Wladyslaw III. (Poland)

Wladyslaw III. Dünnbein ( Polish Władysław III Laskonogi ; * 1161 ; † November 3, 1231 ) was the youngest son of Duke Mieszko III. from his marriage to Eudoxia of Kiev; Duke in Greater Poland 1194–1229, Senior Duke of Poland in Cracow 1202–1206, 1228–1229; from the Piast family .

Life

As the only one of Mieszkos III. He outlived his father's five sons and was able to succeed him. After his father's death in 1202, Władysław was able to ascend the throne of Cracow with the help of the Lesser Poland magnates , but soon lost his followers and in 1206 had to vacate the Polish capital in favor of his cousin Leszek . From now on he only ruled in the Greater Poland Province , but there too he soon encountered insurmountable difficulties because of the inheritance dispute with his only nephew Władysław Odonic . A second dispute broke out with the Archbishop of Gniezno Henryk Kietlicz, whose aim was to get the church from the ducal investitureto free. The majority of the Wielkopolska clergy were on Władysław's side , so that a curse on Kietlicz and a papal excommunication around 1214 were ineffective.

In 1216 Władysław was reconciled with the archbishop and his nephew Władysław Odonic, who regained the rule of Kalisz , and Władysław III soon succeeded. however, in cooperation with the dukes Leszek of Lesser Poland and Heinrich of Silesia , to drive away the nephew again. 1223 to 1227, with the help of the Duke of Pomerania , Swantopolk II , Odonic started a new war against his uncle, which in 1227 lost almost all of Wielkopolska. Through Leszek's initiative, a meeting of the Piast dukes in Gąsawa was agreed for November 1227 , which should solve the problems; however, an attack by Duke Swantopolk cost Leszek his life, while Henry of Silesia, badly wounded, was able to escape by accident. Wladyslaw did not manage to show up in time; this saved his life.

In May 1228 Władysław Dünnbein was elected Senior Duke for the second time in Kraków, but again had difficulties with Władysław Odonic, to whom he finally had to hand over Greater Poland in 1229, as well as with his cousin, Duke Conrad of Mazovia , to whom he had Sieradz , Łęczyca and Lesser Poland lost with Krakow and Sandomir .

Władysław died in exile in Silesia towards the end of 1231. He declared Heinrich von Schlesien, who was his second cousin, to be his universal heir.

Marriage and offspring

He was married to Princess Lucja, daughter of Prince Jaromar von Rügen , since 1186 . The marriage remained childless.

literature

• Stary Matus (pseud.), Dzieje narodu polskiego , Warszawa 1905

predecessor	Office	successor
Mieszko III. the old	Senior Duke of Poland 1202–1206	Leszek I the White
Leszek I the White	Senior Duke of Poland 1228–1229	Conrad I of Mazovia