The House of Piast was the first historical ruling

dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke

Mieszko I Mieszko I (; – 25 May 992) was Duchy of Poland (966–1025), Duke of Poland from 960 until his death in 992 and the founder of the first unified History of Poland, Polish state, the Civitas Schinesghe. A member of the Piast dynasty, he was t ...

(–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of King

Casimir III the Great Casimir III the Great (; 30 April 1310 – 5 November 1370) reigned as the King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He also later became King of Ruthenia in 1340, retaining the title throughout the Galicia–Volhynia Wars. He was the last Polish king fr ...

. Branches of the Piast dynasty continued to rule in the

Duchy of Masovia The Duchy of Masovia was a District duchy, district principality and a fiefdom of the Kingdom of Poland (1025–1385), Kingdom of Poland, existing during the Middle Ages. The state was centered in Mazovia in the northeastern Kingdom of Poland, a ...

(until 1526) and in the

Duchies of Silesia The Duchies of Silesia were the more than twenty divisions of the region of Silesia formed between the 12th and 14th centuries by the breakup of the Duchy of Silesia, then part of the Kingdom of Poland. In 1335, the duchies were ceded to the King ...

until the last male

Silesian Piast The Silesian Piasts were the elder of four lines of the Polish Piast dynasty beginning with Władysław II the Exile (1105–1159), eldest son of Duke Bolesław III of Poland. By Bolesław's testament, Władysław was granted Silesia as his here ...

died in 1675. The Piasts intermarried with several noble lines of Europe, and possessed numerous titles, some within the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. The

Jagiellonian The Jagiellonian ( ) or Jagellonian dynasty ( ; ; ), otherwise the Jagiellon dynasty (), the House of Jagiellon (), or simply the Jagiellons (; ; ), was the name assumed by a cadet branch of the Lithuanian ducal dynasty of Gediminids upon recep ...

kings ruling after the death of

Casimir IV of Poland Casimir IV (Casimir Andrew Jagiellon; ; Lithuanian: ; 30 November 1427 – 7 June 1492) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland from 1447 until his death in 1492. He was one of the most active Polish-Lithuanian rulers; under ...

were also descended in the female line from Casimir III's daughter.

Origin of the name

The early dukes and kings of Poland are said to have regarded themselves as descendants of the semi-legendary

Piast the Wheelwright Piast the Wheelwright ( 740/741? – 861? AD; Polish language, Polish: ''Piast Kołodziej'' , ''Piast Oracz'', i.e. Piast the Plower, or ''Piast''; ''Piast Chościskowic'', Latin language, Latin: ''Past Ckosisconis'', ''Pazt filius Chosisconisu'' ...

(''Piast Kołodziej''), first mentioned in the '' Cronicae et gesta ducum sive principum Polonorum'' (''Deeds of the Princes of the Poles''), written c. 1113 by

Gallus Anonymus ''Gallus Anonymus'', also known by his Polonized variant ''Gall '', is the name traditionally given to the anonymous author of (Deeds of the Princes of the Poles), composed in Latin between 1112 and 1118. ''Gallus'' is generally regarded as the ...

. However, the term "Piast Dynasty" was not applied until the 17th century.Encyklopedia Powszechna PWN Warsaw 1975 vol. III p. 505 In a historical work, the expression Piast dynasty was introduced by the Polish historian

Adam Naruszewicz Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam si ...

; it is not documented in contemporary sources.

History

The first "Piasts", probably of Polan descent, appeared around 940 in the territory of

Greater Poland Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; ), is a Polish Polish historical regions, historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest city in Poland. The bound ...

at the stronghold of

Giecz Giecz is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Dominowo, within Środa Wielkopolska County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately north of Dominowo, north-east of Środa Wielkopolska, and east ...

. Shortly afterwards they relocated their residence to

Gniezno Gniezno (; ; ) is a city in central-western Poland, about east of Poznań. Its population in 2021 was 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. The city is the administrative seat of Gniezno County (''powiat'') ...

