Casimir of Bytom

Casimir II of Bytom ( Kasimir II von Cosel and Bytom, Polish Kazimierz Bytomski; Czech Kazimír II Bytomský; * 1256 or 1257, † March 10, 1312 ) was from 1281 to 1312 Duke of Upper Silesian Duchy of Bytom and since 1286 also duke von Cosel. The first Duke of Silesian he presented in 1289 its territory as a fief to the Bohemian king Wenceslas II

Origin and family

Casimir came from the Upper Silesian branch of the family of the Silesian Piast dynasty. His parents were Władysław I and Euphemia ( † after 1281 ), daughter of the great Polish duke Władysław Odon. In 1275 Casimir is married to Helen, whose origin is not known. The couple had children

  • Boleslaw / Bolko († 1328 ), Duke of Tost and Archbishop of Gran
  • Wladislaus († 1351/52 ), Duke of Bytom and Cosel
  • Ziemowit / Siemowit ( † after 1342 ), Duke of Bytom and Gliwice
  • Mieszko († 1344), Duke of Sewerien and Bishop of Neutra and Veszprém
  • Maria ( † 1317 ), married since 1306 with the Hungarian king Charles Robert of Anjou.

Life

After the death of Casimir's father Władysław I of Opole in 1281 the duchy was divided for his sons into four duchies. Casimir, who was the second-born in order of brothers, given the Duchy of Bytom to the next Bytom also Cosel, Gliwice, Tost and Sewerien included. From 1286 he called himself Duke of Cosel. His older brother Mieszko I first got together with the youngest brother Primislaus, who was under guardianship of Mieszko, the Duchy Ratibor with the areas of Teschen and Auschwitz. From the lands of the Duchy of Cieszyn Cieszyn and Auschwitz was established for Primislaus 1290. The third-born brother Bolko received the order to the above areas reduced Duchy of Opole.

Early in his reign, Kasimir turned politically to Bohemia. Already on January 10, 1289, he paid homage in Prague in the presence of Schweidnitzer Duke Bolko I. and Troppauer Duke Nicholas I volunteered the Czech King Wenceslas II, when he assumed with the consent of his sons his country as a fief of the crown of Bohemia. Since the Duchy of Bytom bordered directly to Lesser Poland, was the alliance with Casimir for King Wenceslas in its efforts to the Polish throne of particular importance. Kasimir in turn presumably intended with reference to Bohemia limiting the power of the Wroclaw Duke Henry IV, who was since 1288 Duke in Krakow and thus Senior Duke of Poland.

1292 to Casimir participated together with his brother Bolko, which had previously been used by King Wenceslas as Kraków's Main Man, and the Lower Silesian dukes Henry V of Wroclaw and Bolko I of Schweidnitz the solemn entry of King Wenceslaus in Kraków. On 12 October of the year Kasimir was present with his brother Bolko and the Dukes of Opava and Mazovia and the bishops of Gniezno, Prague and Olomouc in Sieradz where they all testified in documents that Duke Władysław I the Elbow- the Czech king Wenceslas as have subjected his true liege.

To 1306 married Casimir with the Hungarian king Charles Robert of Anjou, who succeeded in finding his daughter Maria in Kasimir a supporter of his policies. During his lifetime, told Kasimir his duchy into three small parts. The eldest son Boleslaw uncertificated since 1304 when Herr von Tost, Wladislaus uncertificated when Herr von Cosel and Ziemowit described himself in 1311 as Lord of Bytom. A year later, Casimir died.

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