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Henry III the White
Henry III the White (Polish: Henryk III Biały; c. 1227/1230 – 3 December 1266), a member of the Silesian Piasts, was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1248 until his death, as co-ruler with his brother Władysław.
He was the third son of the Polish high duke Henry II the Pious, by his wife Princess Anna, daughter of the Přemyslid king Ottokar I of Bohemia. After the heroic death of his father at the Battle of Legnica on 9 April 1241, Henry III was still a minor and found himself under the care of the mother together with his youngest brothers Konrad and Władysław.
In 1242, the unexpected death of his brother Mieszko, placed him in the second place immediately after his oldest brother Bolesław II the Bald. Since then, he became in the head of the political opposition in the Lower Silesia against the government of Bolesław II.
The first appearance of Henry III as adult was found only in 1247; however, Bolesław II didn't have any intentions to share the power with him. He only changed his mind after the revolt of his brothers, who even captured him. Henry III was made the co-ruler with his older brother. The cooperation between the brothers was not very good and a year later, under pressure from Henry III, they decided to make a division of the districts Legnica–Głogów–Lubusz and Wrocław. Bolesław, as the older brother, had the opportunity to choose his district; he decided on Legnica, because gold had been discovered in the Kaczawa and Wierzbiak Rivers.
Bolesław II may have hoped that Henry III encountered serious difficulties with Wrocław (which he received in the division), so at the end the Duchy would come back to him. These expectations, however, never happened. Henry III was a strong ruler, and almost immediately he could impose his will over the powerful nobility. An additional point of the agreement was the obligation to offer hospitality to the younger brothers, Konrad and Władysław, who were destined to the espiritual career. Henry III's successful attempts to make Władysław entered in the Church had a total contrast with the relations between Bolesław and Konrad. Between them, were several disputes, in particular after Konrad claimed his own district and refused to become a priest. Open war between Henry III (who supported Konrad) and Bolesław II was only a matter of time.
Bolesław II, without funds, began to fear the prospect of an armed conflict with his brothers. In order to obtain the necessary resources to conduct the war, he decided to sell half of Lubusz to the Archbishop of Magdeburg. Unfortunately for him, Henry III also began to seek an ally in the rulers of Meissen. Defeated, Bolesław II was forced to give the district of Głogów to Konrad, who wished to enforce Henry III's intervention over Legnica in 1250. When Konrad decided on Bolesław II's kidnapping, even to the ruler of Wrocław, this was too much. All these treatments are not expected to take effect over the Duke of Wrocław, however, as Henry III in his relations with the brothers now sought to avoid open conflicts. Only in 1253, when the authority of Bolesław II collapsed completely, Henry III helped him to return to his Duchy.
Between the 1250s and 1260s Henry III became the most powerful Piast Duke of Lower Silesia. Consequently, it was not surprising that he was active in international politics. Henry III made alliances with his relatives, the Dukes of Opole and Głogów, and with the Kings of Bohemia, Wenceslaus I and Ottokar II (in the years 1251, 1252, 1259, 1261 Henry III was in the royal court in Prague). The cooperation with the Přemyslids, however, was not having the expected results. After Bohemia decided to interfere in the War of the Babenberg Succession over Austria with the support of the English, Henry III decided to reaffirm his alliance with them and repudiated his treaty with the rulers of Greater Poland, Przemysł I and Bolesław the Pious and the Árpád dynasty. They decided to punish Henry III, and during 1253–1254 the Duchy of Wrocław was besieged and plundered. Attempts to force concessions, either by blackmail (as was the case in 1256, when the sons of Henry II the Pious took the intervention of the papal Curia, but to regain some lost by Bolesław the Pious) or bribery (the exchange of Dańkow in 1262, promised by Henry III to Bolesław the Pious and Bolesław V the Chaste if they switched to the Bohemian side) did not yield a positive result.
In the internal politics, Henry III stood on guard to defend the prerogatives of the Piast dynasty, and the church actively supported him, because Henry III supported Bishop Thomas of Wrocław against Bolesław II in their disputes. This particular policy was not pleasing the Wrocław nobility; by 1266 several riots erupted among the nobles and knights, which contributed to the premature death of the Duke.
