List of Polish monarchs

Until 966
966–1385
1385–1569
1569–1795
1795–1918
1918–1939
1939–1945
1945–1989
1989–present

Topics

Culture
Demography (Jews)
Economics
Politics (Monarchs and Presidents)
Military (Wars)
Territorial changes (WWII)

Poland, or at least its nucleus, was ruled at various times either by książęta (Dukes) (ca. 10th-14th century) or by Kings (ca. 11th-18th century). The longest-reigning dynasties were the Piasts (ca. 960 – 1370) and Jagiellons (1386–1572). Intervening and subsequent monarchs were often rulers of foreign countries or princes recruited from foreign dynasties. During the latter period a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16th-18th centuries). Polish independence ended with the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1795) and was restored at the end of World War I (1918) on a republican basis.

1 Monarchs of Poland
2 Kings of Poland and Grand Dukes of Lithuania
- 2.1 Jagiellon Dynasty
3 Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
4 Claim made by foreign states after Partitions of Poland
5 See also
6 External links

Monarchs of Poland

Ruler Dynasty Reign Notes Siemowit PiastDuke 9th century legendary; son of Piast Lestko PiastDuke 9th-10th century legendary; son of Siemowit Siemomysł PiastDuke 10th century legendary Mieszko I PiastDuke 960?-992 son of Siemomysł
first Christian monarch Bolesław I the Brave
(Boleslas I) PiastDuke 992-1025
King 1025 son of Mieszko
first to be crowned King Mieszko II Lambert PiastKing 1025-1031 son of Boleslas I Bezprym PiastDuke 1031-1032 son of Boleslas I Otton PiastDuke 1032 son of Boleslas I Thiedric PiastDuke 1032 Mieszko I's grandson Mieszko II Lambert PiastDuke 1032-1034 restored Kazimierz I the Restorer
(Casimir I) PiastDuke 1039-1058 son of Mieszko II Bolesław II the Bold
(Boleslas II) PiastDuke 1058-1076
King 1076-1079 son of Casimir I Władysław I Herman
(Ladislas I) PiastDuke 1079-1102 son of Casimir I Zbigniew PiastDuke 1102-1107 son of Ladislas I;
first jointly with Boleslas III Bolesław III Wrymouth
(Boleslas III) PiastDuke 1102-1138 son of Ladislas I
first jointly with Zbigniew
introduced senioral principle Władysław II the Exile
(Ladislas II) PiastHigh Duke 1138-1146 son of Boleslas III
also Duke of Silesia
exiled by his brothers Bolesław IV the Curly
(Boleslas IV) PiastHigh Duke 1146-1177 son of Boleslas III
also Duke of Masovia Mieszko III the Old PiastHigh Duke 1173-1177 son of Boleslas III
also Duke of Greater Poland Kazimierz II the Just
(Casimir II) PiastHigh Duke 1177-1190 son of Boleslas III; also Duke
of Wiślica and Sandomierz Mieszko III the Old PiastHigh Duke 1190 restored Kazimierz II the Just
(Casimir II) PiastHigh Duke 1190-1194 restored Leszek I the White PiastHigh Duke 1194-1198 also Duke of Sandomierz Mieszko III the Old PiastHigh Duke 1198-1199 restored Leszek I the White PiastHigh Duke 1199-1202 restored Mieszko III the Old PiastHigh Duke 1202 restored Władysław III Spindleshanks
(Ladislas III) PiastHigh Duke 1202-1206 son of Mieszko III
also Duke of Greater Poland Leszek I the White PiastHigh Duke 1206-1210 restored Mieszko I Tanglefoot PiastHigh Duke 1210-1211 son of Ladislas II;
also Duke of Wrocław Leszek I the White PiastHigh Duke 1211-1227 restored; assassinated Władysław III Spindleshanks
(Ladislas III) PiastHigh Duke 1227-1229 restored Konrad I of Masovia PiastHigh Duke 1229-1232 son of son of Casimir II
also Duke of Masovia Henryk I the Bearded
(Henry I) PiastHigh Duke 1232-1238 also Duke of Silesia Henryk II the Pious
(Henry II) PiastHigh Duke 1238-1241 son of Henry I; also Duke of
Wroclaw and Greater Poland;
fell at Legnica Konrad I of Masovia PiastHigh Duke 1241-1243 also Duke of Masovia Bolesław V the Chaste
(Boleslas V) PiastHigh Duke 1243-1279 son of Leszek the White Leszek II the Black PiastHigh Duke 1279-1288 Henryk IV Probus
(Henry IV) PiastHigh Duke 1288-1290 also Duke of Lower Silesia Przemysł II
(Premyslas II) PiastHigh Duke 1290-1295
King 1295-1296 also Duke of Poznań, Greater
Poland and Pomerania Václav II
(Wenceslas II) PřemyslidHigh Duke 1296-1300
King 1300-1305 Duke of Lesser Poland
since 1291 Václav III
(Wenceslas III) PřemyslidKing 1305-1306 son of Wenceslaus III
uncrowned; assassinated Władysław I the Elbow-high
(Ladislas I/IV) PiastHigh Duke 1306-1320
King 1320-1333 Kazimierz III the Great
(Casimir III) PiastKing 1333-1370 son of Władysław I Ludwik
(Louis) AnjouKing 1370-1382 nephew of Casimir III Jadwiga
(Hedwig) AnjouKing 1382-1399 daughter of Louis I
reigned jointly with her husband
Ladislas II since 1386

