Henry Probus

Henry of Wrocław, Codex Manesse, about 1300

Henry IV nicknamed Probus (Latin for the Righteous), ([Henryk IV Probus] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help); [Heinrich IV der Gerechte] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help); b. c. 1258 – d. 24 June 1290), was a Duke of the Silesian territory of Wrocław (Lower Silesia) c. 1270, and from 1288 High Duke of the Seniorate Province of Kraków until his death in 1290.

He was the only surviving son of Henry III the White, Duke of Wrocław, by his first wife Judith, daughter of Duke Konrad I of Masovia.

Life

Under the tutelage of Władysław of Salzburg and King Ottokar II of Bohemia

A minor upon the early death of his father in 1266, Henry IV was placed under he guardianship of his paternal uncle, the Archbishop Władysław of Salzburg. After the Archibishop seems that the constant travels between Wroclaw and Salzburg were inappropiate for a child, he decided to send Henry IV in 1267 to Prague, in order to be raised at the court of King Ottokar II of Bohemia, who after Władysław's death in 1270 also took the government of the Duchy of Wroclaw.

Shortly after the death of his uncle (who left him as his universal heir), Henry IV returned to Wroclaw, where he found himself under the direct care of one of the closest advisers of his late father, Simon Gallicusa, also a faithful subject of Bohemia. Henry IV received a careful education, which may provide in his subsequent interest in the culture and poetry Knights (even there are reasonable suspicions that the Duke wrote some poems in old Polish).

The cooperation between Henry IV and King Ottokar II was exemplary. In 1271 Henry IV participated in an armed expedition against Hungary, which brought the attack of Wroclaw from the Arpad princes and their allies, the Dukes of Greater and Lesser Poland.

In 1273 Henry IV was formally proclamed an adult and asumed the government of his Duchy by himself. Since them, he began to lead a more independent policy from Bohemia, including friendly relations with Dukes Władysław of Opole and Przemysł II of Poznan.

Kidnapping of Henry IV by Bolesław II the Bald

Henry supported King Ottokar II in his conflict with Rudolph of Habsburg during 1276, giving food and refuge to the Bohemian troops. When Ottokar II was placed under the imperial ban, Duke Bolesław II the Bald of Legnica had his nephew Henry seized at Jelcz and imprisoned him in 1277.

Fortunately for Henry IV, the reaction when was knew his imprisonment was from indignation. Ottokar's allies, Henry III of Głogów and Przemysł II of Greater Poland, attempted to enforce Henry IV's liberation. The Bohemian King only send febrile appeals and request for release.

The Henry IV's allies were defeated by Bolesław II 's son Henry V the Fat in the bloody Battle of Stolec (24 April 1277), were both Dukes Przemysł II and Henry III were captured.

Henry IV could obtain his freedom only at the end of the year, when he finally decided to accept the complete defeat of his main ally King Ottokar II. Henry IV was forced to give Bolesław II 1/3 of the Duchy of Wroclaw including the towns of Środa Śląska and Strzegom and forced to pledge Krozno Odrzańskie (obtained from the Dukes Głogowskich by 1273-1274) in order to obtain the money for his ransom.

Ottokar II's death. Attemps to obtain the Regency of Bohemia

While Henry himself did not take part in Battle on the Marchfeld in 1278, he send reinforcements to King Ottokar, whose death was a serious stroke for the duke of Wrocław. Henry attempted to gain the guardianship of Ottokar's son Wenceslaus, but he was not successful due to actions of Rudolph of Habsburg, with whom he later reconciled, gaining support in the succession of High Duke Leszek II the Black of Kraków against Leszek's half-brother Władysław I the Elbow-high in 1288. Before this Henry strengthened his position among Silesian dukes, allying himself with dukes of Opole and forcing Henry III and Henry V the Fat to acknowledge his overlordship. With this support, Henry took over Cracow after the death of High Duke Leszek II the Black. While his rival, Leszek's half-brother Władysław I the Elbow-high, managed to capture the city and repel first Henry's offensive, Henry finally retook Cracow (in August 1289), eliminated local opposition and was recognised as High Duke. According to the chronicle of Ottokar of Styria, he then aspired to the title of King of Poland, asking Pope for permission for a coronation. However, he died before receiving any answer in April 1290, supposedly poisoned.

During his reign, Henry succeed in strengthening central power across his duchy, as well as improving its economy. He supported progress of mining and cities, many of which received German city law and various privileges. He was also an educated man, fluently speaking several languages and actively supporting Western court culture and chivalric ethos. Henry himself was a talented poet; two of his poems were recorded in Codex Manesse.

Though Henry Probus had bequeathed the Duchy of Wrocław to Duke Henry III of Głogów, the son of Bolesław II the Bald, Henry V the Corpulent in 1290 inherited the territory with support of King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia. Wenceslaus himself gained the Seniorate Province, though Duke Przemysł II of Greater Poland held the title of a High Duke.

Marriages and Succession

The black eagle of the Silesian Piasts

He married secondly Matylda, daughter of Margrave Otto V of Brandenburg.

References

"Piastowie. Leksykon biograficzny" Cracow 1999

See also

• History of Poland (966-1385)
• History of Silesia
• Piast dynasty
• Dukes of Silesia

External links

• Herzog Heinrich von Breslau in the Codex Manesse (1304/40).