Frederick Casimir of Cieszyn

Frederick Casimir of Teschen ( Czech Fridrich Kazimír Těšínský; * December 1541 or January 1542, † May 4, 1571 ) was Duke of Teschen and since 1560 Duke of Bielsko.

Origin and family

Friedrich Kasimir came from the Teschen branch of the Silesian Piast dynasty. His parents were Duke Wenceslas III. Adam and Mary, daughter of the Moravian Provincial Governor John of Pernštejna.

On December 28, 1563 Friedrich Kasimir married to Catherine ( 1542-1569 ), daughter of Duke Frederick III of Legnica. The marriage came from the daughter, Catherine, who was born in 1565 and died at the age of six years.

Life

Friedrich Kasimir was initially as sole heir of his father, because he was the only son from his first marriage to Mary of Pernštejna. Therefore, he was determined after coming of age of his father as co-regent. In 1560 he gave him also the Duchy of Bielsko and the dominions Freistadt and Friedek to their own responsibility.

Although Friedrich Kasimir did not have a high income, he led a lavish lifestyle and brought his country within a short time to the financial collapse. The total amount of debt was estimated according to an estimate of an imperial Committee on the sum of 244,000 thalers. As Friedrich Kasimir still died during the lifetime of his father in 1571, he was forced to pay the debts to sell the territories of the deceased, with the consent of the emperor Maximilian II as a minority caste domination of Charles of Promnitz on Pless.

Heir to the Duchy of Teschen was born only in 1579 half-brother Frederick Casimir Adam Wenzel, who succeeded in 1592 to acquire the rule Freistadt back. He was descended from the second marriage of his father, who had married in 1567, Sidonie, daughter of Duke Francis I of Lauenburg. Adam Wenzel was married to Elizabeth, daughter of the Duke of Courland Gotthard Kettler. With their son Friedrich Wilhelm Teschen branch of the family became extinct in the male line in 1625.