Kings of Poland and Grand Dukes of Lithuania

Jagiellon Dynasty

Ruler Dynasty Reign Notes Władysław II Jagiełło
(Ladislas II) Jagiellon1386-1434 reigned jointly with his wife Jadwiga until 1399 Władysław III
(Ladislas III) Jagiellon1434-1444 Also king of Hungary

fell at Varna, therefore surnamed "of Varna"

Kazimierz IV
(Casimir III/IV) Jagiellon1447-1492 Jan I Olbracht
(John I Albert) Jagiellon1492-1501 Aleksander
(Alexander) Jagiellon1501-1506 Zygmunt I the Old
(Sigismund I) Jagiellon1506-1548 Zygmunt II August
(Sigismund II) Jagiellon1548-1572

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Ruler Dynasty Reign Notes Henryk Walezy
(Henry III) Valois1573-1574 abandoned the Polish-Lithuanian throne on becoming King of France Maksymilian II
(Maximilian I) Habsburg1575 election contested after four days Anna JagiellonKing 1575-1586 reigned together with her husband Stephen Báthory Stefan I Batory
(Stephen I Báthory) Báthory1576-1586 reigned together with his wife Anna; regarded as one of the greatest kings of Poland Maksymilian III
(Maximilian II) Habsburg1587 defeated by Zygmunt Vasa Zygmunt III
(Sigismund III ) Vasa1587-1632 Władysław IV
(Ladislas IV) Vasa1632-1648 Jan II Kazimierz
(John II Casimir) Vasa1648-1668 Michał Korybut
(Michael I) Wiśniowiecki1669-1673 Jan III
(John III) Sobieski1674-1696 August II Mocny
(Augustus II the Strong) Wettin1697-1706 abdicated Stanisław I
(Stanislas I) Leszczyński1706-1709 yielded to Augustus II August II Mocny
(Augustus II the Strong) Wettin1709-1733 restored Stanisław I
(Stanislas I) Leszczyński1733-1736 restored, defeated

in War of the Polish Succession, abdicated

August III Sas
(Augustus III) Wettin1734-1763 Stanisław II August
(Stanislas II August) Poniatowski1764-1795 abdicated

Claim made by foreign states after Partitions of Poland

Ruler English Dynasty Reign Notes

Kings of Galicia and Lodomeria

Maria TeresaMaria Theresa Habsburg1772-1780 the Austrian portion obtained in the first partition of Poland Józef IIJoseph II Habsburg-Lorraine1780-1790 Leopold IILeopold II Habsburg-Lorraine1790-1792 Franciszek IIFrancis II Habsburg-Lorraine1792-1835 Ferdynand IFerdinand I Habsburg-Lorraine1835-1848 Franciszek Józef IFrancis Joseph I Habsburg-Lorraine1848-1916 Karol ICharles I Habsburg-Lorraine1916-1918

Dukes of Warsaw

Fryderyk AugustFrederick August I Wettin1807-1815 created in 1807 as a satellite of Napoleon, dissolved at the Congress of Viennaand divided into the Russian Kingdom of Poland and the Prussian Grand Duchy of Poznań