Before 1320 the Polish rulers were with a few exceptions not kings.
They had instead the title "ksiaze", which can be
translated to either prince or duke. In 1138 was Poland divided
between different branches of the ruling dynasty into several
autonomous principalities. But the principality of Krakow would always belong to
the senior member of each generation, who had supremacy over all other
principalities. This arrangement disintegrated in the period of 1180-1227
and the principality of Krakow became thereafter hereditary, although its prince still
retained nominal supremacy over the other princes.
Poland and Lithuania were 1569 united in a union with weak central power,
its name (Rzeczpospolita) can be translated to either "the republic" or
"the commonwealth". This state could not defend itself when it was
partitioned between Russia, Austria and Prussia 1772-1795. A Polish state
was restored during the Napoleonic wars but it was transformed to Congress
Poland 1815, which was in reality an autonomous part of the Russian empire.
It was only after the First World War a really independent Polish state was
created.
Principality of Poland
c. 960-992
992-1025
1025-1031
c. 1031
1032
1032-1034
1034-1058
1058-1079
1079-1102
1102-1107
1102-1138
House of Piast
Mieszko I
Boleslaw I Chobry (the Brave)
Mieszko II Lambert
= 1025
= 1025
Bezprym
Dytryk
Otton
Kazimierz I Odnowiciel (the Restaurator)
Boleslaw II Smialy (the Bold)
Wladyslaw I Herman
Zbigniew
Boleslaw III Krzywousty
(Wry mouth)
= 1076
Principality of Krakow (Senior princes with formal supremacy over the rest of Poland)
1138-1146
Wladyslaw II Wygnaniec
(the Exiled)
1146-1173
Boleslaw IV Kedzierzawy (the Curly)
1173-1202
Mieszko III Stary
(the Old)
1177-1194
Kazimierz II Sprawiedliwy
(the Just)
1194-1227
Leszek I Bialy (the White)
1202
Wladyslaw III Laskonogi
1210-1211
Mieszko IV Platonogi
1228
Wladyslaw III Laskonogi
(restored)
1229-1232
Konrad I
1232-1238
Henryk I Brodaty
(the Bearded)
1238-1241
Henryk II Pobozny (the Pious)
1241-1243
Konrad I
(restored)
1243-1279
Boleslaw V Wstydliwy
(the Chaste)
1279-1288
Leszek II Czarny (the Black)
1288-1290
Henryk IV Probus
1290-1291
Przemysl II (
of Great Poland 1295-96)
1291-1305
1305-1306
House of Přemysl
Waclaw I
( = 1300)
Waclaw II
Kingdom of Poland
(1306)-1333
1333-1370
House of Piast
Wladyslaw I
Lokietek
(the Short, = 1320)
Kazimierz III Wielki (the Great)
1370-1382
1384-1386
House of Anjou
Ludwik Wielki (the Great)
Jadwiga (Hedvig)
1386-1434
House of Jagiello
Wladyslaw II (Jagiello)
1434-1444
Wladyslaw III Warnenczyk
1444-1447
Interregnum
1447-1492
Kazimierz IV Jagiellonczyk
1492-1501
Jan I Olbracht
1501-1506
Aleksander
1506-1548
Zygmunt I Stary (the Old)
1548-1572
Zygmunt II August
Rzeczpospolita
(union with
)
1573-1574
Henryk III Walezy (Valois)*
1576-1586
Stefan Batory
1587-1632
Zygmunt III Waza (Vasa)
1632-1648
1648-1668
1669-1673
1674-1696
Wladyslaw IV Waza (Vasa)*
Jan III Kazimierz (Vasa)
Michal Korybut Wisniowiecki
Jan Sobieski
1697-1704
August II Mocny (the Strong)
1705-1709
Stanislaw I Leszczynski
1709-1733
August II (restored)
1733-1736
Stanislaw I Leszczynski (restored)
1733-1763
August III
1764-1795
Stanislaw August II Poniatowski
Poland is dissolved as a state after its
third partition 1795
Grand Duchy of Warszaw
1807-1813
Fryderyk August I
Kingdom of Poland (Congress Poland)
1815-1825
Aleksander II
1825-1855
Mikolaj I
1855-1874
Aleksander III
The last remnants of
Poland's autonomy disappear and the country is transformed into a
Russian province 1874.
1916-1918
1918-1939
1939-1945
1945-
Kingdom of Poland
(German-Austrian protectorate)
Republic of Poland
General Government of Poland
(German occupation)
Republic of Poland
* = Henryk III was king of France 1574-1589 and Wladyslaw IV was
tsar of Russia 1610-1612.
