Duchies of Silesia

Duchies of Silesia
Slezská Knížectví (cs)
Herzogtümer Schlesien (de)
Crown land of the Bohemian Crown
←
1335–1742 →
Flag Coat of arms
Duchies of Silesia within the Holy Roman Empire (1618)
Capital Wrocław, Opole, Opava, various others
Languages Czech, Polish, German
Religion Roman Catholic,
Hussite, Lutheran
Government Monarchy
King
 •  1335–1378 Charles IV (first)
 • 1916–1918 Charles III (last)
History
 •  Joined Kingdom of Bohemia 1335
 •  Austrian Silesia formed 1742
Today part of

The Duchies of Silesia were a crown land of the Bohemian Crown, that were formed when Duchy of Silesia joined the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1335 under the Treaty of Trentschin. The duchies were ruled by the Dukes of Silesia, consisted of the Duchy of Lower Silesia, the Duchy of Upper Silesia and numerous other duchies. A part of the Silesian territory seceded to Kingdom of Prussia as the Province of Silesia in 1815; and the Duchy of Teschen, Duchy of Troppau and Duchy of Nysa remained under control of the Bohemian crown lands as Austrian Silesia until 1918.

History

Main article: Silesia

Duchy of Silesia (1138–1335)

Main article: Duchy of Silesia

In the (vain) hope to prevent an inheritance dispute, the Piast prince Bolesław III Wrymouth by his last will and testament had divided Poland into hereditary provinces distributed among his four sons: Masovia, Kujawy, Greater Poland and Silesia. Beside which, the Seniorate Province (Lesser Poland) with the residence of Kraków was reserved for the eldest, who according to the principle of agnatic seniority was to be High Duke of all Poland. This act inadvertently started the process known as Fragmentation of Poland.

Bolesław's son, Władysław II received the Duchy of Silesia and, as the eldest, was also granted the title of a High Duke among with the Seniorate Province. Nevertheless, after he had tried to gain control over all Poland, he was banned and expelled by his younger half-brothers in 1146. Bolesław's second eldest son Bolesław IV the Curly, Duke of Masovia, became Polish High Duke. When, in 1163, Władysław's three sons, backed by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa returned to Poland, Bolesław IV had to restore their heritage.

After ten years of joint rule, Władysław's sons finally divided Silesia in 1173:

After his brother Bolesław I had died, Miezsko I Tanglefoot also conquered and took the Duchy of Opole from his nephew Henry I the Bearded. He ruled over the Racibórz and Opole duchies, which emerged as Upper Silesia, until his death in 1211. Henry I the Bearded remained sovereign of the Lower Silesian Duchy of Wrocław, he acquired the Greater Polish lands of Kalisz in 1206, which he granted to his Piast cousin Władysław Odonic, as well as Lubusz Land in 1210. High Duke of Poland from 1232, he conquered further Greater Polish territories around Santok in 1234.

Mieszko's heir was Duke Casimir I of Opole, who died in 1230. Thereupon, Henry I managed to reunite whole Silesia under his reign. He was succeeded by his son Henry II the Pious in 1238, while Upper Silesia was inherited by Casimir's son Mieszko II the Fat in 1239. He and his younger brother, Władysław Opolski, had already received Greater Polish Kalisz in 1234.

Henry II was killed at the Battle of Legnica in 1241. His eldest son and heir, Duke Bolesław II the Bald temporarily gave Lubusz Land to his younger brother Mieszko († 1242). He reconciled with his Greater Polish cousin Duke Przemysł I and finally returned Santok in 1247 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.

Lands of the Bohemian Crown (1335–1918)

Duchies of Silesia in Holy Roman Empire (1335–1742)

Silesia was subsequently divided among the descendants and successors of the Piast dynasty, until they died out in 1675. Those Silesian Piasts, known as Dukes of Silesia, 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, vassalization by John I of Bohemia in 1327, and under suzerainty of the Kingdom of Bohemia by the Treaties of Trentschin and Visegrád in 1335. After the Piasts had become extinct, the duchies were "State Countries" of the Bohemian Crown, which fell to the House of Habsburg in 1526. In 1742, Silesia was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia following the First Silesian War.

Duchies of Silesia in Habsburg Empire (1742–1918)

Main article: Austrian Silesia

Duchies of Silesia

Note: this list may not be complete.

There were also other little duchies: Bernstadt, Buchwald, Coschok, Cosel, Crossen, Falkenberg, Freistadt, Freudenthal, Gleiwitz, Goldberg, Grottkau, Grünberg, Hainau, Hirschberg, Loslau, Löwenberg, Lüben, Namslau, Ohlau, Parchwiz, Rybnik, Sprottau, Steinau, Strehlitz, Tost, Wohlau, and combination duchies: Duchy of Opole and Racibórz

Bibliography

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