Leszek of Racibórz

Lestko of Ratibor (also Leszek Ratibor, Polish Leszek raciborski; Czech Lešek Ratibořský; * 1290 or 1291, † 1336 ) was from 1306 until his death Duke of Ratibor. With him went the Ratiborer side line of the Piast Opole.

Life

Lestko came from the Opole Silesian branch of the Piast dynasty. His parents were Primislaus of Ratibor and Anna, daughter of Duke Conrad II of Mazovia. 1332 Lestko married to Agnes, daughter of Duke Henry IV of Glogau and Sagan. The marriage remained childless.

Since Lestko had not yet reached the age of majority when his father's death in 1306, the guardianship of it was transferred to his uncle, the Duke of Teschen Mieszko. Presumably after his death in 1315 took over Lestko the independent reign over his duchy Ratibor. Together with eight Silesian dukes, among them Henry III. of Wroclaw, Bernhard II of Schweidnitz and Henry of Jawor, Lestko protested in the spring of 1318 the papal chair in Avignon against the poll tax, which should be introduced in the Breslau diocese instead of the former Peter 's Pence. After the negotiators could not prevail, the dukes refused to pay. Why were imposed in 1319 on the diocese excommunication and interdict Breslau, which were not removed until two years later. 1327 or earlier acquired Lestko properties as a deposit on Gleiwitz and 1334, the Duchy of Cosel, he could hold until his death.

On January 18, 1327 in Opava Lestko worshiped together with the dukes of Opole Bolko II, Casimir I of Cieszyn, Władysław II of Bytom and Cosel and John I of Auschwitz the Czech king John of Luxembourg. At the same time they gave him their formal duchies as a fief of the crown of Bohemia. The contract for the fief transfer between the King and Duke Lestko was signed this year in Bytom on January 25. The political confirmation of these events took place in 1335 with the Treaty of Trenčín.

After his death in 1336 Lestko was buried in the church of the Dominican monastery Ratiborer. Since he died without issue, his duchy fell as a completed fief to the crown of Bohemia. In the same year it transferred the Czech king John of Luxembourg as a fief of the Opava Duke Nicholas II, who was married to Lestkos sister Agnes. Thus came the Duchy Ratibor to an extension line of the Bohemian Přemyslids that connected it with their Duchy of Opava. Against the handover of Ratibor to Nicholas II protested six Upper Silesian dukes, but could not prevail. Them to return the deposit properties over Cosel and Gleiwitz was assured to compensation from the King, the Duke Nicholas had to issue.

Lestkos widow Agnes survived him by almost 30 years. She died in 1362.