Władysław I the Elbow-high

Władysław I the Elbow-high
Władysław I. Drawing by Jan Matejko
King of Poland
Tenure 1320–1333
Coronation 30 January 1320
Predecessor Wenceslaus III
Successor Casimir III the Great
Spouse Hedwig of Kalisz
Issue
Kunigunde, Duchess of Świdnica
Casimir III of Poland
Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary
House House of Piast
Father Casimir I of Kuyavia
Mother Euphrosyne of Opole
Born 1261
Died 2 March 1333 (aged 72)
Kraków, Poland
Burial Wawel Cathedral, Kraków

Władysław the Short or Elbow-high (or Ladislaus I of Poland, Polish: Władysław I Łokietek; 1261 – 2 March 1333), was a King of Poland. He was a Duke until 1300, and Prince of Kraków from 1305 until his coronation as King on 20 January 1320. Because of his short height he was nicknamed 'Łokietek', a diminutive of the word 'łokieć', meaning "ell" or "elbow", as in "elbow-high".[note 1]

Contents

Royal titles

Later histories refer to him also as Władysław IV or Władysław I. There are no records to show that he actually used any regnal number. Both numerals are retrospective assignments by later historians. "IV" comes from him being the fourth of that name to rule as overlord of the Polish, since Władysław I Herman. "I" comes from him having restored the monarchy after a fragmented era of a century or more, and also backwards-counting from Władysław of Varna who officially used the numeral III and Władysław Vasa who used the numeral IV.

Background; fragmentation of Poland in early 12th century

In 1138, the kingdom of Poland, which had been growing in strength under the rule of the Piast dynasty, encountered an obstacle which impeded its development for nearly two hundred years. In the will of King Bolesław Krzywousty, Poland was divided into five provinces – Silesia, Mazovia with Kuyavia, Greater Poland, Pomerania, the Sandomierz Region, and Lesser Poland, the 'senior palatinate', which comprised the areas around Kraków, Łęczyca, and Sieradz. To prevent his four sons from quarreling, Bolesław granted one province to each of them, while the senior palatinate, was to be given to the eldest brother on the grounds of primogeniture. This decision was meant to forestall dynastic feuds and prevent the disintegration of the kingdom. However, it proved inadequate, and began nearly two centuries of what it had sought to counteract – constant fighting and disorder. Władysław succeeded in re-uniting the Kingdom of Poland.

Biography

Władysław was born circa 1260 as the third son of Kazimierz I Kujawski, Duke of Łęczyca, Sieradz and Kuyavia. After the death of his father, he inherited Kuyavia, while the remaining two duchies went to his brothers, Leszek Czarny (the Black) and Ziemomysł. However, following the deaths of both brothers, the entire inheritance passed to Władysław, who began the task of re-uniting the Kingdom of Poland. His next step was winning Lesser Poland, for which he had to contest the local prince, Przemysł II. Following Przemysł's death in 1296, Władysław proclaimed himself his successor and established himself in Lesser Poland, as well as Pomerania. While Władysław enjoyed the support of the Lesser Polish peasants, knights, and part of the clergy, who preferred a prince from the domestic Piast dynasty, he had to defer to Václav II of Bohemia, who had the support of the local lords. In 1304 Władysław entered and occupied Lesser Poland with an army of his supporters, which, according to the 15th-century historian Jan Długosz, consisted of more peasants than knights. He also conquered Pomerania around Gdańsk, but since he did not win the favour of the local lords and settlers from Brandenburg who had migrated to that area, he was forced to give up the idea of complete control of the Baltic coast.

By 1311, Władysław was in power in Lesser Poland and his Kuyavian patrimony. Despite the Rebellion of wójt Albert in Krakow and Sandomierz, he was able to hold these cities thanks to the support of the nobility, gentry and townsfolk. Three years later, Greater Poland also came under his rule. However, John of Luxemburg, King of Bohemia, also claimed the Polish crown. In alliance with the Teutonic Order, he attacked Władysław's forces from the north and west, while the Brandenburgians attempted to capture Greater Poland. Nonetheless, Władysław managed to maintain his dominions.

In 1318, he embarked on a coronation campaign. The pope, though initially unwilling, finally granted his approval and Władysław was crowned King of Poland on 30 January 1320 in Kraków. The coronation was a sign that he had overcome Poland's internal fragmentation and re-united the country as an independent kingdom under his rule.

A Polish-Teutonic War (1326–1332) occupied Władysław's last years. On 27 September, 1331 he fought the Battle of Płowce in Kuyavia against a group of Teutonic knights. Other groups of enemies withdrew to the north. After numerous casualties the armies were stalemated, though Władysław's forces conquered the field, captured some prisoners and stopped the expansion of the Teutonic Order in the region.

Władysław endeavored to establish a uniform legal code throughout the land. In this code he assured the safety and freedom of Jews and placed them on an equal footing with Christians.

Władysław died on 2 March 1333 in Kraków. His son, Casimir III the Great, inherited Lesser Poland, the Duchy of Sandomierz, Greater Poland, Kuyavia, and the Duchies of Łęczyca and Sieradz, while Silesia and Lubusz Land to the west, along with Gdańsk Pomerania, Western Pomerania, and Mazovia to the north remained beyond the Kingdom's borders. Nevertheless Władysław's reign was a major step on the road to restoration of the Kingdom of Poland.

Marriage and children

In 1293, Władysław married Hedwig of Kalisz.[1] She was a daughter of Boleslaus of Greater Poland and Jolenta of Hungary. They had six children:

Ancestors

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Casimir II of Poland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Konrad I of Masovia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Helen of Znojmo
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Casimir I of Kuyavia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Svyatoslav III Igorevich
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Agafia of Rus
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Iaroslava Riurikovna of Kiev[2]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Władysław I the Elbow-high
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mieszko I Tanglefoot
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Casimir I of Opole
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Ludmila (of Bohemia?)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Euphrosyne of Opole
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Viola, Duchess of Opole
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ?
 
 
 
 
 
 

Gallery

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ In old Polish, an ell was a measure of length: one ell equalled 0.78 meter in length.

References

  1. ^ Profile of Władysław in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley
  2. ^ www.aemyers.net
  3. ^ Rożek Michał, Polskie koronacje i korony, Kraków 1987. ISBN 8303019147
  4. ^ Kraków, Małgorzta Woszczenko

External links

Władysław I the Elbow-high
Born: 1260/61 Died: 2 March 1333
Royal titles
Preceded by
Wenceslaus III		 King of Poland
1320–1333		 Succeeded by
Casimir III the Great
Legendary and semi-legendary
Piast
Fragmentation period
(Supreme Princes)
Přemyslid
Piast
Władysław I the Elbow-high · Casimir III the Great
Capet-Anjou
Jagiellon
Elected
Romanov