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Örjan Martinsson

Regents of Silesia

In 1138 when Poland was partitioned into different principalities, which were granted to Boleslaw III's sons, Silesia fell to the oldest son Wladyslaw. As such he was also senior of Poland with control over the capitol Krakow and the region of Little Poland, but already in 1146 was he exiled from all his lands by his brother Boleslaw. Poland was however at that time a vassal state to Germany so the Holy Roman Emperor intervened in 1163 and placed Wladyslaw's three sons as dukes/princes of Silesia. The two oldest sons had many descendants who partitioned Silesia into numerous duchies. Because of space considerations are the dukes from the Upper Silesian branch of the dynasty listed on a separate page.

Most dukes in Lower Silesia severed their ties with Poland 1329 and instead recognised Bohemia's supremacy, something the Upper Silesian dukes had done two years earlier. From 1335 was all of Silesia a part of the Bohemian crown but the Silesian dukes had considerable autonomy. Because the dukes encouraged German immigration became the Polish population to a large extent assimilated with the Germans and during the 14th century was Silesia practically a German speaking country. The last branch of the ruling house of Piast became extinct 1675 and thereafter was Silesia placed under direct rule by the Bohemian-Austrian regents. Most of Silesia was conquered by Prussia 1742, which then lost it to Poland after the World Wars.

Note that only the duchies originated from the partitioning of Poland 1138 and ruled by members of the house of Piast are listed on these pages. The other Silesian duchies that existed were fiefs granted by the Bohemian kings (Troppau, Münsterberg-Öls and Jägerndorf for example) and these did not have the same degree of autonomy as the Piast duchies.

Duchy of Silesia
(the dukes of upper Silesia after 1211 are listed on a separate page)

1138-1146 Wladyslaw Wygnaniec (the Exiled)
1146-1163 Boleslaw Kedzierzawy (the Curly)
1163-1203 Konrad (Middle Silesia)
1163-1211 Mieszko I (Upper Silesia)

Lower Silesia (Breslau)
 
1163-1201
1195-1201
Boleslawl
Jaroslaw (Neisse-Oppeln)
1201-1238 Henryk I Brodaty (the Bearded)
1238-1241 Henryk II Pobozny (the Pious)
1241
1241-1247
1241-1266
Parted in Liegnitz, Lebus, Breslau, Glogau
Mieszko (Schlesien-Lebus) *
Henryk III
1266-1290 Henryk IV
1290 United with Schlesien-Liegnitz

Schlesien-Liegnitz (and Brieg)
 
1241-1278
1278
1278-1286
1278-1296
1296-1335
1296-1338
1296-1348
1348-1364
1348-1398
1364-1394
1364-1398
1364-1409
1398-1399
1399-1420
1399-1436
1409-1419
1420-1441
1436-1446
1441-1452
1441-1453
1453-1455
1453-1488
1488-1495
1495-1521
1495-1547
1521-1550
1547-1570
1547-1586
1570-1579
1570-1596
1586-1592
1586-1602
1602-1639
1602-1653
1639-1664
1639-1672
1653-1663
1672-1675
1675-1742
1742-1945
1945-
Boleslaw II
Partitioned in Liegnitz, Schweidnitz, Hirschberg
Bernhard I (Schlesien-Hirschberg)
Heinrich V
Heinrich VI (Schlesien-Breslau 1311-1335) **
Wladyslaw
Boleslaw III (Schlesien-Brieg 1311-1338)
Wenzel I
Ludwig I (Schlesien-Brieg)
Boleslaw IV
Heinrich VII
Ruprecht
Heinrich VIII
Heinrich IX (S-Lüben-Hainau-Ohlau)
Ludwig II (Schlesien-Brieg 1399-1416)
Wenzel II (also bishop of Breslau)
Ludwig III (S-Lüben-Hainau-Ohlau)
Elisabeth von Brandenburg
Heinrich X (Schlesien-Goldberg)
Johann I (Schlesien-Brieg 1441-1446)
Liegnitz under direct rule by Bohemia
Friedrich I (Schlesien-Brieg 1453-1455)
Johann II
Georg (Schlesien-Brieg-Lüben)
Friedrich II
Anna von Pommern (Schlesien-Brieg-Lüben)
Friedrich III
Georg II (Schlesien-Brieg)
Heinrich XI
Friedrich IV
Johann Georg (Schlesien-Brieg)
Joachim Friedrich (S-Brieg 1586-1596)
Johann Christian (Schlesien-Brieg)
Georg Rudolf (Schlesien-Liegnitz-Goldberg)
Georg III (Schlesien-Brieg)
Christian (Schlesien-Wohlau 1639-1663)
Ludwig IV
Georg Wilhelm
Direct rule by Bohemia (Austria)
Part of Prussia
Part of Poland

