Henri VI the Good

See also: Henri, Henri VI

Henri VI the Good (in Polish Henryk VI Dobry ), known also under the name of Henri VI of Wroclaw ( Henryk VI Wrocławski ), from the dynasty of Piasts, was born the March 18th 1294 and died the November 24th 1335. It is Duc of Wrocław of 1311 at 1335.

Henri VI is the second wire of Henri V the Large, the duke of Wrocław and Legnica, and Élizabeth of Large-Poland, the sister of Boleslas the Piles.

Henri VI is only 2 years old when his/her father dies. His/her Élizabeth mother (? - 1304) and his/her uncle Bolko I {{er}} of Jawor (? - 1301) ensure the Régence. After the death of Bolko, Henri de Wierzbno becomes the guard of the children of Henri V the Large one. In 1302, this one is drawn aside and replaced by Venceslas II of Bohemia, for which the rich person Duché of Wrocław revêt a considerable strategic importance. Venceslas sends to Boleslas III the Spendthrift, the older brother of Henri VI, at the court of Prague in 1302.

Henri VI is declared major in 1310, when he marries Anne, the girl of Albert I {{er}} of Habsbourg, the Austrian sovereign . One year later, under the pressure of the anxious Nobility to see the duke Boleslas III the Spendthrift spending without counting, Boleslas is constrained to divide his duchy with his two young brothers, Henri VI and Ladislas. The duchy is divided into three pieces: Wrocław, Legnica and Brzeg. As elder, Boleslas is the first to be chosen, and with the general surprise, it chooses the smallest share, the duchy of Brzeg. Probably that Boleslas wanted to continue its policy which required much money. While choosing smallest of the duchies, it received an financial equalization of his brothers, which enabled him to reinflate its treasury. This short-term sight made him lose the most important duchy, that of Wrocław, which returned to Henri. Contrary to his/her young brother Ladislas who did not know to pay the sum due to Boleslas and which lost its duchy, Henri paid the sum agreed upon for his/her older brother and kept the duchy of Wrocław.

In 1312, Boleslas and Henri conclude an alliance with Ladislas the Brief, the Master of the Petite Poland. The union of their forces was to make it possible to take again the territories whose Henri III of Głogów had seized at the expense of their father Henri V the Large one. The war finishes in 1317. If it allowed Ladislas the Brief to conquer most of the Large-Poland, its two allied does not obtain important territorial profits. Boleslas annexes only Wołów and Lubiąż, whereas Henri must be satisfied with Uraz.

In 1314, Henri VI supports his brother-in-law Frederic Beautiful the, claiming Germanic under Roman Emperor.

A new war bursts in Silesia in 1321. The dukes of Głogów are beaten by a coalition made up of Boleslas III, Henri VI the Good, Bolko II of Opole and Ladislas the Brief. Refusing to pursue the aggressive policy of his Boleslas brother, Henri VI signs a peace separated with the dukes from Głogów at the beginning 1322. Élizabeth, the girl of Henri VI, wife the duke Conrad I {{er}} of Oleśnica.

The relations of Henri VI with Boleslas, which with continued the war until in to him 1323, start to worsen. Boleslas covets the rich person duchy of Wrocław. He officially proposes with his brother to exchange the duchy of Wrocław against that of Legnica, which Henri refuses. The war bursts between the two brothers. Henri tries to be combined to the king Poland, Ladislas I {{er}} the Brief. In exchange of the assistance of Ladislas, Henri promises to become his Vassal and to make his heir to it. Not wanting to risk itself with a confrontation armed with the Bohemia, Ladislas declines the proposal. Henri turns then to the emperor Louis IV of Bavaria, to which it returns a Hommage of Vassal ité the April 20th 1324. Boleslas tries to take Henri speed, but all its attacks are stopped by the Fortification S of Wrocław.

Its alliance with the Holy roman Empire not succeeding in maintaining its duchy out of danger, Henri is also combined with Boleslas Elder the, the duke of Niemodlin, to which it gives his/her Euphémie daughter in marriage in 1325. One year later, he also concludes an alliance with the teutonic Ordre directed against Ladislas Ier the Brief, the main ally of his brother to Silesia.

Finally, under the pressure of the Patrician S of Wrocław, Henri decides to pay a homage of vassalage to Jean of Luxembourg, the king of Bohemia. An agreement is signed in Wrocław the April 6th 1327. Under the terms of this one, the duchy of Wrocław is left in Henri VI until his death. Then, the duchy will return to the kingdom of Bohemia. In exchange, Henri VI obtains in usufruct the area of Kłodzko as well as a comfortable revenue.

On the level of the interior policy, Henri VI was always pressed on the powerful patricians of Wrocław to control. Those obtained besides many Privilège S. This relationship with the Église were not very good. In 1319, it even was excommunicated, raised sanction two years later.

Henri VI the Good died the November 24th 1335. He was buried in the holy Chapelle Hedwige of the Couvent of the Clarisses of Wrocław. Of its marriage with Anne of Austria, it had three girls: Élizabeth (which became the wife of Conrad d' Oleśnica), Euphémie (which became the wife of Boleslas de Niemodlin) and Marguerite (who became Clarisse with Wrocław).

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