The Duchies of Silesia were the more than twenty divisions of the region of

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

formed between the 12th and 14th centuries by the breakup of the

Duchy of Silesia The Duchy of Silesia ( pl, Księstwo śląskie, german: Herzogtum Schlesien, cs, Slezské knížectví) with its capital at Wrocław was a medieval duchy located in the historic Silesian region of Poland. Soon after it was formed under the Piast ...

, then part of the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exi ...

. In 1335, the duchies were ceded to the

Kingdom of Bohemia The Kingdom of Bohemia ( cs, České království),; la, link=no, Regnum Bohemiae sometimes in English literature referred to as the Czech Kingdom, was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe, the predecessor of the modern Czec ...

under the

Treaty of Trentschin The Treaty of Trentschin was concluded on 24 August 1335 between King Casimir III of Poland and King John of Bohemia as well as his son Margrave Charles IV. The agreement was reached by the agency of Casimir's brother-in-law King Charles I of H ...

. Thereafter until 1742, Silesia was one of the Bohemian crown lands and lay within the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

. Most of Silesia was annexed by the

King of Prussia The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman C ...

under the Treaty of Berlin in 1742. Only the Duchy of Teschen, the

Duchy of Troppau The Principality of Opava ( cs, Opavské knížectví; pl, Księstwo Opawskie) or Duchy of Troppau (german: Herzogtum Troppau) was a historic territory split off from the Margraviate of Moravia before 1269 by King Ottokar II of Bohemia to prov ...

and the Duchy of Nysa remained under the control of the Bohemian crown and as such were known as the

Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia Austrian Silesia, (historically also ''Oesterreichisch-Schlesien, Oesterreichisch Schlesien, österreichisch Schlesien''); cs, Rakouské Slezsko; pl, Śląsk Austriacki officially the Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia, (historically ''Herzogth ...

until 1918.

Breakup of Polish Silesia (1138–1335)

In the (vain) hope to prevent an inheritance dispute, the

Piast The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great. Branche ...

prince

Bolesław III Wrymouth Bolesław III Wrymouth ( pl, Bolesław III Krzywousty; 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 ...

by his last will and testament had divided

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

into hereditary provinces distributed among his four sons:

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

Kujawy Kuyavia ( pl, Kujawy; german: Kujawien; la, Cuiavia), also referred to as Cuyavia, is a historical region in north-central Poland, situated on the left bank of Vistula, as well as east from Noteć River and Lake Gopło. It is divided into three ...

, Greater Poland and Silesia. Beside which, the Seniorate Province (

Lesser Poland Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a ...

) with the residence of

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

was reserved for the eldest, who according to the principle of

agnatic seniority Agnatic seniority is a 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 after the males ...

was to be High Duke of all Poland. This act inadvertently started the process known as

Fragmentation of Poland The period of rule by the Piast dynasty between the 10th and 14th centuries is the first major stage of the history of the Polish state. The dynasty was founded by a series of dukes listed by the chronicler Gall Anonymous in the early 12th cen ...

. Bolesław's son Władysław II received the Duchy of Silesia and, as the eldest, was also granted the title of a High Duke among with the Seniorate Province. Nevertheless, after he had tried to gain control over all Poland, he was banned and expelled by his younger half-brothers in 1146. Bolesław's second eldest son

Bolesław IV the Curly Bolesław IV the Curly (; 1122 – 5 January 1173), a member of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Masovia from 1138 and High Duke of Poland from 1146 until his death. Early life Bolesław was the third son of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth of Polan ...

, Duke of Masovia, became Polish High Duke. When, in 1163, Władysław's three sons, backed by Emperor

Frederick I Barbarossa Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt o ...

returned to Poland, Bolesław IV had to restore their heritage. After ten years of joint rule, Władysław's sons finally divided Silesia in 1173: * Bolesław I the Tall, the eldest, received the core territory around the residences of

Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...

