 again inherited it.
Miezsko I Tanglefoot ruled over the
Upper SilesiaUpper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Lower Silesia is to the northwest. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, Bohemia, Poland, Holy Roman Empire, Austria, Prussia, and later of unified German Reich...
n duchies of Racibórz and Opole until his death in 1211. His heir was Duke
Casimir I of OpoleCasimir I of Opole , was a Duke of Opole-Racibórz from 1211 until his death.He was the eldest child and only son of Mieszko I Tanglefoot, Duke of Opole-Racibórz and High Duke of Poland, by his wife Ludmilla, probably a Přemyslid princess.-Life:Little is known about his early years of life, except...
, who died in 1230. Casimir's cousin Henry I the Bearded remained sovereign of the
Lower SilesiaLower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast. Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of medieval Poland, Bohemia, Austria, Prussia, and Germany. After 1945 the main part of the former...
n Duchy of Wrocław, he acquired the
Duchy of KaliszKalisz is a city in central Poland with 107,910 inhabitants , the capital city of Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the city forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce...
in 1206, which he gave to Władysław Odonic, and
Lubusz LandLubusz Land is a historical region in Poland and Germany, on the Oder river. Historically the Catholic Bishopric of Lebus, swampy area east of Brandenburg, west of Greater Poland, south of Pomerania and north of Silesia...
in 1210. After the death of Casimir I of Opole, Henry managed to reunite whole Silesia under his reign.
Henry I the Bearded was succeeded by his son
Henry II the PiousHenry II the Pious , was a Piast Duke of Silesia-Wrocław, Krakow and Southern Greater Poland from 1238 until his death...
in 1238, while Upper Silesia was inherited by Casimir's son
Mieszko II the FatMieszko II the Fat , was a Duke of Opole-Racibórz since 1230 until his death, and Duke of Kalisz-Wieluń during 1234-1239 ....
in 1239. He and his brother, Władysław Opolski, had already received the Duchy of Kalisz in 1234.
Henry II was killed at the
Battle of LegnicaThe Battle of Legnica , also known as the Battle of Liegnitz or Battle of Wahlstatt , was a battle between the Mongol Empire and the combined defending forces of European fighters that took place at Legnickie Pole near the city of Legnica in Silesia on April 9 1241.A combined force of Poles,...
in 1241. His eldest son, Bolesław II the Bald, gave Lubusz to his brother Mieszko († 1242) and remained sole ruler of Lower Silesia until 1248.
Mieszko II the Fat, of Upper Silesia, in 1244, returned Kalisz to Duke Przemysł I of Greater Poland. He died in 1246 and his possessions were inherited by his brother Władysław Opolski.
Silesia was subsequently divided among the descendants and successors of the
Piast dynastyThe Piast dynasty was the first Polish historical Royal dynasty that ruled Poland from its beginnings starting with the semi-legendary Piast Kołodziej . The first historically undisputed Piast ruler is Mieszko I from 10th century...
, until they died out in 1675. Those
Silesian PiastsThe Silesian Piasts were the oldest line of the Piast dynasty beginning with Władysław II the Exile, son of Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland...
, known as
Dukes of SilesiaIn accordance with the last will and testament of Poland's Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth, Poland was upon his death divided into 4-5 hereditary provinces distributed among his sons, and a royal province of Kraków reserved for the eldest, who was to be High Duke of all Poland...
, and territories they ruled were known as Duchies of Silesia.
Many of the Duchies shared similar fate: falling away from Kingdom of Poland sphere of influence,
vassalA vassal in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of medieval Europe, is one who enters into mutual obligations with a monarch, usually of military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain guarantees, which came to include the terrain held as a fief. By...
ization by
John I of BohemiaJohn the Blind was the Count of Luxembourg from 1309 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of Poland...
in 1327, and under suzerainty of the
Kingdom of BohemiaThe Kingdom of Bohemia was a country in Central Europe, a de-facto independent member of the Holy Roman Empire and thereafter a part of the Austrian Empire.-History:...
by the Treaties of Trentschin and
VisegrádThe first Congress of Visegrád was a 1335 summit in Visegrád in which Casimir III of Poland, Charles I of Hungary, and John I of Bohemia formed an anti-Habsburg alliance...
in 1335. After the Piasts had become extinct, the duchies were "
State CountriesState country was a unit of administrative and territorial division in Silesia and Upper Lusatia existing from 15th to 18th centuries. These estates were exempt from feudal tenure by privilege of the Bohemian kings...
" of the Bohemian Crown, which fell to the House of Habsburg in 1526. In 1742, Silesia was annexed by the
Kingdom of PrussiaThe Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918, until the defeat of Germany in World War I, was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising almost two-thirds of the area of the empire...
following the
First Silesian WarThe Silesian Wars were a series of wars between Prussia and Austria for control of Silesia. They formed parts of the larger War of the Austrian Succession and Seven Years' War. They eventually ended with Silesia being incorporated into Prussia, and Austrian recognition of this...
.
Duchies of Silesia
- Note: this list may not be complete.
- Duchy of Bielsko (Bílské knížectví, Księstwo Bielskie, Herzogtum Bielitz)
- Duchy of Brzeg
The Duchy of Brzeg or Duchy of Brieg , was one of the Duchies of Silesia. Its capital was Brzeg.It was created in 1311 during the fragmentation of the Duchy of Legnica among the sons of Duke Henry V and ruled by Bolesław III the Generous of the Silesian Piasts, who declared himself a vassal of...