, where Prince Mieszko I ruled over the ''

Civitas Schinesghe Civitas Schinesghe (; ), also known as the Duchy of Poland or the Principality of Poland, is the historiographical name given to a polity in Central Europe, which existed during the medieval period and was the predecessor state of the Kingdom of ...

'' from about 960. The Piasts temporarily also ruled over

Pomerania Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian Voivod ...

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

and the

Lusatia Lusatia (; ; ; ; ; ), otherwise known as Sorbia, is a region in Central Europe, formerly entirely in Germany and today territorially split between Germany and modern-day Poland. Lusatia stretches from the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers in the eas ...

s, as well as part of

Ruthenia ''Ruthenia'' is an exonym, originally used in Medieval Latin, as one of several terms for Rus'. Originally, the term ''Rus' land'' referred to a triangular area, which mainly corresponds to the tribe of Polans in Dnieper Ukraine. ''Ruthenia' ...

, and the Hungarian

Spiš Spiš ( ; or ; ) is a region in north-eastern Slovakia, with a very small area in south-eastern Poland (more specifically encompassing 14 former Slovak villages). Spiš is an informal designation of the territory, but it is also the name of one ...

region in present-day

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

. The ruler bore the title of a

duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

or a

king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

, depending on their position of power. The Polish monarchy had to deal with the expansionist policies of the Holy Roman Empire in the west, resulting in a chequered co-existence, with Piast rulers like Mieszko I,

Casimir I the Restorer Casimir I the Restorer (; 25 July 1016 – 19 March 1058), a member of the Piast dynasty, was the duke of Poland from 1040 until his death. Casimir was the son of Mieszko II Lambert and Richeza of Lotharingia. He is known as the Restorer because ...

Władysław I Herman Władysław I Herman ( 1044 – 4 June 1102) was the duke of Poland from 1079 until his death. Accession Władysław was the second son of the Polish duke Casimir the Restorer and Maria Dobroniega of Kiev. As the second son, Władysław was not ...

trying to protect the Polish state by treaties, oath of allegiances and marriage alliances with the Imperial

Ottonian The Ottonian dynasty () was a Saxon dynasty of German monarchs (919–1024), named after three of its kings and Holy Roman emperors, especially Otto the Great. It is also known as the Saxon dynasty after the family's origin in the German stem du ...

and

Salian The Salian dynasty or Salic dynasty () was a dynasty in the High Middle Ages. The dynasty provided four kings of Germany (1024–1125), all of whom went on to be crowned Holy Roman emperors (1027–1125). After the death of the last Ottonian ...

dynasties. The Bohemian

Přemyslid dynasty The Přemyslid dynasty or House of Přemysl (, , ) was a Bohemian royal dynasty that reigned in the Duchy of Bohemia and later Kingdom of Bohemia and Margraviate of Moravia (9th century–1306), as well as in parts of Poland (including Silesia ...

, the Hungarian Arpads and their

Anjou Anjou may refer to: Geography and titles France *County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou **Count of Anjou, title of nobility *Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France ** Du ...

successors, the

Kievan Rus' Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,. * was the first East Slavs, East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical At ...

, later also the

State of the Teutonic Order The State of the Teutonic Order () was a theocratic state located along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea in northern Europe. It was formed by the knights of the Teutonic Order during the early 13th century Northern Crusades in the region ...

and the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

were mighty neighbours. Poland1020-c

The Piast position was decisively enfeebled by an era of fragmentation following the 1138

Testament of Bolesław III Wrymouth The last will and testament of the Piast duke Bolesław III Wrymouth of Poland, established rules for governance of the Polish kingdom by his four surviving sons after his death. By issuing it, Bolesław planned to guarantee that his heirs woul ...

. For nearly 150 years, the Polish state shattered into several duchies, with the Piast duke against the formally valid principle of

agnatic seniority Agnatic seniority is a patrilineality, patrilineal principle of inheritance where the order of succession to the throne prefers the monarch's younger brother over the monarch's own sons. A monarch's children (the next generation) succeed only ...

fighting for the throne at

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, the capital of the Lesser Polish

Seniorate Province Seniorate Province, also known as the Senioral Province, was a district principality in the Duchy of Poland that was formed in 1138, following the fragmentation of the state.Kwiatkowski, Richard. The Country That Refused to Die: The Story of t ...