, Legnica and Opole. In 1180, he granted the

Duchy of Opole Duchy of Opole ( pl, Księstwo opolskie; german: Herzogtum Oppeln; cs, Opolské knížectví) was one of the duchies of Silesia ruled by the Piast dynasty. Its capital was Opole (Oppeln, Opolí) in Upper Silesia. Duke Boleslaw III 'the Wrymo ...

to his son

Jarosław Jarosław (; uk, Ярослав, Yaroslav, ; yi, יאַרעסלאָוו, Yareslov; german: Jaroslau) is a town in south-eastern Poland, with 38,970 inhabitants, as of 30 June 2014. Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship (since 1999), previ ...

, who ruled until his death in March 1201. Upon Bolesław's death in December 1201, his lands were inherited by his only remaining son

Henry I the Bearded Henry the Bearded ( pl, Henryk (Jędrzych) Brodaty, german: Heinrich der Bärtige; c. 1165/70 – 19 March 1238) was a Polish duke from the Piast dynasty. He was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201, Duke of Kraków and High Duke of all Pol ...

. *

Mieszko I Tanglefoot Mieszko IV Tanglefoot ( pl, Mieszko IV Plątonogi) (c. 1130 – 16 May 1211) was Duke of Kraków and High Duke of Poland from 9 June 1210 until his death one year later. He was also Duke of Silesia from 1163 to 1173 (with his brother as co-ruler) ...

became Duke of

Racibórz Racibórz (german: Ratibor, cz, Ratiboř, szl, Racibōrz) is a city in Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the administrative seat of Racibórz County. With Opole, Racibórz is one of the historic capitals of Upper Silesia, being ...

and received Bytom and

Oświęcim Oświęcim (; german: Auschwitz ; yi, אָשפּיצין, Oshpitzin) is a city in the Lesser Poland ( pl, Małopolska) province of southern Poland, situated southeast of Katowice, near the confluence of the Vistula (''Wisła'') and Soła rive ...

in 1177. * Konrad Spindleshanks (''Konrad Laskonogi''), the youngest, in 1177 also claimed his rights and received the Duchy of Głogów from his brother Bolesław, who after Konrad's death about 1180/90 again inherited it. File:Silesia 1172-1177.jpg, 1172/3-1177 File:Silesia 1177-1185.jpg, 1177-1185 File:Silesia 1185-1201.jpg, 1185-1201 File:Silesia 1201-1202.jpg, 1201-1202 After his brother Bolesław I had died, Mieszko I Tanglefoot also conquered and took the Duchy of Opole from his nephew Henry I the Bearded. He ruled over the Racibórz and Opole duchies, which emerged as

Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk; cs, Horní Slezsko; german: Oberschlesien; Silesian German: ; la, Silesia Superior) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, locate ...

, until his death in 1211. Henry I the Bearded remained sovereign of the

Lower Silesia Lower Silesia ( pl, Dolny Śląsk; cz, Dolní Slezsko; german: Niederschlesien; szl, Dolny Ślōnsk; hsb, Delnja Šleska; dsb, Dolna Šlazyńska; Silesian German: ''Niederschläsing''; la, Silesia Inferior) is the northwestern part of the ...

n Duchy of Wrocław, he acquired the Greater Polish lands of

Kalisz (The oldest city of Poland) , image_skyline = , image_caption = ''Top:'' Town Hall, Former "Calisia" Piano Factory''Middle:'' Courthouse, "Gołębnik" tenement''Bottom:'' Aerial view of the Kalisz Old Town , image_flag = POL Kalisz flag.svg ...

in 1206, which he granted to his Piast cousin

Władysław Odonic Władysław Odonic, nicknamed Plwacz or the Spitter, ( – 5 June 1239) was a duke of Kalisz 1207–1217, duke of Poznań 1216–1217, ruler of Ujście in 1223, ruler of Nakło from 1225, and duke of all Greater Poland 1229–1234; from 1234 un ...

