Henri III of Głogów

Collaboration with Henri IV the Juste

When his/her father dies in 1273/1274, Henri III of Głogów is not yet major. He enters the arena Politique in 1277 when, in company of Przemysl II of Large Poland and of the knight S of the Duché of Wrocław, he takes to share with military forwarding against Boleslas II the Bald person who had removed his nephew Henri IV the Juste and had locked up it in its Château of Legnica. United, that Bohemia does not support militarily, are crushed the April 24th 1277 by the Armée with the duchy of Legnica, directed by Henri V the Large, the son of Boleslas II the Bald person. One year later, Henri III of Głogów takes his revenge while fighting in the camp of Rodolphe Ier de Habsbourg which crushes Ottokar II of Bohemia. Always in 1278, the possessions of his/her father are shared between him and his/her brothers. Henri III receives the duchy of Głogów (principal Ville S: Głogów, Bytom Odrzański and Kożuchów), Przemko de Ścinawa receives the duchy of Żagań (main cities: Żagań and Nowogród Bobrzański) and Conrad II Uneven the receives the duchy of Ścinawa.

Combined of Henri IV the Juste

In February 1281, Henri III, Henri V the Large and Przemysl II of Large Poland are invited by Henri IV the Juste. This one, breaking with all the rules of hospitality, imprisons them and slackens them only in exchange of the promise that they will support it systematically. What is astonishing, it is that this oath torn off under the constraint was not disavowed. Thus, Henri III and his Przemko brother support Henri IV the Juste in his conflict with the bishop of Wrocław Thomas II Zaremba. It is only after the death of Henri IV the Juste that the relations between Henri III and the Église will be standardized.

The death of Henri IV the Juste and execution of his will

In 1288, Henri IV the Juste, supported by the duke Henri III of Głogów, seizes the throne of Cracow. The June 23rd 1290, Henri IV the Juste dies poisoned. In its will, it designated Henri III Głogów to succeed to him in Low-Silesia. The middle-class and the Noble S of Wrocław do not accept Henri III like sovereign and this one, in front of the revolt, must flee in July 1290. The population of Wrocław offers the throne to Henri V the Large, the duke of Legnica. Henri III of Głogów does not resign himself to lose Low-Silesia and a conflict of long life opens with Henri V the Large one for the possession of the duchy of Wrocław.

The war with Henri V the Large one and his imprisonment

Already at the end of 1290, Henri III of Głogów obliges Henri V the Large one to restore to him part of the duchy of Wrocław, with the towns of Krosno nad Odrą, Chojnów, Bolesławiec, Gościszów, Nowogrodziec, Ścinawa, Wińsko, Syców, Uraz, Trzebnica, Milicz and Sądowel.

The two camps start to seek allies. Henri III of Głogów binds with Albert, the duke of Brunswick and marries his Mathilde daughter in March 1291. He is also combined with Othon IV, the Margrave of the Brandebourg, of the dynasty of the Ascaniens, like with Przemysl II of Large Poland. With this last, it also arrives at an agreement according to which he will be his successor in Large Poland if Przemysl II does not have a male descendant. N the other hand, it undoubtedly made an oath of allegiance to the duke of Large Poland.

On his side, Henri V the Large one reinforces his bonds with Venceslas II of Bohemia. In parallel, it reinforces its position with Wrocław by eliminating all its political opponents.

At the beginning November 1293, Henri III succeeds in making remove Henri V the Large one and imprisoning it for 6 months in its castle of Głogów, under very difficult conditions, until the moment when this one agrees to yield most of its duchy to him (with the towns of Namysłów, Bierutów, Oleśnica, Kluczbork, Byczyna, Wołczyn, Olesno, Chojnów and Bolesławiec) and to pay the sum of 30.000 marks to him. After his return of captivity, Henri V the Large one is not able to recover from his difficult conditions of captivity and dies at the beginning of the month of February 1296.

The death of Przemysl II and its succession in Large Poland

Przemysl II, the duke of Large Poland, become king de Pologne in 1295, also dies this same month of February 1296. Alliance between Henri III of Głogów and Large Poland had finished in 1293, when Przemysl II had approached Ladislas Ier the Brief, the duke of Cujavie.

Large Poland chooses Ladislas Ier the Brief to succeed Przemysl II, but Henri III wants to take advantage of his rights on the throne of Large Poland which had been promised to him in 1290. The two parts find an agreement the March 10th 1296, grace in particular to the intervention of Jan Gerbicz. Henri III of Głogów receives all the area in the south of the Obra. Moreover, Ladislas Ier the Brief adopts Henri IV Faithful the, the son of Henri III of Głogów, to which it promises to offer, when that reaches the age of its majority, the duchy of Poznań. And if Ladislas dies without descent, Henri IV the Faithful one will inherit all Large Poland.