. Numerous dukes like

Mieszko III the Old Mieszko III ( 1122/25 – 13 March 1202), sometimes called the Old, was Duke of Greater Poland from 1138 and High Duke of Poland, with interruptions, from 1173 until his death. He was the fourth and second surviving son of Duke Bolesław III W ...

Władysław III Spindleshanks Władysław III Spindleshanks (; b. 1161/67 – 3 November 1231), of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Greater Poland (during 1194–1202 over all the land and during 1202–1229 only over the southern part), High Duke of Poland and Duke of Kraków d ...

Leszek I the White Leszek the White (; c. 1184/85 – 24 November 1227) was Prince of Sandomierz and High Duke of Poland in the years 1194–1198, 1199, 1206–1210, and 1211–1227. During the early stages of his reign, his uncle Duke Mieszko III the Old and cou ...

were crowned, only to be overthrown shortly afterwards, and others restored and ousted, at times repeatedly. The senior branch of the Silesian Piasts, descendants of

Bolesław III Wrymouth Bolesław III Wrymouth (; 20 August 1086 – 28 October 1138), also known as Boleslaus the Wry-mouthed, was the duke of Lesser Poland, Silesia and Sandomierz between 1102 and 1107 and over the whole of Poland between 1107 and 1138. He was the onl ...

's eldest son Duke

Władysław II the Exile Władysław II the Exile (; 1105 – 30 May 1159) was the high duke of Poland and duke of Silesia from 1138 until his expulsion in 1146. He is the progenitor of the Silesian Piasts. Governor of Silesia He was the eldest son of Duke Bolesław III W ...

, went separate ways and since the 14th century were vassals of the

Bohemian Crown The Lands of the Bohemian Crown were the states in Central Europe during the medieval and early modern periods with feudal obligations to the Bohemian kings. The crown lands primarily consisted of the Kingdom of Bohemia, an electorate of the Hol ...

. After the Polish royal line and Piast junior branch had died out in 1370, the Polish crown fell to the Anjou king

Louis I of Hungary Louis I, also Louis the Great (; ; ) or Louis the Hungarian (; 5 March 132610 September 1382), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1342 and King of Poland from 1370. He was the first child of Charles I of Hungary and his wife, Elizabeth of ...

, son of late King Casimir's sister Elizabeth Piast. The

Masovia Mazovia or Masovia ( ) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the largest city and Płock being the capital of the region . Throughout the ...

n branch of the Piasts became extinct with the death of Duke

Janusz III Janusz III of Masovia (pl: ''Janusz III mazowiecki''; ca. 27 September 1502 – 9/10 March 1526), was a Polish prince member of the House of Piast in the Masovian branch. He was a Duke of Czersk, Warsaw, Liw, Zakroczym and Nur during 1503-1 ...

in 1526. The last ruling duke of the Silesian Piasts was George William of Legnica who died in 1675. His uncle Count

August of Legnica Count August of Legnica (; ; Brzeg, 21 August 1627 – Siebenhufen near Przeworno, 14 May 1679), was the last male-line member of the House of Piast. He was the ninth (fourth surviving) son of John Christian of Brieg, John Christian, Duke of Br ...

, the last male Piast, died in 1679. The last legitimate heir, Duchess

Karolina of Legnica-Brieg Karolina of Legnica-Brieg-Wohlau (, ; 2 December 1652 in Brzeg – 24 December 1707 in Wrocław), was a Silesian noble, duchess of Legnica, Brzeg and Wołów and the last member of the Silesian Piasts dynasty. She was the eldest daughter of ...

died in 1707 and is buried in

Trzebnica Abbey Sanctuary of St. Jadwiga in Trzebnica, also known as Trzebnica Abbey, was a convent for Cistercian nuns in Trzebnica, north of Wrocław, in Lower Silesia, Poland. Founded in 1203, it was abandoned for a few decades during the 19th century, and was ...

