Bolko II the Small
Bolko II, also: Boleslaw V., Boleslaw the little one, (* May 1308; † July 28, 1368 in Schweidnitz ) was Duke of Świdnica and Jawor.
Origin and family
Bolko came from the family of the Silesian Piast dynasty. His parents were Bernhard II († 1326), Duke of Świdnica and Jawor, and Gwendolyn, daughter of the Polish king Władysław I the Elbow-. In 1338 he married Agnes von Habsburg, a subsidiary of the Austrian Duke Leopold I. The marriage remained childless.
Life
After the death of his father in 1326 Bolko was first under the guardianship of his uncle, Henry I and II Bolko. According to his majority he ruled the Duchy of Świdnica and Jawor together with his brother Henry II, the father of the later Bohemian and Roman- German Queen Anne Schweidnitz. After Henry's death in 1343 Bolko inherited his possessions and became guardian of his daughter Anna. In 1346 he came also to Jawor, since his uncle, Duke Henry I of Jawor died without male issue. Although already all other Silesian duchies became Bohemian fief, which was confirmed in 1335 with the Treaty of Trenčín, succeeded Bolko to preserve the independence of his duchy and to acquire additional lands outside his duchy. The Bohemian King Wenceslas I sold him after the death of his parents and half Brieg half Ohlau, and King Charles IV gave him 1359 Pitschen and Cross Castle.
Although Charles IV in 1344 along with his father John of Luxembourg Schweidnitz besieged and conquered Landeshut, supported Bolko 1348 the Peace of Namslau. 1350 were Charles IV and Bolko II as far reconciled that they recorded the first Erbverhandlungen over the Duchy of Świdnica and Jawor. After Charles' second wife died on February 2, 1353 he married the same year Bolkos niece Anna of Schweidnitz. Since Bolko was childless, were Anna and her offspring contractually chosen as heir to the Duchy of Świdnica and Jawor. By marrying a transition of inheritance of the Duchy of Bohemia was secured. 1360 Charles IV wrote to the Duke Bolko one half of the soft image Glogau for life. After Bolkos niece Anna 1361 -awaited heir to the throne, gave birth to Bolko received by Charles mediation Kanth, rich stone and Zobten.
With financial help Bolkos Charles IV dissolved in 1363 for 31,000 Mark Lower Lusatia, which he was able to take according to the contract on November 1, 1364. Shortly thereafter, he gave it to Bolko on its lifetime, thereby Bolkos power range extended considerably. 1365 took Bolko the niederlausitzische coat of arms image of the bull in his seal on.
Bolko died on July 28, 1368 in Schweidnitz and was buried in the church of his grandfather Bolko I. donated the monastery Grüssau. After construction of the Chapel of the Princes ( mausoleum ) under Abbot Benedict II Seidel 1735-1747 the sarcophagus was taken there. To commemorate Bolkos wife Agnes von Habsburg created the Bohemian sculptor Anton Dorazil for the Cappella dei Principi, a sculpture made of white marble.
The Duchy Schweidnitz Bolkos widow Agnes of Schweidnitz until her death in 1392 had the usufruct for the fell inheritance rights after death Bolkos 1368 Bohemia. Because of the unpaid Erbanteils of Bolkos sister Elizabeth, who was married to Bolko II of Opole, whose grandson John I., Bolko IV and Bernard of Opole from 1390 led the decade-long feud with the Opole city of Wroclaw.