List of Polish monarchs

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Stańczyk, symbol of Polish history
History of Poland
Chronology

Until 966
966–1385
1385–1569
1569–1795
1795–1918
1918–1939
1939–1945
1945–1989
1989–present
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Poland, or at least its nucleus, was ruled at various times either by książęta (Dukes) (ca. 10th-14th century) or by Kings (ca. 11th-18th century). The longest-reigning dynasties were the Piasts (ca. 960 – 1370) and Jagiellons (1386–1572). Intervening and subsequent monarchs were often rulers of foreign countries or princes recruited from foreign dynasties. During the latter period a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16th-18th centuries). Polish independence ended with the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1795) and was restored at the end of World War I (1918) on a republican basis.

Contents

[edit] Monarchs of Poland

Ruler Dynasty Reign Notes
Siemowit Piast Duke 9th century legendary; son of Piast
Lestko Piast Duke 9th-10th century legendary; son of Siemowit
Siemomysł Piast Duke 10th century legendary
Mieszko I Piast Duke 960?-992 son of Siemomysł
first Christian monarch
Bolesław I the Brave
(Boleslas I)		 Piast Duke 992-1025
King 1025		 son of Mieszko
first to be crowned King
Mieszko II Lambert Piast King 1025-1031 son of Boleslas I
Bezprym Piast Duke 1031-1032 son of Boleslas I
Otton Piast Duke 1032 son of Boleslas I
Thiedric Piast Duke 1032 Mieszko I's grandson
Mieszko II Lambert Piast Duke 1032-1034 restored
Kazimierz I the Restorer
(Casimir I)		 Piast Duke 1039-1058 son of Mieszko II
Bolesław II the Bold
(Boleslas II)		 Piast Duke 1058-1076
King 1076-1079		 son of Casimir I
Władysław I Herman
(Ladislas I)		 Piast Duke 1079-1102 son of Casimir I
Zbigniew Piast Duke 1102-1107 son of Ladislas I;
first jointly with Boleslas III
Bolesław III Wrymouth
(Boleslas III)		 Piast Duke 1102-1138 son of Ladislas I
first jointly with Zbigniew
introduced senioral principle
Władysław II the Exile
(Ladislas II)		 Piast High Duke 1138-1146 son of Boleslas III
also Duke of Silesia
exiled by his brothers
Bolesław IV the Curly
(Boleslas IV)		 Piast High Duke 1146-1177 son of Boleslas III
also Duke of Masovia
Mieszko III the Old Piast High Duke 1173-1177 son of Boleslas III
also Duke of Greater Poland
Kazimierz II the Just
(Casimir II)		 Piast High Duke 1177-1190 son of Boleslas III; also Duke
of Wiślica and Sandomierz
Mieszko III the Old Piast High Duke 1190 restored
Kazimierz II the Just
(Casimir II)		 Piast High Duke 1190-1194 restored
Leszek I the White Piast High Duke 1194-1198 also Duke of Sandomierz
Mieszko III the Old Piast High Duke 1198-1199 restored
Leszek I the White Piast High Duke 1199-1202 restored
Mieszko III the Old Piast High Duke 1202 restored
Władysław III Spindleshanks
(Ladislas III)		 Piast High Duke 1202-1206 son of Mieszko III
also Duke of Greater Poland
Leszek I the White Piast High Duke 1206-1210 restored
Mieszko I Tanglefoot Piast High Duke 1210-1211 son of Ladislas II;
also Duke of Wrocław
Leszek I the White Piast High Duke 1211-1227 restored; assassinated
Władysław III Spindleshanks
(Ladislas III)		 Piast High Duke 1227-1229 restored
Konrad I of Masovia Piast High Duke 1229-1232 son of son of Casimir II
also Duke of Masovia
Henryk I the Bearded
(Henry I)		 Piast High Duke 1232-1238 also Duke of Silesia
Henryk II the Pious
(Henry II)		 Piast High Duke 1238-1241 son of Henry I; also Duke of
Wroclaw and Greater Poland;
fell at Legnica
Konrad I of Masovia Piast High Duke 1241-1243 also Duke of Masovia
Bolesław V the Chaste
(Boleslas V)		 Piast High Duke 1243-1279 son of Leszek the White
Leszek II the Black Piast High Duke 1279-1288
Henryk IV Probus
(Henry IV)		 Piast High Duke 1288-1290 also Duke of Lower Silesia
Przemysł II
(Premyslas II)		 Piast High Duke 1290-1295
King 1295-1296		 also Duke of Poznań, Greater
Poland and Pomerania
Václav II
(Wenceslas II)		 Přemyslid High Duke 1296-1300
King 1300-1305		 Duke of Lesser Poland
since 1291
Václav III
(Wenceslas III)		 Přemyslid King 1305-1306 son of Wenceslaus III
uncrowned; assassinated
Władysław I the Elbow-high
(Ladislas I/IV)		 Piast High Duke 1306-1320
King 1320-1333
Kazimierz III the Great
(Casimir III)		 Piast King 1333-1370 son of Władysław I
Ludwik
(Louis)		 Anjou King 1370-1382 nephew of Casimir III
Jadwiga
(Hedwig)		 Anjou King 1382-1399 daughter of Louis I
reigned jointly with her husband
Ladislas II since 1386

