Wenceslaus III Adam, Duke of Teschen

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Wacław III Adam (Czech: Václav III. Adam, German: Wenzel III. Adam) (1524 - 1579) was the Duke of Cieszyn. He was the son of Wacław II and grandson of Kazimierz II, Duke of Cieszyn.

He was raised by his grandfather, and after his death by Jan of Pernštejn. On 10 February 1540 he married with Marie, daughter of Jan of Pernštejn. They had three children: son Fryderyk and daughters Anna and Zofia.

After death of his wife Marie, Wacław III Adam married again. His second wife was Katarina Sidonia, daughter of Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg. They had three sons: Chrystian August, Adam Wacław and Jan Albrecht, and three daughters. After death of her husband she took the regency in the name of young Adam Wacław.

Under the rule of Wacław III Adam, the duchy was stabilized. Expensive defensive fortifications have been built near Mosty koło Jabłonkowa to secure the duchy against eventual Turkish attack.

Wacław III Adam suported also the Protestant Reformation. Various historians deemed it began in the duchy at the beginning of his rule, but real consequences of Reformation can be seen not until 1540.^[1] Most visible sign of the Reformation was the closure of Bernardine and Dominican convents in Cieszyn and later also Benedictine convent in Orłowa. Population of the duchy also shifted to Protestantism according to the cuius regio, eius religio rule. Both duke's wives also supported Protestantism in the duchy.

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

• Panic, Idzi (2002). Poczet Piastów i Piastówien cieszyńskich. Cieszyn: Urząd Miejski. ISBN 83-917095-4-X. 

Regnal titles
Preceded by Kazimierz II	Duke of Cieszyn 1528 – 1579	Succeeded by Adam Wacław