Władysław Opolski

Władysław I of Opole, also Ladislaus I of Opole, Vladislav I of Opole, Opole Władysław I of; Polish Władysław Opolski; Czech Vladislav I. Opolsko - Ratibořský, (* 1225, † May 14, 1281 ) was from 1246 to 1281 Duke of Upper Silesian duchy of Opole - Ratibor.

Origin and family

Władysław came from the Silesian Piast dynasty. His parents were Casimir I of Opole - Ratibor and the Bulgarian duke 's daughter Viola. 1251 he married Euphemia ( † after 1281 ), daughter of the great Polish duke Władysław Odon. The couple had sons

• Mieszko I (* 1252/1256, † June 27, 1315 )
• Casimir II (* 1253/1257, † March 10, 1312 )
• Bolko I. († 1313 )
• Primislaus / Przemko (* 1268, † May 7, 1306 )
• And the daughter of NN ( 1265-1287/88 ), which was since 1277 the Wroclaw married Duke Henry IV, from which it was expelled by 1286.

Life

After the death of his father in 1230 Casimir I first took over Duke Henry I the guardianship of his underage sons Mieszko II and Wladislaus. This Henry was able to extend his power back to the whole of Silesia. Probably done for military assistance in Henry fighting for supremacy in Greater Poland with the Duke Władysław Odon transferred Heinrich 1233 Casimir widow Viola and her younger son Władysław areas Ruda and Kalisch. As Kalisch was reconquered in 1244 by the great Polish Duke Przemysław I., Duchess received Viola by her older son Mieszko the castles Teschen and Ratibor as a widow seat.

After the death of his elder brother Mieszko Vladislav took over in 1246 the government Opole - Ratibor. In 1249 he had the Duke Przemysław I. cede also Rudaer area. In the struggle between the Bohemian King Ottokar II and the Hungarian king Bela IV to the Austrian heritage 1253 Wladislaus stood on the Hungarian side and participated in the invasions in the Opava country. Some time later he was one of the followers of the King of Bohemia in 1260 and fought together with the Wroclaw Duke Henry III. victorious against Bela IV at the Battle of Kressenbrunn. This is probably why after the subsequent peace treaty the boundary between the time belonged to Moravia Troppauer country and the Duchy of Opole was postponed in favor Wladislaus. Now, went from village Lindewiese in Altvatergebirge to Odersberg and beyond the Oder about Hruschau at the Ostravice along to the Hungarian border.

During 1271 following fighting between Hungary and Bohemia Wladislaus behaved, in contrast to all other Silesian dukes, who were on the Bohemian side neutral. His neutral stance was motivated by the fact that he has opened prospects for the Krakow area, the Krakow knighthood, which was led by the Bishop of Cracow and Paul stood in opposition to the reigning Duke Bolesław V. After the aristocratic party, which was also supported by the Czech King Otakar II in 1273 was defeated by Polish forces at Boguczyn and the areas were devastated by Ratibor, Cosel and Opole by Polish fighters, there was a reconciliation between Ottokar II and Bolesław V. This is probably why Wladislaus received in 1274 from Kraków Duke significant territorial concessions in Lesser Poland, whereby the border of the Duchy of Opole was advanced up to Tyniec near Cracow.

1277 Władysław was present in Breslau, as the Bohemian King Ottokar and his diplomatic adviser Bruno of castle with other dukes a contract negotiated, the IV led to the release of the Wroclaw Duke Henry, who married Wladislaus daughter in the same year.

After the Styrian rhyming chronicle of Ottokar from the Gaal Wladislaus are to Silesian dukes who fought in the 1279 showdown between Rudolf of Habsburg and Ottokar II in the Battle of the March field on the side of King Ottokar, who was killed in the battle. Then tried to acquire the Opava region, where Ottokar's widow Gwendolyn was with her secret lover, the leader of the Bohemian nobility party Zawisch of Falkenstein, fled Wladislaus. The thereby resulting dispute arbitrated Wladislaus son Henry IV Under the condition that his daughter would be mitgekrönt, Wladislaus Henry is said to have supported efforts to obtain the Polish crown.

Władysław of Opole died after a 35-year successful governance. Already in 1252 he was the monastery Rauden been founded, which he endowed rich. In the monastery church he was buried after his death.

His duchy was divided among his four sons. Opole received Bolko, Bytom with Cosel, Gliwice, Tost and Sewerien went to Casimir. Mieszko and Primislaus considered first together Ratibor from which they ausgliederten 1290 Duke Mieszko Teschen.

Founding cities

Through the settlement activities of the Olomouc Bishop Bruno of castle, large parts of northern Moravia colonized, was also in the Duchy of Opole under Władysław I. a counter settlement, especially from the line Ratibor - Sohrau Auschwitz - south to south of Cieszyn and Bielsko. It began in 1253 with the German legal establishment of Bytom, through which even the mining should be encouraged. Already in 1247 received Old Repten the right to settle German, where the privileges of mining for lead and Zolfreiheit were granted. Around 1250 Slawentzitz was founded in 1257 and allowed Wladislaus the monastery Miechów in Lesser Poland the implementation of the same village to German law. 1260 he gave the village Lendzin the authorization for transfer by a Flemish law. Other villages and towns Wladislaus under German law were, inter alia Teschen in 1263, 1265 and 1272 Pschow Sohrau. 1276 by ​​Władysław next to a Slavic settlement, the German legal Gliwice founded. The Loslau also founded by him was named probably after him as Wladislavia or W ( ³ ) odzisław. Built Right after his accession Wladislaus his town of residence Opole new, which was believed to have been largely destroyed during the Mongol invasion.