| Przemko I, Duke of Opava | |
|---|---|
| Przemko's seal | |
| Spouse(s) | Anna of Lutz Catherine of Münsterberg Helena of Bosnia |
| Noble family | Přemyslid dynasty |
| Father | Nicholas II, Duke of Opava |
| Mother | Jutta of Opole-Falkenberg |
| Born | c. 1365 |
| Died | 28 September 1433 |
'Przemko I, Duke of Opava (Czech: Přemysl I. Opavský; German: Přemysl I. von Troppau; born: c. 1365; died: 28 September 1433) was a member of the Opava branch of the Bohemian Přemyslid dynasty. He was Duke of Opava from 1367 until his death and Głubczyce from 1394 until his death.
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His parents were Duke Nicholas II of Opava and his third wife, Jutta (died: c. 1365), daughter of Duke Boleslaw II of Opole-Falkenberg. Nicholas died shortly after Przemko was born, and so Przemko stood under the regency and guardianship of his oldest half-brother John, who was the sole heir of the Duchy of Racibórz.
After disputes over their inheritance, the four brothers decided in 1367 to divide the Duchy of Opava. In 1377, a new division was performed, in which John kept the Duchy of Racibórz, and also received the duchies of Krnov and Freudenthal. The Duchy of Głubczyce was split off for Nicholas III, with Przemko and Wenceslaus sharing the reduced Duchy of Opava. Wenceslaus died in 1381, and Przemko then ruled Opava alone. Before Nicholas III died in 1394, he had pledged Głubczyce, Zlaté Hory, Hlučín and Krzanowice to the Duchy of Oels. Przemko was later able to redeem Głubczyce.
Przemko also found himself in financial difficulties and had to pledge the Lordship of Hradec nad Moravicí to Wok Lacek of Krawarn. However, he managed to redeem this possession in 1394. In the same year, he found the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Kateřinky.[1]
During a period of turmoil in Moravia, Przemko maintained close relations with Jobst of Moravia, whose mother was Przemko's half-sister. Because Przemko sided politically with King Wenceslaus, he joined the Silesian League at the meeting in Wrocław in 1402.
After Wenceslaus's death, Przemko supported King Sigismund and provided him with military support during the Hussite wars. The Hussites responded by destroying the Duchy of Opava in February 1428. Przemko's oldest son Wencelaus II managed to avert the destruction of Głubczyce by signing a treaty with the Hussites. In March 1428, Przemko joined forces with Duke Rupert II of Lubin and the Bishop of Wrocław. they fought the Hussites at Nysa, but could not prevail. Their army was overrun by the Hussites, however, Půta III of Častolovice could prevent the Hussites from taking Nysa itself. In December 1428, Przemko's son Wenceslaus participated in the Battle of Stary Wielisław, where the Hussites again prevailed. In March 1430, Przemko could prevent further destruction of the Duchy of Opava by concluding another treaty with the Hussites. The Hussites then destroyed Racibórz and Koźle instead. In 1431, a large part of the City of Opava was destroyed by fire.
Shortly before his death, Przemko write a will, stipulating that after his death, his eldest son Wenceslaus II should act as guardian and regent for his three younger sons from his second and third marriage. He also stipulated that they should not divided the duchy among themselves, however, in 1445, his sons divided the duchy anyway.
Around 1395, Przemko married Anna of Lutz (d. 1405). They had three children:
After Anna's death, Przemko married to Catherine (died: 23 May 1422) of Münsterberg, a sister of John}, who was the last Duke of Münsterberg from the Silesian Piasts dynasty. With her, he had three more children:
In 1425, Przemko married his third wife, Helena of Bosnia (d. 1435). She gave birth to the children: