Boleslaw I of Poland

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Bolesław I (the Brave) King of Poland
Portrait by Jan Matejko(1838) Reign Duke: 992– April 18, 1025
King: April 18- June 17, 1025Coronation April 18, 1025
Gniezno Cathedral, Poland. Born 967Died June 17, 1025Place of death PoznańBuried Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul, PoznańPredecessor Mieszko ISuccessor Mieszko II LambertWives unknown daughter of Rikdag
uknkown princess from Hungary
Emnilda
Oda Issue With second spouse: Bezprym
With Enmilda: Regelinda, Mieszko II Lambert, Otton
With Oda: MatildaDynasty Piast dynastyFather Mieszko IMother Dubrawka

Bolesław I the Brave (or Valiant) (Polish: Bolesław I Chrobry; Czech: Boleslav Chrabrý; 967 - June 17, 1025), in the past also known as Bolesław I the Great (Polish: Bolesław Chrobry I (Wielki)), of the Piast Dynasty — son of Mieszko I and of his first wife, the Bohemian princess Dubrawka — ruled as Duke of Poland, 992-1025, and as first King of Poland in 1025.

Biography

In 984 Bolesław married an unknown daughter of Rikdag (Riddag, Ricdag), Margrave of Meißen. Subsequently he married an unknown woman from Hungary, maybe a daughter of Geza, Grand Duke of Hungary; then Emnilda, daughter of Dobromir; and lastly Oda, another daughter of the Margrave of Meißen. His wives bore him sons, including Bezprym, Mieszko II and Otton; and a daughter, Mathilde. After his father's death around 992, Bolesław expelled his father's second wife, Oda von Haldensleben, and her sons, thereby attempting to unite Poland again.

In 997 Bolesław sent Saint Adalbert of Prague to Prussia, on the Baltic Sea, on a mission to convert the heathen Prussians to Christianity — an attempt that would end in Adalbert's martyrdom and subsequent canonization.

Dinar of Boleslaw I

From his father, he had inherited their principality, centered on Greater Poland, being along the river Warta ("valley of Warta"), and much smaller than modern Poland.

By 997, Bolesław already possessed Silesia and Pomerania (with its chief city, Gdańsk) and Lesser Poland (with its chief city, Cracow). In 1002 Bolesław annexed present-day Moravia, and in 1001 or 1003, parts of present-day Slovakia.

In 1000, Emperor Otto III, while on pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Adalbert at Gniezno, invested Bolesław with the title Frater et Cooperator Imperii ("Brother and Partner in the Empire"). Some historians state that the Emperor also pledged a royal crown to Bolesław. During that same visit, Otto III accepted Gniezno's status as an archbishopric (see Congress of Gniezno).

After the untimely death of the Emperor Otto III at age 22 in 1002, Bolesław supported Eckard I, Margrave of Meissen for the German throne. When Eckard was assassinated in April, Bolesław lent his support to Henry IV, Duke of Bavaria, and helped make him King as Henry II. Bolesław and his father had earlier backed Henry II, Duke of Bavaria, against Otto, and Henry IV was the son of the earlier Henry. With Eckard dead, Bolesław laid claim to the March of Meissen as a relative of Eckard through marriage, but Henry only acquiesced to give him the March of Lusatia and detach it from Meissen. Henry remained suspicious of Bolesław for his early support for Eckard and Bolesław for his part remained committed to extending his own territories at the expense of the Empire.

Bolesław conquered, and made himself Duke of, Bohemia in 1003 - 1004, ruling as Boleslav IV.

At the request of his son-in-law Sviatopolk I of Kiev, the Polish duke intervened in Kievan affairs: not only did he expel Yaroslav the Wise from Kiev, but possibly he deployed his troops in Rus' capital for about half a year (see Kiev Expedition of 1018). According to popular legend Bolesław notched his sword hitting the gate of Kiev (this sword called Szczerbiec is a symbol of polish monarchy). During this campaign Poland re-annexed the Red Strongholds, later called Red Ruthenia, lost by Bolesław's father in 981.

"Coronation of the First King of Poland," by Jan Matejko, 1889, oil on canvas, Royal Castle, Warsaw. Bolesław Chrobry and Svetopelk at Kiev, in a legendary (if ahistorical) moment of hitting the Golden Gate with Szczerbiec sword. Painting by Jan Matejko.

The intermittent wars with the Holy Roman Empire ended with the Peace of Bautzen in 1018, which left Sorbian Meißen and Lusatia in Polish hands.

Emperor Henry II obliged Bolesław to pledge his fealty again in exchange for the lands that he held in fief. After Henry's death in 1024, Bolesław crowned himself king (1025), thus raising Poland to the rank of a kingdom and being the first Polish king, his predecessors having been "princes".

Bolesław sent an army to aid his friend — also his nephew, son of his sister Sigrid — Canute the Great in his conquest of England.

Bolesław's son, Mieszko II, crowned himself king immediately upon his father's death.

Significance of Bolesław's reign in Polish history

Old banknote with image of Bolesław the Brave.

Bolesław was the first Polish king, since it was during his reign that Poland became a kingdom, despite the fact that some Polish rulers before 1295 would never receive a crown. Poland had thus the royal status before their ethnic relatives and neighbors, Bohemia.

He was the first Polish ruler that had been baptised at birth. He founded the independent Polish province of the Church and made Poland a strong power in Europe.

Bolesław for the first time unified all the provinces that subsequently came to comprise the traditional territory of Poland: Greater Poland, Lesser Poland, Masovia, Silesia and Pomerania

He was a national hero to the Sorbs of Lusatia.