Władysław the Short or
Elbow-high
(or
Ladislaus I of Poland, ; 1261 – 2 March 1333),
was a
King of Poland.
He was a
Duke until 1300, and Prince of Kraków
from 1305
until his coronation as King on 20 January 1320.
Royal titles
- Title before coronation: Wladislaus Dei gracia, dux Regni
Poloniae et dominus Pomeraniae, Cuiavie, Lanciciae ac
Siradiae
- :English translation: Vladislaus by the grace
of God duke of the Kingdom of Poland
, and lord of
Pomerania, Kuyavia,
Łęczyca
and Sieradz
- Royal title after coronation: Wladislaus Dei gracia, rex
Poloniae et dominus Pomeraniae, Cuiavie, Lanciciae ac
Siradiae
- :English translation: Vladislaus by the grace
of God king of Poland, and lord of
Pomerania, Kuyavia,
Łęczyca and Sieradz
Later histories refer to him also as Władysław IV or Władysław I.
There are no records to show that he actually used any
regnal number. Both numerals are retrospective
assignments by later historians. IV comes from him being the fourth
of that name to rule as overlord of the Polish, since Władysław I
Herman. It comes from him having restored the monarchy after a
fragmented era of a century or more, and also backwards-counting
from
Władysław of
Varna who officially used III and
Władysław Vasa who officially used
IV.
Biography
In 1138, the kingdom of Poland, which had been growing in strength
under the rule of the
Piast dynasty,
encountered an obstacle which impeded its development for nearly
two hundred years.
In the will of King Bolesław Krzywousty, Poland was
divided into five provinces – Silesia,
Mazovia with Cuiavia,
Greater Poland, the part of Pomerania around the City of Gdańsk
, the Sandomierz
Region, and Lesser
Poland, the 'senior palatinate', comprising the areas around
Kraków, Łęczyca, and
Sieradz. To prevent his four sons from quarrelling,
Boleslaus granted one province to each of them, and the fifth one,
the senior palatinate, was to be given to the eldest brother on the
grounds of primogeniture. The reason for such a decision was not
only to forestall dynastic feuds, but also to prevent the
disintegration of the kingdom. However, it proved an inadequate
solution, and started nearly two centuries of what it had sought to
counteract – constant fighting and disorder. Władysław succeeded in
re-uniting the Kingdom of Poland.
Wladyslaw was born circa 1260 as the third son of
Kazimierz I Kujawski, Duke of Łęczyca,
Sieradz and Cuiavia. After the death of his father, he inherited
Cuiavia, while the remaining two duchies went to his brothers,
Leszek Czarny (the Black) and
Kazimierz II of Łęczyca.
However, following the deaths of both brothers, the entire
inheritance passed to Władysław, who began the task of re-uniting
the Kingdom of Poland. His next step was to win Lesser Poland, for
which he had to contest the local prince,
Przemysł II. Following Przemysł death in
1296, Wladyslaw proclaimed himself his successor and established
himself in Lesser Poland, as well as in Pomerania. While Władysław
enjoyed the support of the Lesser Polish peasants, knights and part
of the clergy who preferred a prince from the domestic Piast
dynasty, he had to defer to
Václav II of
Bohemia, who had the support of the local lords. In 1304 Władysław
entered and occupied Lesser Poland with an army of his supporters,
which, according to the 15th-century historian
Jan Długosz, consisted of more peasants
than knights.
He also conquered Pomerania around Gdańsk,
but since he did not win the favour of the local lords and settlers
from Brandenburg who had migrated to that area, he was forced to
give up the idea of complete control of the Baltic coast
.
Royal seal of Władyslaw I
Łokietek
By 1311, Władysław was already in power in Lesser Poland and his
Cuiavian patrimony. Despite
a rebellion by the German
patricians of Kraków and Sandomierz, he was able to hold these
cities thanks to the support of the nobility, gentry and townsfolk.
Three years later, Greater Poland also came under his rule.
However,
John of Luxemburg, King
of
Bohemia, also claimed the succession to
the Polish crown. In alliance with the
Teutonic Order, he attacked Władysław's
forces from the north and west, while the Brandenburgians attempted
to capture Greater Poland. Nonetheless, Władysław managed to
maintain his dominions.
In 1318, he embarked on a coronation campaign. The pope, though
initially unwilling, finally granted his approval and Władysław was
crowned
King of Poland on 30 January
1320 in Kraków. The coronation was a sign that he had overcome
Poland's internal fragmentation and re-united and re-instated the
country as an independent kingdom under his rule.
A
Polish-Teutonic War
occupied Władysław's last years.
In 1331, 27 September in Kuyavia near Radziejów
fought the Battle
of Płowce against a group of Teutonic knights. Other
groups of enemies withdrew to the north. After numerous casualties
the armies were stalemated, though Władysław's forces conquered the
field, captured some prisoners and stopped the expansion of the
Teutonic Order in the region.
Władysław endeavored to establish a
uniform legal code throughout the land. With
the general laws he assured the
Jews safety and
freedom and placed them on equality with the Christians.
Władysław died on 2 March 1333 in Kraków.
Although his son,
Casimir III the Great,
inherited only Lesser Poland, the Duchy of Sandomierz, Greater
Poland, Cuiavia, and the Duchies of Łęczyca and Sieradz; while
Silesia and the Land of Lubusz
to the west,
along with Gdańskian Pomerania, Western Pomerania, and Mazovia the
north remained beyond the Kingdom's borders, Władysław's reign was
a major step on the road to restoration of the Kingdom of
Poland.
In historic Poland, an ell was a measure of length. 1 ell equalled
0.78 metres. Due to his short stature, the king was nicknamed
'Łokietek', which is a diminutive of the word 'łokieć' (
ell, elbow).
Marriage and children
In 1293, Władysław married
Hedwig of
Kalisz. She was a daughter of
Boleslaus of Greater Poland and
Jolenta of Hungary. They had six
children:
Ancestors
Gallery
Image:Korona Boleslawa Chrobrego.jpg|The so-called
Crown of Bolesław the Brave was
made for Władysław I.
Image:01146Kraków.JPG|In 1320 the King
started the building of a new Wawel Cathedral
.Image:WŁokietek.JPG|Władysław the Elbow-high
Tomb effigy in the Wawel Cathedral.
See also
References
External links
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