, as well as

Lubusz Land Lubusz Land ( pl, Ziemia lubuska; german: Land Lebus) is a historical region and cultural landscape in Poland and Germany on both sides of the Oder river. Originally the settlement area of the Lechites, the swampy area was located east of Branden ...

in 1210. High Duke of Poland from 1232, he conquered further Greater Polish territories around Santok in 1234. Mieszko's heir was Duke

Casimir I of Opole Casimir I of Opole ( pl, Kazimierz I opolski; – 13 May 1230), a member of the Piast dynasty, was a Silesian duke of Opole and Racibórz from 1211 until his death. Early life Casimir was the eldest child and only son of Duke Mieszko I Tanglef ...

, who died in 1230. Thereupon, Henry I managed to reunite whole Silesia under his reign. He was succeeded by his son

Henry II the Pious Henry II the Pious ( pl, Henryk II Pobożny; 1196 – 9 April 1241) was Duke of Silesia and High Duke of Poland as well as Duke of South-Greater Poland from 1238 until his death. Between 1238 and 1239 he also served as regent of Sandomierz and ...

in 1238, while Upper Silesia was inherited by Casimir's son

Mieszko II the Fat Mieszko II the Fat ( pl, Mieszko II Otyły) ( – 22 October 1246) was a Duke of Opole-Racibórz from 1230 until his death, and Duke of Kalisz-Wieluń during 1234–1239 (with his brother as co-ruler). He was the eldest son of Duke Casimir I of ...

in 1239. He and his younger brother,

Władysław Opolski Vladislaus I of Opole ( pl, Władysław opolski) ( – 27 August/13 September 1281/2) was a Duke of Kalisz during 1234–1244, Duke of Wieluń from 1234 to 1249 and Duke of Opole–Racibórz from 1246 until his death. He was the second son ...

, had already received Greater Polish Kalisz in 1234. Henry II was killed at the Battle of Legnica in 1241. His eldest son and heir, Duke

Bolesław II the Bald Boleslav or Bolesław may refer to: In people: * Boleslaw (given name) In geography: * Bolesław, Dąbrowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland * Bolesław, Olkusz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland * Bolesław, Silesian Voivodeship, ...

temporarily gave Lubusz Land to his younger brother Mieszko († 1242). He reconciled with his Greater Polish cousin Duke Przemysł I and finally returned Santok in 1247 and remained sole ruler of Lower Silesia until 1248. Mieszko II the Fat, of Upper Silesia, in 1244, returned Kalisz to Duke

Przemysł I of Greater Poland Przemysł I (4 June 1221 – 4 June 1257), a member of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Greater Poland from 1239 until his death, from 1241 with his brother Bolesław the Pious as co-ruler. He was able to re-acquire large parts of Greater Poland, r ...

. He died in 1246 and his possessions were inherited by his brother Władysław Opolski. File:Silesia 1206-1217.jpg, 1206-1217 File:Silesia 1217-1230.jpg, 1217-1230 File:Silesia 1241-1243.jpg, 1241-1243 File:Silesia 1243-1248.jpg, 1243-1248

Duchies of the Bohemian Crown (1335–1918)

In 1327, King

John I of Bohemia John the Blind or John of Luxembourg ( lb, Jang de Blannen; german: link=no, Johann der Blinde; cz, Jan Lucemburský; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of ...

began accepting the fealty of the Silesian dukes as part of his claim on the Polish crown. At the

on 24 August 1335 it was agreed that John would abandon his claim and in return receive the suzerainty of the Silesian duchies and a one-time payment (20,000 threescores of Prague groschen). This was finalized at the Congress of Visegrád in the same year, although some Piast-ruled duchies remained outside of Bohemian suzerainty until 1392. Under the Bohemian crown, the duchies continued to be ruled by branches of the Piast dynasty known as 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 of Poland. By Bolesław's testament, Władysław was granted Silesia as his h ...

until their last lineage died out in 1675. When a ducal lineage died out, the duchy passed to the crown and became a state country. The Bohemian Crown passed to the

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

in 1526. In 1742, most of Silesia was annexed by Prussia following the

First Silesian War The First Silesian War (german: Erster Schlesischer Krieg, links=no) was a war between Prussia and Austria that lasted from 1740 to 1742 and resulted in Prussia's seizing most of the region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland) from Austria. T ...