. Nevertheless, numerous families, like the illegitimate descendants of the Silesian duke Adam Wenceslaus of Cieszyn (1574–1617), link their genealogy to the dynasty.

Coat of arms

About 1295,

Przemysł II Przemysł II ( also given in English and Latin language, Latin as ''Premyslas'' or ''Premislaus'' or in Polish as '; 14 October 1257 – 8 February 1296) was the Duke of Poznań from 1257–1279, of Greater Poland from 1279 to 1296, of Kraków fr ...

used a coat of arms with a white

eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

– a symbol later referred to as the Piast coat of arms or as the Piast Eagle. Górczyk, Wojciech, "Półksiężyc, orzeł, lew i smok. Uwagi o godłach napieczętnych Piastów" http://histmag.org/?id=3057&act=ac The

Silesian Piasts The Silesian Piasts were the elder of four lines of the Polish Piast dynasty beginning with Władysław II the Exile (1105–1159), eldest son of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth, Bolesław III of Poland. By Bolesław's Testament of Bolesław III Krzy ...

in the 14th century used an eagle modified by a crescent, which became the coat of arms of the

Duchy of Silesia The Duchy of Silesia (, ) with its capital at Wrocław was a medieval provincial duchy of Poland located in the region of Silesia. Soon after it was formed under the Piast dynasty in 1138, it fragmented into various Silesian duchies. In 1327, t ...

Piast rulers

Piast kings and rulers of Poland appear in list form in the following table. For a list of all rulers, see

List of Polish monarchs Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of Royal elections in Poland, free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electab ...

Legendary dukes of the Polans

Dukes and Kings of Poland

High Dukes of Poland (Fragmentation of the Kingdom)

Kings of Poland (Reunification attempts)

Kings of Poland (Reunited Kingdom)

Female Piasts

Queens consort

Świętosława Świętosława was a Polish princess, the daughter of Mieszko I of Poland and sister of Bolesław I of Poland, who married two Scandinavian kings. Some chroniclers recount that a princess, whose name is not given, was married first to Eric ...

, supposed daughter of

Mieszko I of Poland Mieszko I (; – 25 May 992) was Duchy of Poland (966–1025), Duke of Poland from 960 until his death in 992 and the founder of the first unified History of Poland, Polish state, the Civitas Schinesghe. A member of the Piast dynasty, he was t ...

Queen consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...

of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and England, mother of

Cnut the Great Cnut ( ; ; – 12 November 1035), also known as Canute and with the epithet the Great, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway from 1028 until his death in 1035. The three kingdoms united under Cnut's rul ...

, King of all England,

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

and

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

Świętosława of Poland Świętosława of Poland (; – 1 September 1126) was the third wife of Duke (later King) Vratislaus II of Bohemia and the first Queen of Bohemia as of 1085. Origin Świętosława was the daughter of Duke Casimir I of Poland and his wife Mari ...

, daughter of

Queen consort of Bohemia This is a list of the wikt:consort, royal consorts of the List of rulers of Bohemia, rulers of Bohemia. The first Duchess of Bohemia (''česká kněžna'') was Ludmila of Bohemia, St. Ludmila, while the first Queen consort, Queen of Bohemia ('' ...

Richeza of Poland, Queen of Sweden Richeza of Poland (, ; – after 25 December 1156), a member of the House of Piast, was twice Queen of Sweden and once Princess of Minsk through her three marriages. Tradition describes her as unusually beautiful. Early life Richeza was the ...

, daughter of

, Queen consort of Sweden, mother of

Canute V of Denmark Canute V Magnussen () ( – 9 August 1157) was a King of Denmark from 1146 to 1157, as co-regent in shifting alliances with Sweyn III and Valdemar I. Canute was killed at the so-called ''Bloodfeast of Roskilde'' in 1157. Nothing certain is know ...

, King of Denmark and

Sophia of Minsk Sophia of Minsk or Sophia of Polotsk (died 5 May 1198) was a Danish queen consort by marriage to King Valdemar I of Denmark, and a landgravine of Thuringia by marriage to Louis III, Landgrave of Thuringia. Life Origin Sophia was the daughter of ...

