Nicholas I of Opole
Nicholas I of Opole (Polish Mikołaj I Opolski; Czech Mikuláš I. Opolský; * 1420, † July 3, 1476 ) was Duke of Opole from 1437 to 1476, and Duke of Opole duchies Falkenberg and Strehlitz. He came from the Opole Silesian branch of the Piast dynasty.
Origin and family
His parents were Duke Bolko IV of Opole (1363-1437) and Margaret of Gorizia ( -1437 ). 1442 Nicholas married with Magdalena (* 1425-1430; † September 10, 1497 ), daughter of Duke Louis II of Legnica ( 1380-1436 ) from his second marriage to Elizabeth of Brandenburg. The couple had ten children:
Life
After his father's death in 1437, the oldest brother Bolko V. took over the government of the Duchy of Opole. Nicholas and his brother John, who died in 1439, was co-regent. In October 1438 Nicholas worshiped in the camp at Strehlitz along with his brother John, his uncle Bernhard von Falkenberg ( † 1455 ) and other Silesian princes the youthful prince Casimir, which was proposed after the death of Emperor Sigismund of Bohemian nobleman, as his successor, to but could not prevail against Sigismund's son Albrecht II. This homage to Nicholas on December 3, 1438 in Breslau.
Since the death of his father Louis II of Liegnitz - Brieg 1436 Nicholas entitled dowry of his wife over 10,000 guilders was not paid and the now widowed mother in law since 1438/1439 was married in second marriage with the Duke of Teschen Wenceslas I, procured Nicholas 1443 pledging the city Brieg and the Duchy Brieg itself.
After his brother Bolko, who died without legitimate offspring death, the Duchy of Opole fell in 1460 as a completed fief to the crown of Bohemia. Only after Nicholas abdicated the acquired Bolko proportion of Opava in the Czech King George of Podiebrad, he was invested with the Duchy of Opole. With the acquisition of Opava George of Podiebrad could strengthen its influence in Upper Silesia. With the collegiate Oberglogau (Klein Glogau ), which his brother Bolko, who was an active Hussite, had withheld its revenue, Nicholas brought about a balance. At the same time he united Oberglogau that had been transferred in 1425 from his father to Bolko, again with the Duchy of Opole, but dubbed as Bolko as Duke of Opole and Mr. Klein Glogau on. After the election of Vladislav II in 1471 as King of Bohemia, a Polish army in Silesia fell a heap, the oppressed and the area of Nicholas. Cross Castle, Pitschen and Brieg were looted.
Nicholas died on July 3, 1476th His body was interred in the church of the Franciscan monastery Opole. As Duke of Opole was succeeded by his son John II of Opole - Ratibor, with the 1532 went out of the Opole branch of the family.