The war with Bolko Ier de Jawor

The reason for which Henri III did as many concessions with Ladislas Ier the Brief was the invasion launched by Bolko Ier, the duke of Jawor, to seize frontier cities. In March 1296, whereas as a Henri III negotiated with Ladislas Ier the Brief, Bolko seizes Chojnów and Bolesławiec. The war finishes in March 1297, following the mediation of Venceslas II. Bolko Ier de Jawor gives up the two conquered cities.

Relations with Venceslas II

The end of the 13th century marks a warming of the relations between Henri III of Czech Głogów and the . Thus, in 1297, Henri III is invited to Prague for the crowning of Venceslas II. The relations with Ladislas Ier the Brief worsen and lead to the war between the two dukes. In June 1298, with Kościan, Henri III concludes an agreement with André Zaremba, bishop of Poznań and leader of the opponents with Ladislas Ier the Brief. In exchange of a support to seize Large Poland, Poméranie de Gdańsk and crown of Poland, he promises to widen the privileges of the Church and to offer the station of Chancelier kingdom to a person of the camp of the opponents with Ladislas Ier the Brief. This conflict weakens the Piasts dukes and is used the interests as Venceslas II. The August 23rd 1298, Ladislas the Brief recognizes Venceslas II like Suzerain. Little time after, Venceslas II invades Large Poland and expels Ladislas.

The conflict with his/her brother Conrad II the Uneven one and with the bishop of Wrocław

Henri III of Głogów remains passive at the time of the conquest of Large Poland and Poméranie de Gdańsk by the Czechs, because a conflict opposes it in its own duchy to the bishop of Wrocław. This conflict originates in the annexation by Henri III, in March 1299, of the duchy of Żagań, which belonged until there to his/her brother Conrad II Uneven the. Henri III justifies this annexation because his/her brother had obtained high positions within the Church. Immediately, Conrad II returns to recover its duchy but Henri III please nothing hear and imprisons his/her young brother. Following the intervention many vassal and men of the church (that even was until the Excommunication), Henri III must release his brother and return his duchy to him. The conflict with the Church finishes the April 24th 1300 when Henri III confirms the Privilège S of the bishop of Wrocław.

The Lord of the kingdom of Poland

Henri III of Głogów does not have any intention to let Large Poland escape to him. In 1301, it gives itself the title of “Lord of the kingdom of Poland, duke of Silesia, Master of Głogów and Poznań”. An armed conflict with Venceslas II, king de Bohême, who had been also made crown king de Pologne, seems increasingly inevitable. Henri III is really annoyed when Venceslas takes under his protection wire of Henri V the Large one after the death of their uncle Bolko Ier de Jarow, the November 9th 1301. In spite of the extreme tension, the war does not burst, Venceslas II being too occupied wanting to make assemble his/her son on the throne of Hungary. The death of his/her brother Conrad II the Uneven one, the October 11th 1304, enables him to annex without any problem the duchy of Żagań. The death of Venceslas II in 1305, followed that of his/her son the following year, return to Henri III Master of the situation in Large Poland.

Conquest of Large Poland

In spring 1306, Henri III of Głogów succeeds in seizing most of the heritage of Przemysl II. Only resist to him the border zones with the Cujavie (with Konin) and with the Poméranie de Gdańsk where Ladislas Ier the Brief had settled. In the same way, Kalisz, where Boleslas III the Spendthrift had cut off (the son of Boleslas V the Large one), resists during two years. This one ambitionnait to succeed Venceslas II of which he had married the girl. An joint action of Henri III and new Czech king bring back to the Boleslas reason the Spendthrift.

Achievements of Henri III of Głogów

It could maintain peace on all its territories. In Large Poland, it rested on Silesian foreigners, undoubtedly and German . At the time, it was a current practice. It followed a policy of Economic development in its duchy. It made administrative reforms, legal and monetary. It founded many cities, in particular Góra, Wąsosz, Polkowice, Twardogóra, Sulechów, Zielona Góra, Lubin, Przemęt and Kościan. It also made build church S and Monastère S. It encouraged Artiste S to emphasize its own dynasty. Tomb X, epitaph S, Statue S with the glory of late members of its family (Henri IV the Juste, Boleslas Ier Length, his/her brothers, its parents) are in the Collégiale of Głogów and were made of its time. It is as with its request as the tomb of Przemysl II was carried out which is in the Cathédrale of Poznań.

Death and succession

Henri III of Głogów died the December 9th 1309 and was buried in the church Cistercien of Lubiąż. Of its marriage with Mathilde of Brunswick, it had 5 wire (Henri IV Faithful the, Conrad Ier d' Oleśnica, Jean de Ścinawa, Boleslas d' Oleśnica and Przemko de Głogów) and 4 girls. Its territory was dislocated after being divided between its sons.

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