Wenceslaus II, Duke of Opava-Ratibor

Wenzel von Ratibor (also: Wenzel I von Ratibor and hunters village, in Czech: Václav IV Ratibořský; * 1405, † October 29, 1456 ) was from 1424 to 1437 together with his brother Nicholas V, Duke of Opava - Ratibor and Jägerndorf from 1437 until his death sole Duke of Ratibor. He came from the family branch Opava Opava - Ratibor the Přemyslids.

Life

His parents were John II " the Iron " and Helene of Lithuania, a niece of the Polish King Władysław II Jagiello. Together with his father and other Silesian princes fought in the so-called Wenzel hunger war, which was completed four years after the Battle of Tannenberg in 1414 between the Teutonic Order and Poland, and ended by a ceasefire in October this year, on the Polish side.

Although Wenzel and his older brother Nicholas V when her father 's death in 1424 were probably already of age, her mother Helene took over from Lithuania probably to 1428 the regency about their heritage. They also dubbed to 1449 as the mistress of Pless, which was probably her assigned as dowry. Wenzel and his brother Nicholas V ruled over the territories inherited jointly to 1437. In the 1437 made ​​-sharing Wenzel, who married in the same year received the duchy Ratibor, while his brother Nicholas V Jägerndorf, Freudenthal, Rybnik, Pless and Bauerwitz took.

After the end of 1437 the Bohemian Landtag majority of the Habsburg Albert II chose as successor to the Bohemian King Sigismund and a minority the not yet eleven years of Casimir, son of the Polish king Władysław III. , Raided in September 1438 a Polish army devastating Opole and Ratiborer areas. Thereupon Wenzel von Ratibor and Wenzel said I. Zator and his brothers Primislaus / Przemko III. Tost and John IV of Auschwitz to a conditional recognition of the eleven-year Kasimir ready. However, in November 1438 paid homage to all Silesian princes and states in Wroclaw the chosen King Albert II

After the death of his brother Nicholas V in 1452 Wenzel von Ratibor took over the guardianship of his young sons John IV the Elder. and Wenzel of Rybnik. Nevertheless, practiced her stepmother Barbara Rockenberg to 1464 from the regency Ratibor, Jägerndorf, Freudenthal and Rybnik. From 1452 to 1462 she was mistress of Pless, which you probably state as jointure.

Wenzel von Ratibor died 1456. His body was interred in the church of Ratiborer Dominican monastery.

Family

1437 Wenzel married Ratibor with Margaret of Szamotuły († 1464 ), daughter of Meseritzer Kastelans Vincent de Szamotuły. The couple had children