Schlesien-Schweidnitz (and Jauer)
 
1278-1301
1301
1301-1326
1301-1346
1326-1343
1326-1368
1368
Boleslaw III
Parted in Schweidnitz, Jauer and Münsterberg
Bernhard II
Heinrich I (Schlesien-Jauer)
Heinrich II
Boleslaw V (in Fürstenberg to 1346, then Jauer)
United with Bohemia through marriage

Schlesien-Münsterberg
 
1301-1341
1341-1351
1351-1410
1410-1420
1410-1428
1410-1442
1442-1456
1456-1791
1791-
Boleslaw IV
Nicholas
Boleslaw VI
Heinrich II
Johann
Eufemia
Direct rule by Bohemia
Duchy of Münsterberg (house of Podiebrad)
Purchased by Prussia

Schlesien-Glogau
 
1241-1274
1274-1289
1274-1304
Konrad II
Premysl I (Schlesien-Steinau)
Konrad III (Schlesien-Sagan)
1274-1309 Heinrich III
1309 Parted in Sagan, Namslau, Öls, Steinau and Glogau
1309-1322 Boleslaw (Schlesien-Öls)
1309-1331 Przemysl II
1309-1361/5 Jan (Schlesien-Steinau)
1338
1322, 1331, 1365
A half of Glogau is sold to Bohemia
Divided between the other Piast branches

Schlesien-Sagan (and half of Glogau)
 
1309-1342
1342-1369
1369-1393
1369-1394
1369-1397
1397-1423
1397-1439
1397-1467
1439-1440
1439-1459
1459-1467
1467-1472
1467-1476
1467-1504
1476-1510
1476-1526
1504-1549
1510
1526
1549
Henryk IV
Henryk V
Henryk VI (Schlesien-Crossen)
Henryk VII (S-Glogau-Steinau)
Henryk VIII (S-Grünberg-Sprottgau)
Henryk X (Schlesien-Glogau)
Jan I
Henryk IX (Schlesien-Freistadt-Crossen)
Waclaw
Baltazar
Jan II
Baltazar (restored)
Henryk XI (Schlesien-Freistadt-Crossen)
Jan II (restored, S-Freistadt 1476-1504)
Barbara von Brandenburg (S-Crossen)
Glogau part of Poland
Schlesien-Freistadt part of Saxony
Crossen is united with Brandenburg
Glogau is united with Bohemia
Freistadt is united with Bohemia

Schlesien-Öls (S-Namslau to 1322)
 
1309-1366
1366-1403
1403-1413
1413-1447
1413-1429
1413-1427
1413-1452
1413-1444/7
1429-1471
1439-1492
1492-1495
1495-1569
1569- ca 1580
ca 1580
Konrad I
Konrad II
Konrad III
Konrad IV (S-Bernstadt,) ***
Konrad V
Konrad VI (Schlesien-Steinau)
Konrad VII (S-Kosel-Wartenberg)
Konrad VIII (Schlesien-Wohlau)
Konrad IX (Schlesien-Öls-Kosel)
Konrad X (Schlesien-Wohlau)
Direct rule by Bohemia
Part of the duchy of Münsterberg
Direct rule by Bohemia (Austria)
United with Schlesien-Brieg

* = Schlesien-Lebus was sold to Brandenburg 1258.
** = Schlesien-Breslau recognised the supremacy of the Bohemia 1327 and was sold to it 1335.
*** = Konrad IV was bishop of Breslau 1417.

= Krakow   = Great Poland   = Mazovia