[edit] Kings of Poland and Grand Dukes of Lithuania

[edit] Jagiellon Dynasty

Ruler Dynasty Reign Notes
Władysław II Jagiełło
(Ladislas II)		 Jagiellon 1386-1434 reigned jointly with his wife Jadwiga until 1399
Władysław III
(Ladislas III)		 Jagiellon 1434-1444 Also king of Hungary

fell at Varna, therefore surnamed "of Varna"
Kazimierz IV
(Casimir III/IV)		 Jagiellon 1447-1492
Jan I Olbracht
(John I Albert)		 Jagiellon 1492-1501
Aleksander
(Alexander)		 Jagiellon 1501-1506
Zygmunt I the Old
(Sigismund I)		 Jagiellon 1506-1548
Zygmunt II August
(Sigismund II)		 Jagiellon 1548-1572

[edit] Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Ruler Dynasty Reign Notes
Henryk Walezy
(Henry III)		 Valois 1573-1574 abandoned the Polish-Lithuanian throne on becoming King of France
Maksymilian II
(Maximilian I)		 Habsburg 1575 election contested after four days
Anna Jagiellon King 1575-1586 reigned together with her husband Stephen Báthory
Stefan I Batory
(Stephen I Báthory)		 Báthory 1576-1586 reigned together with his wife Anna; regarded as one of the greatest kings of Poland
Maksymilian III
(Maximilian II)		 Habsburg 1587 defeated by Zygmunt Vasa
Zygmunt III
(Sigismund III )		 Vasa 1587-1632
Władysław IV
(Ladislas IV)		 Vasa 1632-1648
Jan II Kazimierz
(John II Casimir)		 Vasa 1648-1668
Michał Korybut
(Michael I)		 Wiśniowiecki 1669-1673
Jan III
(John III)		 Sobieski 1674-1696
August II Mocny
(Augustus II the Strong)		 Wettin 1697-1706 abdicated
Stanisław I
(Stanislas I)		 Leszczyński 1706-1709 yielded to Augustus II
August II Mocny
(Augustus II the Strong)		 Wettin 1709-1733 restored
Stanisław I
(Stanislas I)		 Leszczyński 1733-1736 restored, defeated

in War of the Polish Succession, abdicated
August III Sas
(Augustus III)		 Wettin 1734-1763
Stanisław II August
(Stanislas II August)		 Poniatowski 1764-1795 abdicated

[edit] Claim made by foreign states after Partitions of Poland

Ruler English Dynasty Reign Notes

[edit] Kings of Galicia and Lodomeria
Maria Teresa Maria Theresa Habsburg 1772-1780 the Austrian portion obtained in the first partition of Poland
Józef II Joseph II Habsburg-Lorraine 1780-1790
Leopold II Leopold II Habsburg-Lorraine 1790-1792
Franciszek II Francis II Habsburg-Lorraine 1792-1835
Ferdynand I Ferdinand I Habsburg-Lorraine 1835-1848
Franciszek Józef I Francis Joseph I Habsburg-Lorraine 1848-1916
Karol I Charles I Habsburg-Lorraine 1916-1918

[edit] Dukes of Warsaw
Fryderyk August Frederick August I Wettin 1807-1815 created in 1807 as a satellite of Napoleon, dissolved at the Congress of Vienna and divided into the Russian Kingdom of Poland and the Prussian Grand Duchy of Poznań

[edit] Kings of "Congress" Kingdom of Poland
Aleksander I Alexander I Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov 1815-1825 created at the Congress of Vienna and therefore dubbed "Congress Poland"
Mikołaj I Nicholas I Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov 1825-1855 deposed by Sejm during uprising of 1831, autonomy abolished in 1832
Aleksander II Alexander II Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov 1855-1881 annexed into Russia after uprising in 1863
Aleksander III Alexander III Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov 1881-1894
Mikołaj II Nicholas II Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov 1894-1917 abdicated

[edit] Grand Dukes of Poznań
Fryderyk Wilhelm III Frederick William III Hohenzollern 1815-1840 created at the Congress of Vienna; represented by Duke-Governor Antoni Radziwiłł until 1831
Fryderyk Wilhelm IV Frederick William IV Hohenzollern 1840-1861 autonomy abolished in 1849
Wilhelm I William I Hohenzollern 1861-1888
Fryderyk III Frederick III Hohenzollern 1888
Wilhelm II William II Hohenzollern 1888-1918 abdicated 9 November 1918

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Monarchs of Poland
Legendary and semi-legendary
Piast
Fragmentation period
(Supreme Princes)
Přemyslid
Piast
Angevin
Jagiellon
Elected