(Knížectví Břeh, Księstwo Brzeskie, Herzogtum Brieg)
- Duchy of Bytom
The Duchy of Bytom or Duchy of Beuthen was one of many duchies of Silesia. It was established in Upper Silesia about 1281 during the division of the Duchy of Opole among the sons of Władysław Opolski, its capital was Bytom . Casimir became Duke of Bytom, who at first ruled jointly with his...
(Knížectví Bytomské, Księstwo Bytomskie, Herzogtum Beuthen)
- Duchy of Głogów ( Knížectví Hlohovské, Księstwo Głogowskie, Herzogtum Glogau)
- Duchy of Jawor
Duchy of Jawor was one of the Duchies of Silesia, with a capital in Jawor. It was created in 1274 as a subdivision of the Duchy of Legnica in Lower Silesia under the rule of Henry V the Fat, the eldest son of Duke Bolesław II the Bald...
(Javorské knížectví, Księstwo Jaworskie, Herzogtum Jauer)
- Duchy of Krnov
Duchy of Krnov was one of the Duchies of Silesia, with its capital in Krnov, present-day Czech Republic....
(Krnovské knížectví, Księstwo Karniowskie, Herzogtum Jägerndorf)
- Duchy of Legnica
The Duchy of Legnica or Duchy of Liegnitz was one of the duchies of Silesia.Its capital was Legnica , which had become a residence of the dukes of Lower Silesia in 1163 and from 1248 was the seat of a principality ruled by a Silesian branch of the Piast dynasty until 1675...
(Lehnické knížectví, Księstwo Legnickie, Herzogtum Liegnitz)
- Duchy of Münsterberg (Minstrberské knížectví,Księstwo Ziębickie, Herzogtum Münsterberg)
- Duchy of Nysa
The Duchy of Nysa , or Duchy of Neisse was one of the duchies of Silesia. Alongside the Duchy of Siewierz, it was the only ecclesiastical duchy in the Silesian region, as it was ruled by a bishop of the Catholic Church...
(Niské knížectví, Księstwo Nyskie, Herzogtum Neisse)
- Duchy of Oleśnica (Olešnické knížectví, Księstwo Oleśnickie, Herzogtum Oels)
- Duchy of Opole
Duchy of Opole was one of the duchies of Silesia. Its capital was Opole .The Duchy was formed in 1172 as a territory for the eldest of Bolesław I the Tall sons, Jarosław, Duke of Opole. In the years 1201-1202 it was briefly incorporated into the Duchy of Wrocław...
(Opolské knížectví, Księstwo Opolskie, Herzogtum Oppeln)
- Duchy of Oświęcim
The Duchy of Oświęcim, or the Duchy of Auschwitz, was one of many duchies of Silesia, formed in the aftermath of the fragmentation of Poland. It was established around 1315 by the Polish Piast dynasty. Briefly semi-autonomus, with its capital in Oświęcim, it was reattached to the Kingdom of Poland...
(Osvětimské knížectví, Księstwo Oświęcimskie, Herzogtum Auschwitz)
- Duchy of Pszczyna (Pštinské knížectví, Księstwo Pszczyńskie, Herzogtum Pless)
- Duchy of Racibórz
Duchy of Racibórz was one of the duchies of Silesia. Its capital was Racibórz .The Duchy was formed in 1172 as a territory for Mieszko I Tanglefoot. It was centered around the towns of Racibórz, Koźle and Cieszyn. In 1202 Duchy of Opole was merged into it, forming the entity known as the Duchy of...
(Ratibořské knížectví, Księstwo Raciborskie, Herzogtum Ratibor)
- Duchy of Siewierz
The Duchy of Siewierz was a Silesian duchy with its capital in Siewierz. The area was part of the original Duchy of Silesia established after the death of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth in 1138 during the times of the fragmentation of Poland....
(Seveřské knížectví, Księstwo Siewierskie, Herzogtum Siewierz)
- Duchy of Świdnica (Svídnické knížectví, Księstwo Świdnickie, Herzogtum Schweidnitz)
- Duchy of Teschen (Księstwo Cieszyńskie, Knížectví těšínské, Herzogtum Teschen)
- Duchy of Troppau
The Principality or Duchy of Troppau was based for centuries in the city of Opava in Silesia.The duchy was created on lands split off from the March of Moravia before 1269 by King Ottokar II of Bohemia, to provide for his natural son, Nicholas I, Duke of Troppau, as he was known henceforth...
(Vévodství opavské, Herzogtum Oppau)
- Duchy of Wrocław (Vratislavské knížectví, Księstwo Wrocławskie, Herzogtum Breslau)
- Duchy of Zator
The Duchy of Zator was one of many Duchies of Silesia.In 1454, the Duchy of Zator, with its capital in Zator, was split from the lands of Duchy of Oświęcim. In 1494 after the death of his brother and coregent, Jan V , the heirless, sold the Duchy to the King of Poland under a guarantee that he...
(Zatorské knížectví, Księstwo Zatorskie, Herzogtum Zator)
- Duchy of Ziębice
The Duchy of Münsterberg was one of the Duchies of Silesia, with a capital in Münsterberg . It was created in Lower Silesia and existed from 1321/1322 to 1742...
(Minstrberské knížectví, Księstwo Ziębickie, Herzogtum Münsterberg)
- Duchy of Żagań (Zaháňské knížectví, Księstwo Żagańskie, Herzogtum Sagan)
Maps
The following maps illustrate continuing fragemtarization of the Duchy of Silesia, and shifting borders of the individual smaller Duchies.