, Queen consort of Denmark *

Richeza of Poland, Queen of Castile Richeza of Poland (also known as Richeza of Silesia; ; c. 1140 – 16 June 1185) was a Polish noblewoman of the House of Piast in the Silesian branch. By her marriages she was Queen consort of Galicia, León and Castile, Countess of Provence, ...

, daughter of

Queen consort of León This is a list of the ''Queen consort, royal consort'' of the ''Kingdom of León''. ''It is, in part, a continuation of the list of Asturian royal consorts''. Royal Consorts of León House of Alfonso House of Jiménez House of Burg ...

and Galicia,

Queen consort of Castile This is a list of the queens consort and kings consort of the Kingdom of Castile, and later, Crown of Castile. ''It is, in part, a continuation of the list of Asturian royal consorts and the list of Leonese royal consorts''. Countesses Banu Ma ...

, Empress of All Spains *

Salomea of Poland Salome of Poland (1211/1212 – 1268), also known as Salome of Cracow or Blessed Salome (), (1211–1268) was a Polish princess and from 1215 to 1219 the Queen of Halych by virtue of being the wife of Kálmán or Coloman of Galicia. Life Salom ...

, daughter of

, Queen consort of

Halych Halych (, ; ; ; ; , ''Halitsch'' or ''Galitsch''; ) is a historic List of cities in Ukraine, city on the Dniester River in western Ukraine. The city gave its name to the Principality of Halych, the historic province of Galicia (Eastern Europe), ...

Fenenna of Kuyavia Fenenna of Kuyavia (also known as of Inowrocław; ; c. 1276–1295) was Queen of Hungary by marriage to King Andrew III. Fenenna was the daughter of Duke Ziemomysł of Inowrocław by his wife Salomea, daughter of Duke Sambor II of Pomerania. ...

, daughter of Ziemomysł of Kuyavia,

Queen consort of Hungary This is a list of the queens consorts of Hungary (), the consorts of the King of Hungary, kings of Hungary. After the extinction of the Árpád dynasty and later the Capetian House of Anjou, Angevin dynasty, the title of King of Hungary has been ...

Elizabeth Richeza of Poland Elizabeth Richeza of Poland (; ; 1 September 1288 – 19 October 1335), was a Polish princess member of the House of Piast and by her two marriages Queen consort of Bohemia and Poland and Duchess consort of Austria and Styria. She was the on ...

, daughter of

Queen consort of Poland The wives of the rulers of the Kingdom of Poland were duchesses or queens consort of Poland. Two women ruled Poland as queens regnant, but their husbands were kings ''jure uxoris''. Wives of early Polish monarchs Duchesses of the Polans ...

and

* Viola of Cieszyn, daughter of

Mieszko I, Duke of Cieszyn Mieszko I of Cieszyn (, , ; also known as Mieszko I of Opole; 1252/56 – by 27 June 1315), was a Duke of Racibórz during 1282–1290 (with his brother as co-ruler) and the first Duke of Cieszyn since 1290 until his death. He was the oldest son ...

, Queen consort of Hungary, Bohemia and Poland *

Maria of Bytom Maria of Bytom (; before 1295 – 15 December 1317) was a Queen of Hungary by marriage to Charles I of Hungary. She was the third child and only daughter of Duke Casimir of Bytom by his wife Helena, whose origins are unknown, although the l ...

, daughter of

Casimir of Bytom Casimir of Bytom (; 1253/57 – 10 March 1312) was a Duke of Opole during 1282–1284 (with his brother as co-ruler) and Duke of Bytom from 1284 until his death. He was the second son of Władysław, Duke of Opole– Racibórz, by his wife ...

, Queen consort of Hungary *

Beatrice of Silesia Beatrice of Silesia (also known as Beatrice of Świdnica; , ; 1290 – 24 August 1322) was a Polish princess member of the House of Piast in the Silesian branch of Jawor-Świdnica and by marriage Duchess of Bavaria and German Queen. Family She ...

