John, Duke of Åšcinawa

Johann von Steinau (also John of Glogau - Steinau "; * 1296/1300, † 1361/1365 ) was, together with his four brothers Duke of Glogau and Mr. Great Poland from 1309 to 1312. From 1312 to 1318 / 19, he was IV together with the brothers Heinrich and Primislaus / Primko Duke of Glogau and from 1323 to about 1336 Duke of Steinau. He came to the Silesian Piast branch of Glogau

Life

John's parents were Henry III. of Glogau († 1309) and Matilda († 1318 ), daughter of Duke Albrecht of Brunswick- Lüneburg. 1316, and in 1324 he married Margaret († 1337), a daughter of the Duke Bogislaw IV of Pomerania and widow of the Duke Nicholas of Rostock. The marriage remained childless.

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 Great Poland, Johann and his brothers inherited Heinrich IV († 1342 ), Konrad I († 1366), Boleslaw († 1320) and Primislaus / Primko II († 1331 ) in 1309 whose areas. This they managed to 1312 under the tutelage of her mother, Mechthild first together.

To prevent fragmentation of their territories, Johann and his brothers divided their inheritance on February 29th, 1312 first in two parts. Johann and his eldest brother Henry and the younger brother Primislaus / 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 their great political between areas had lost Władysław I the Elbow- and Boleslaw, who had since 1312 Duke of Oels, 1320, died Henry IV, Konrad I, Johann and Primislaus / Primko II 1322 divided the total holdings of newly on, where Johann Steinau received.

1318 protested Johanns brother Henry IV at the same time for his brothers and other Silesian dukes against the collection of Peter 's Pence in the until then in Silesia not usual form of poll tax. The objection in the papal chair in Avignon but was 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.

In the context of the struggle of the Curia against the Wittelsbach family, the Pope called on 10 August 1325 at the Johann Steinau, which was allied by marriage with the Pomeranian princes, the occupation of the Mark Brandenburg by the Wittelsbach Ludwig to oppose Bavaria.

With the on April 29, 1329 and May 9, 1329 issued in Wroclaw fief documents Johann and his brothers Henry IV of Sagan and Konrad I of Oels went voluntarily into a fief relation to the crown of Bohemia, which gives them special inheritance privileges were granted. Only her youngest brother Primislaus / Primko refused to be Bohemian vassal, but died on January 11, 1331 by a poison attack his subjects. Rightful heirs Primkos were Johann and his brother Henry IV, where Primkos widow Konstanze as a jointure state the city Glogau. After her death one half of the city of Johann von Steinau and his brother Henry IV should fall. However, Johann von Steinau had sold his right to his share of the inheritance before death Primkos to the Bohemian king John of Luxembourg. This, therefore, was published in September 1331 in Glogau, 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. In the same year John of Steinau accompanied his sovereign John of Luxembourg on the train against Poland and assisted him in the siege of poses.

1334 Johann Steinau no more areas committed against his brothers Henry IV and Konrad I. without their consent to sell. Nevertheless, he agreed during a visit in Prague on January 29, 1336 by the Czech king John of Luxembourg, that the duchy Steinau this should fall in exchange for the life-long use of semi- Glogau after John 's death. Due to the protest of his brothers of this contract, however, did not materialize. However, it was not possible Johanns brothers, pledging Lüben of Boleslaw III. turn away from Legnica. To prevent further pledges and sales acquired Johanns brothers Henry IV and in 1337 Konrad I, the Duchy Steinau, while there confer upon the lifelong use. Nevertheless, Johann sold in the same year, the soft image Guhrau the Bohemian king.

Since 1342 the same John son and successor, Henry V. " the Iron " supported after the death of his brother Henry IV, who tried to get it to his father withheld Glogau heritage and therefore it refused to pay homage to the Bohemian king John of Luxembourg, moved his son Margrave Charles IV a with his army in Glogau country. He was supported by the Polish King Casimir the Great, who Steinau devastated.

Johann von Steinau has parts of his property from carelessness or extravagance mortgaged, sold or assigned more than once. From 1358 until his death in 1365 he lived on the Green Berger castle. His remaining possessions came up on small areas to his nephew Henry V of Glogau - Sagan. John's body was buried in the family vault of the monastery Leubus.