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Henry III the White
Henry III the White (Polish: Henryk III Biały; c. 1227/1230 – 3 December 1266), a member of the Silesian Piasts, was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1248 until his death, as co-ruler with his brother Władysław.
He was the third son of the Polish high duke Henry II the Pious, by his wife Princess Anna, daughter of the Přemyslid king Ottokar I of Bohemia. After the heroic death of his father at the Battle of Legnica on 9 April 1241, Henry III was still a minor and found himself under the care of the mother together with his youngest brothers Konrad and Władysław.
In 1242, the unexpected death of his brother Mieszko, placed him in the second place immediately after his oldest brother Bolesław II the Bald. Since then, he became in the head of the political opposition in the Lower Silesia against the government of Bolesław II.
The first appearance of Henry III as adult was found only in 1247; however, Bolesław II didn't have any intentions to share the power with him. He only changed his mind after the revolt of his brothers, who even captured him. Henry III was made the co-ruler with his older brother. The cooperation between the brothers was not very good and a year later, under pressure from Henry III, they decided to make a division of the districts Legnica–Głogów–Lubusz and Wrocław. Bolesław, as the older brother, had the opportunity to choose his district; he decided on Legnica, because gold had been discovered in the Kaczawa and Wierzbiak Rivers.
Bolesław II may have hoped that Henry III encountered serious difficulties with Wrocław (which he received in the division), so at the end the Duchy would come back to him. These expectations, however, never happened. Henry III was a strong ruler, and almost immediately he could impose his will over the powerful nobility. An additional point of the agreement was the obligation to offer hospitality to the younger brothers, Konrad and Władysław, who were destined to the espiritual career. Henry III's successful attempts to make Władysław entered in the Church had a total contrast with the relations between Bolesław and Konrad. Between them, were several disputes, in particular after Konrad claimed his own district and refused to become a priest. Open war between Henry III (who supported Konrad) and Bolesław II was only a matter of time.
Bolesław II, without funds, began to fear the prospect of an armed conflict with his brothers. In order to obtain the necessary resources to conduct the war, he decided to sell half of Lubusz to the Archbishop of Magdeburg. Unfortunately for him, Henry III also began to seek an ally in the rulers of Meissen. Defeated, Bolesław II was forced to give the district of Głogów to Konrad, who wished to enforce Henry III's intervention over Legnica in 1250. When Konrad decided on Bolesław II's kidnapping, even to the ruler of Wrocław, this was too much. All these treatments are not expected to take effect over the Duke of Wrocław, however, as Henry III in his relations with the brothers now sought to avoid open conflicts. Only in 1253, when the authority of Bolesław II collapsed completely, Henry III helped him to return to his Duchy.
Between the 1250s and 1260s Henry III became the most powerful Piast Duke of Lower Silesia. Consequently, it was not surprising that he was active in international politics. Henry III made alliances with his relatives, the Dukes of Opole and Głogów, and with the Kings of Bohemia, Wenceslaus I and Ottokar II (in the years 1251, 1252, 1259, 1261 Henry III was in the royal court in Prague). The cooperation with the Přemyslids, however, was not having the expected results. After Bohemia decided to interfere in the War of the Babenberg Succession over Austria with the support of the English, Henry III decided to reaffirm his alliance with them and repudiated his treaty with the rulers of Greater Poland, Przemysł I and Bolesław the Pious and the Árpád dynasty. They decided to punish Henry III, and during 1253–1254 the Duchy of Wrocław was besieged and plundered. Attempts to force concessions, either by blackmail (as was the case in 1256, when the sons of Henry II the Pious took the intervention of the papal Curia, but to regain some lost by Bolesław the Pious) or bribery (the exchange of Dańkow in 1262, promised by Henry III to Bolesław the Pious and Bolesław V the Chaste if they switched to the Bohemian side) did not yield a positive result.
In the internal politics, Henry III stood on guard to defend the prerogatives of the Piast dynasty, and the church actively supported him, because Henry III supported Bishop Thomas of Wrocław against Bolesław II in their disputes. This particular policy was not pleasing the Wrocław nobility; by 1266 several riots erupted among the nobles and knights, which contributed to the premature death of the Duke.