, daughter of

Bolko I the Strict Bolko (Bolesław) I the Strict, also known as Bolko (Bolesław) of Jawor ( or ''Srogi'' or ''Jaworski''; 1252/56 – 9 November 1301), was a Duke of Lwówek Śląski, Lwówek 1278–81 (with his brother as co-ruler) and Duchy of Jawor, Jawor after ...

Queen of the Romans King of the Romans (; ) was the title used by the king of East Francia following his election by the princes from the reign of Henry II (1002–1024) onward. The title originally referred to any German king between his election and coronation ...

* Hedwig of Kalisz, daughter of

Bolesław the Pious Bolesław the Pious (1224/27 – 14 April 1279) was a Duke of Greater Poland during 1239–1247 (according to some historians during 1239–1241, sole Duke of Ujście), Duke of Kalisz during 1247–1249, Duke of Gniezno during 1249–1250, Duk ...

, Queen consort of Poland, mother of

King of Poland and

Elizabeth of Poland Elizabeth of Poland (, ; 1305 – 29 December 1380) was Queen of Hungary by marriage to Charles I of Hungary, and regent of Poland from 1370 to 1376 during the reign of her son Louis I. Life Early life Elizabeth was a member of the Polish royal ...

Queen consort of Hungary *

, daughter of

Władysław I the Elbow-high Władysław is a Polish given male name, cognate with Vladislav. The feminine form is Władysława, archaic forms are Włodzisław (male) and Włodzisława (female), and Wladislaw is a variation. These names may refer to: People Mononym * Włodzis ...

, Queen consort of Hungary, mother of

Louis I Louis I may refer to: Cardinals * Louis I, Cardinal of Guise (1527–1578) Counts * Ludwig I, Count of Württemberg (c. 1098–1158) * Louis I of Blois (1172–1205) * Louis I of Flanders (1304–1346) * Louis I of Châtillon (died 13 ...

, King of Poland, Hungary and

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

and

Charles I of Hungary Charles I, also known as Charles Robert (; ; ; 128816 July 1342), was King of Hungary and Croatia in the union with Hungary, Croatia from 1308 to his death. He was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and the only son of Charles Martel of A ...

, King of Hungary and Croatia * Anna of Świdnica, daughter of Henry II, Duke of Świdnica,

Queen consort of Germany Queen of the Romans (, ) or Queen of the Germans were the official titles of the queens consort of the medieval and early modern Kingdom of Germany. They were the wives of the King of the Romans (chosen by imperial election), and are informally ...

, of Bohemia and

Holy Roman Empress The Holy Roman Empress or Empress of the Holy Roman Empire (''Kaiserin des Heiligen Römischen Reiches'') was the wife or widow of the Holy Roman Emperor. The elective dignity of Holy Roman emperor was restricted to males only, but some empresse ...

, mother of

Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia Wenceslaus IV (also ''Wenceslas''; ; , nicknamed "the Idle"; 26 February 136116 August 1419), also known as Wenceslaus of Luxembourg, was King of Bohemia from 1378 until his death and King of Germany from 1376 until he was deposed in 1400. As he ...

King of the Romans King of the Romans (; ) was the title used by the king of East Francia following his election by the princes from the reign of Henry II (1002–1024) onward. The title originally referred to any German king between his election and coronatio ...

and of Bohemia *

Hedwig of Sagan Hedwig of Sagan (; before 1350 – 27 March 1390) was Queen of Poland as the fourth wife of Casimir III. Casimir's lack of male heir spelled the end of the Piast dynasty in the Kingdom of Poland.Jerzy Jan Lerski, Piotr Wróbel, Richard J. Kozic ...

, daughter of

Henry V of Iron Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

, Queen consort of Poland

Other

, last legitimate member of the entire dynasty, Duchess of

Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Wiesenburg 240px , Wiesenburg Castle in Saxony gave its name to this branch of the ducal family The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Wiesenburg was one of the many cadet branches of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, itself a junior line of t ...

Priesthood

Archbishops

Bolesław of Toszek Bolesław of Toszek (; 1276/78 – December 1328), was a Duke of Toszek from 1303 to his death (after 1315 only formally) and Archbishop of Esztergom from 1321. Early career Bolesław was born around 1278 into the Silesian Piasts, as the ol ...

