Sieciech (mid 11th century AD – early 12th century AD) was a medieval Polish magnate and statesman.

Biography

All information about Sieciech has come down from the chronicler Gallus Anonymus. He was a

count palatine A count palatine (Latin ''comes palatinus''), also count of the palace or palsgrave (from German ''Pfalzgraf''), was originally an official attached to a royal or imperial palace or household and later a nobleman of a rank above that of an or ...

at the court of duke Władysław I Herman of

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 ...

. Though the exact dates of his birth and death are unknown, he is said by Gallus Anonymus to have lived in the second half of the 11th century. During his time as count, Sieciech was the ''de facto'' ruler of

. He wielded such extensive authority throughout the realm that he even minted his own coins. According to Gallus Anonymus, Sieciech ruled heavy-handedly. His alleged despotic conduct resulted in a number of nobles (especially those from

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

) being forced to leave the country. Sieciech is credited with ordering the poisoning of Boleslaw II's son, Mieszko. He is also thought to have attempted to rid himself of the two sons of Władysław I Herman in attempt to gain the throne. Sieciech is known to have founded the Romanesque Saint Andrews church in

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 ...

. Sieciech made a large number of enemies among the Polish nobility. The disgruntled nobles sought to limit his influence by proposing that the country should be divided between Władysław I Herman and his sons

Zbigniew Zbigniew () is a Polish masculine given name, originally Zbygniew . This West Slavic name is derived from the Polish elements ''Zby-'' (from ''zbyć, zbyć się, or pozbyć się'', meaning "to dispel", "to get rid of") and ''gniew'', meaning "ang ...

and Boleslaw III Wrymouth. His influence began to wane when the sons of Władysław I Herman demanded to be granted their own districts. They also demanded that Sieciech be removed from positions of influence. Their wishes were granted when in 1100 Sieciech was stripped of his land and titles by Wladyslaw I Herman and banished from the country. According to Gallus Anonymus Sieciech managed to return to Poland before his death.Antoni Czubinski, Jerzy Topolski - "History of Poland" Ossolineum (1988) The town of Sieciechów ('' Castrum Sethei''), judging by Gallus, was named after Sieciech (''Setheus'').

References

{{Reflist 11th-century births Year of birth uncertain 12th-century deaths Year of death uncertain Polish politicians