Senior Duke
Senior Duke (Latin Princeps ) was the title of the oldest Piast Duke in Poland during the period of Polish particularism from 1139 to 1306 . The senior duke was also Duke of Krakow , which is why this duchy was also referred to as the Seniorate Province .
Duke Bolesław III. Schiefmund had divided Poland into five partial duchies in his will of 1138: Greater Poland (went to Mieszko III. With the western part ), Mazovia with eastern Kujawia (went to Bolesław IV. ), Lesser Poland - Sandomir (to Heinrich von Sandomir ), Silesia ( went together with the Seniorate Province to Władysław II. ) and to the main province of Lesser Poland with its seat in Krakow , which contained Sieradz and its surroundings, eastern Wielkopolska, western Kujawy as well as the supremacy of Pomerania and the Duchy of Pomerania .
Krakow did not receive a hereditary duke and became a senior duchy: According to Boleslaw's plans, the respective elder of the Piast dynasty should hold the dignity of senior duke. Associated with this was the preservation of the imperial insignia. Over time, the senior duchy shrank to the western part of Malopolska. Other Piast dukes who were not the eldest son of all Piast families pushed themselves into the position of princeps several times, but in principle the senior duke institution existed until the reestablishment of kingship by Przemysł II in 1295.