– Archbishop of

Esztergom Esztergom (; ; or ; , known by Names of European cities in different languages: E–H#E, alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the righ ...

* Władysław of Wroclaw – Archbishop of

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

Bishops

Jarosław of Opole Jarosław (; , ; ; ) is a town in southeastern Poland, situated on the San River. The town had 35,475 inhabitants in 2023. It is the capital of Jarosław County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. History Jarosław is located in the territory of ...

– Bishop of Wrocław * Mieszko of Bytom – Bishop of

Nitra Nitra (; also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra (river), Nitra. It is located 95 km east of Bratislava. With a population of ...

and of

Veszprém Veszprém (; , , , ) is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies approximately north of the Lake Balaton. It is the administrative center of the county of the same name. Etymology The city's name derives ...

Henry of Masovia Henry of Masovia () (1368/1370–1392/1393) was a noble and a bishop of the Kingdom of Poland. Biography Henry of Masovia, born between 1368 and 1370 in Rawa Mazowiecka was the youngest child of one of the Piast dynasty princes of Masovia, Siemo ...

– Bishop of Płock *

Jan Kropidło Jan Kropidło (1360 or 1364 – 3 March 1421), was an ecclesiastic leader in Poland during the late Middle Ages. Jan was the eldest son of Duke Bolko III of Strzelce and his wife Anna. Jan was titled Duke of Strzelce (1382–96, with his brothe ...

– Bishop of Poznań,

Włocławek Włocławek (; or ''Alt Lesle'', Yiddish: וולאָצלאַוועק, romanized: ''Vlatzlavek'') is a city in the Kuyavian–Pomeranian Voivodeship in central Poland along the Vistula River, bordered by the Gostynin-Włocławek Landscape Park ...

, Kamień and

Chełmno Chełmno (; older ; , formerly also ) is a town in northern Poland near the Vistula river with 18,915 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is the seat of the Chełmno County in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. Due to its regional importance ...

, Archbishop of Gniezno (only formally) *

Wenceslaus II of Legnica Wenceslaus II, Duke of Legnica (; 1348 – 30 December 1419) was a Duke of Legnica from 1364 (only nominal; from 1409 he reigned alone and personally) until 1413, Bishop of Lebus (1375–82) and Breslau (Wrocław) (1382–1417; also Duke of ...

– Bishop of Lebus and of Wrocław * Henry VIII of Legnica – Bishop of Wrocław *

Konrad IV the Elder Konrad IV the Elder (, ) ( – 9 August 1447) was Duke of Oels (Oleśnica), Koźle, half of Bytom and half of Ścinawa from 1412 to 1416, sharing rule with his brothers. After 1416, he became the sole ruler of Kąty, Bierutów, Prudnik and S ...

– Bishop of Wrocław *

Alexander of Masovia Alexander of Masovia (; 1400 - 2 June 1444) was a Polish prince member of the House of Piast from the Masovian branch. He was Bishop of Trento since 1425, titular Patriarch of Aquileia since 1439, Cardinal nominated by Antipope Felix V as titular ...

– Bishop of Trento *

Casimir III of Płock Casimir III of Płock (; 10 June 1448/8 June 14499 June 1480), was a Polish prince and member of the Masovian branch of the House of Piast. He was a Duke of Warsaw, Nur, Łomża, Liw, Ciechanów, Wyszogród and Zakroczym during the period 1454� ...

– Bishop of Płock

Family tree of Piasts

References

External links

''Dukes of Kraków, Princes of Poland'', Collier's
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piast Dynasty History of Poland during the Piast dynasty Bohemian royal houses History of Silesia

Origin of the name

History

Coat of arms

Piast rulers

Legendary dukes of the Polans

Dukes and Kings of Poland

High Dukes of Poland (Fragmentation of the Kingdom)

Kings of Poland (Reunification attempts)

Kings of Poland (Reunited Kingdom)

Female Piasts

Queens consort

Other

Priesthood

Archbishops

Bishops

Family tree of Piasts

See also

References

External links