. This was confirmed following the

Second Silesian War The Second Silesian War (german: Zweiter Schlesischer Krieg, links=no) was a war between Prussia and Austria that lasted from 1744 to 1745 and confirmed Prussia's control of the region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland). The war was fough ...

in 1745 and the

Third Silesian War The Third Silesian War () was a war between Prussia and Austria (together with its allies) that lasted from 1756 to 1763 and confirmed Prussia's control of the region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland). The war was fought mainly in Silesi ...

in 1763. Following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, Bohemian Silesia remained a part of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence ...

and Austro-Hungarian Empire down to its dissolution in 1918.

List of Silesian duchies

:''Note: this list may not be complete.'' * Duchy of Bielsko (''Bílské knížectví, Księstwo Bielskie, Herzogtum Bielitz'') *

Duchy of Brzeg The Duchy of Brzeg ( pl, Księstwo Brzeskie) or Duchy of Brieg (german: Herzogtum Brieg; cs, Knížectví břežské) was one of the Duchies of Silesia, created in 1311 during the fragmentation of the Duchy of Wrocław. A Bohemian fief from 132 ...

(''Knížectví Břeh, Księstwo Brzeskie, Herzogtum Brieg'') *

Duchy of Bytom The Duchy of Bytom ( pl, Księstwo Bytomskie) or Duchy of Beuthen (german: Herzogtum Beuthen) was one of many Silesian duchies. It was established in Upper Silesia about 1281 during the division of the Duchy of Opole and Racibórz among the sons o ...

(''Knížectví Bytomské, Księstwo Bytomskie, Herzogtum Beuthen'') * Duchy of Głogów (''Knížectví Hlohovské, Księstwo Głogowskie, Herzogtum Glogau'') * Duchy of Głogówek and Prudnik (''Księstwo głogówiecko-prudnickie, Herzogtum Klein Glogau und Prudnik'') *

Duchy of Głubczyce Duchy of Głubczyce ( cs, Hlubčické knížectví, german: Herzogtum Leobschütz, pl, Księstwo Głubczyckie) was one of the duchies of Silesia. Its capital was Głubczyce in Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůns ...

(''Knížectví Hlubčice, Księstwo Głubczyckie, Herzogtum Leobschütz'') *

Duchy of Jawor Duchy of Jawor ( pl, Księstwo Jaworskie, german: Herzogtum Jauer) was one of the Duchies of Silesia established in 1274 as a subdivision of the Duchy of Legnica. It was ruled by the Silesian Piasts, with its capital at Jawor in Lower Silesia. ...

(''Javorské knížectví, Księstwo Jaworskie, Herzogtum Jauer'') *

Duchy of Krnov The Duchy of Krnov ( la, Ducatus Carnoviensis, cs, Krnovské knížectví, pl, Księstwo Karniowskie) or Duchy of Jägerndorf (german: Herzogtum Jägerndorf) was one of the Duchies of Silesia, which in 1377 emerged from the Duchy of Troppau ( ...

(''Krnovské knížectví, Księstwo Karniowskie, Herzogtum Jägerndorf'') *

Duchy of Legnica The Duchy of Legnica ( pl, Księstwo Legnickie, cs, Lehnické knížectví) or Duchy of Liegnitz (german: Herzogtum Liegnitz) was one of the Duchies of Silesia. Its capital was Legnica (''Liegnitz'') in Lower Silesia. Legnica Castle had become ...

(''Lehnické knížectví, Księstwo Legnickie, Herzogtum Liegnitz'') * Duchy of Löwenberg (Lembersk''é knížectví, Księstwo Lwóweckie, Herzogtum Löwenberg)'' *

Duchy of Münsterberg The Duchy of Münsterberg (german: Herzogtum Münsterberg) or Duchy of Ziębice ( pl, Księstwo Ziębickie, cs, Minstrberské knížectví) was one of the Duchies of Silesia, with a capital in Ziębice, Münsterberg (Ziębice). Existing from 1321 ...

