Henry IV the Faithful

Henry IV of Glogau (also Henry IV ( II ) " Faithful ", * 1292, † January 22, 1342 in Sagan ) was 1312-1323 Duke of Glogau, 1319-1342 Duke of Sagan and 1342 Duke of Steinau.

Origin and family

Henry IV came to the Silesian Piast branch of Glogau. His parents were Henry III. of Glogau († 1309) and Matilda († 1318 ), daughter of Duke Albrecht of Brunswick- Lüneburg. In 1310 he married Mathilde († 1323), daughter of Brandenburg Margrave Hermann III. of Brandenburg. The couple had children:

• Henry V († 1369 ), Duke of Glogau, Sagan and Steinau, ∞ 1337 Anna († 1363), daughter of Waclaw of Plock
• Agnes († 1362 ) ∞ 1333 1st Duke of Ratibor Lestko († 1336 ); ∞ 2 1341/44 Duke Ludwig of Liegnitz - Brieg († 1398 )
• Salomea ( † after 1359 ) ∞ 1335 Henry II Reuss, Vogt to Plauen ( † 1350)
• Hedwig († 1348 ), Abbess of Trebnitzgrund

Life

After the death of her father, Henry III. , Who was next to his Silesian estates at the same time master of almost the whole of Poland, Henry IV and his brothers inherited Conrad I († 1366), Boleslaw († 1320), Johann ( † 1361/65 ) and Primislaus II († 1331 ) in 1309 whose areas. This they managed to 1312 under the tutelage of her mother, Mechthild first together. Because of the generally precarious situation already closed 1310 belonging to their Silesian territory cities Frey city, Steinau, Sprottau, Fraustadt, Lubin, Guhrau, Crossen and Grünberg a league of cities in order to act jointly against robbers, arsonists and other criminals.

To prevent fragmentation of their territories, Henry IV and his brothers divided their inheritance on February 29th, 1312 first in two parts. Henry and his two youngest brothers Johann and Primko received the greater western area with the cities Steinau, Sagan, Grünberg, Crossen and poses. Similarly them were Glogau, Bytom and Frey city, but were assigned their lifetime as jointure first her mother. The eastern area with the towns of Gniezno, Kalisz, Oels and Wohlau went to the second-born Konrad I and the third son Boleslaw co-management. After the last two already in 1314 Greater Poland had lost Władysław I the Elbow- and Boleslaw, who had since 1312 Duke of Oels, 1320, died Henry, Conrad, Johann and Primko 1322 divided the total ownership scratch. Henry IV was Sagan, Konrad I Namslau and oil which Primko Glogau and Johann Steinau.

1318 protested Henry IV together with nine other Silesian dukes against the levying of Peter 's pence in the until then in Silesia not usual form of poll tax. Your objection when the papal chair in Avignon was carried forward by the advocates Ratiborer Bertold and Breslauer cleric John of Molhusen but rejected by the Pope. Since the Dukes payment still refused, an interdict was imposed on the Diocese of Breslau. On June 23, 1323 to Henry IV turned at the same time on behalf of his brothers under the titulary " Duke of Silesia, heir to the Kingdom of Poland, Lord of Glogau and poses " to the Pope and assured him that he and his brothers the payment of Peter 's Pence have now ordered in their lands. He also asked the Pope for his protection, if the Emperor or King of the Romans sought to extend their suzerainty over Henry and his brother countries.

With the on April 29, 1329 and May 9, 1329 issued in Wroclaw feudal charters Heinrich went IV and his brothers Johann and Conrad I volunteered in a feudal relationship to the crown of Bohemia, which gives them special inheritance privileges were granted. Only her youngest brother Primko / Przemko refused to be Bohemian vassal, but died on January 11, 1331 by a poison attack his subjects. Rightful heirs Primkos were Henry IV and his brother John of Steinau, where Primkos widow Konstanze as a jointure state the city Glogau. However, Johann von Steinau had sold his right to his share Glogau before Primkos death to the Bohemian king John of Luxembourg. This, therefore, was published in September 1331 in Silesia, to take up the Johann Steinau -purchased heritage. At the same time he sat down on Henry IV and Constance heirship claim to the jointure of time and pulled the whole Duchy of Glogau violently as a fief completed. In order to create a fait accompli, he gave birth to the citizens of their relation to the Dukes paid oaths and confirmed them the previous privileges. For the administration of the Duchy he established a Czech national captain. This Glogau became the first directly under stationary Silesian Duchy of Bohemia.

Henry IV died in 1342 in Sagan. His body was buried in the Augustinian Church. Successor as Duke of Sagan was his only son Henry V " the Iron ". Only after he had in 1344 paid homage to the Bohemian ruler King John, he was informed of this half of Glogau, making the his father Henry IV wrongs committed should be made good.