(''Minstrberské knížectví, Księstwo Ziębickie, Herzogtum Münsterberg'') * Duchy of Nysa (''Niské knížectví, Księstwo Nyskie, Herzogtum Neisse'') * Duchy of Oels (''Olešnické knížectví, Księstwo Oleśnickie, Herzogtum Oels'') *

(''Opolské knížectví, Księstwo Opolskie, Herzogtum Oppeln'') * Duchy of Oświęcim (''Osvětimské knížectví, Księstwo Oświęcimskie, Herzogtum Auschwitz'') * Duchy of Prudnik (''Prudnícké knížectví, Księstwo Prudnickie, Herzogtum Prudnik'') *

Duchy of Pless The Duchy of Pless (or the ''Duchy of Pszczyna'',Julian Janczakof Pszczyna" (in) Zarys dziejów kartografii śląskiej do końca XVIII wieku''(An outline for the History of Cartography till the End of the 18th century)'', Opole: 1976, Polish Acad ...

(''Pštinské knížectví, Księstwo Pszczyńskie, Herzogtum Pless'') *

Duchy of Racibórz Duchy of Racibórz (german: Herzogtum Ratibor, cs, Ratibořské knížectví) was one of the duchies of Silesia. Its capital was Racibórz in Upper Silesia. History After Bolesław I the Tall and his younger brother Mieszko I Tanglefoot backed ...

(''Ratibořské knížectví, Księstwo Raciborskie, Herzogtum Ratibor'') *

Duchy of Siewierz The Duchy of Siewierz was a Silesian duchy with its capital in Siewierz. The area was part of the original Duchy of Silesia established after the death of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth in 1138 during the times of the fragmentation of Poland. S ...

(''Seveřské knížectví, Księstwo Siewierskie, Herzogtum Siewierz'') *

Duchy of Świdnica A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a medieval country, territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important difference between " ...

(''Svídnické knížectví, Księstwo Świdnickie, Herzogtum Schweidnitz'') * Duchy of Teschen (''Księstwo Cieszyńskie, Knížectví těšínské, Herzogtum Teschen'') *

(''Vévodství opavské, Księstwo Opawskie, Herzogtum Troppau'') * Duchy of Wrocław (''Vratislavské knížectví, Księstwo Wrocławskie, Herzogtum Breslau'') *

Duchy of Zator The Duchy of Zator was one of many Duchies of Silesia. It was split off the Duchy of Oświęcim, when after eleven years of joint rule the sons of Duke Casimir I in 1445 finally divided the lands among themselves, whereby his eldest son Wenc ...

(''Zatorské knížectví, Księstwo Zatorskie, Herzogtum Zator'') *

Duchy of Żagań The Duchy of Żagań ( pl, Księstwo Żagańskie, cs, Zaháňské knížectví) or Duchy of Sagan (german: Herzogtum Sagan) was one of the duchies of Silesia ruled by the Silesian Piasts. Its capital was Żagań in Lower Silesia, the territory ...

(''Zaháňské knížectví, Księstwo Żagańskie, Herzogtum Sagan'') There were also other little duchies: Bernstadt, Buchwald, Coschok, Cosel, Crossen, Falkenberg, Freistadt, Freudenthal, Gleiwitz, Goldberg, Grottkau, Grünberg, Hainau, Hirschberg, Loslau, Lüben, Namslau, Ohlau, Parchwiz, Rybnik, Sprottau, Steinau, Strehlitz, Tost, Wohlau, and combination duchies: Duchy of Opole and Racibórz

Bibliography

*ŽÁČEK, Rudolf. Dějiny Slezska v datech. Praha : Libri, 2003. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Duchies Of Silesia History of Silesia Lands of the Bohemian Crown Former monarchies of Europe