Jan I of Żagań

Jan I of Żagań (Polish: Jan I żagański; b. ca. 1385 - d. 12 April 1439), was a Duke of Głogów, since 1397 (until 1412 with his brothers as co-rulers), since 1403 Duke of Żagań, Krosno Odrzańskie and Świebodzin (again, until 1412 with his brothers as co-rulers) and since 1412 sole ruler of Żagań and Przewóz.

He was the eldest son of Henry VIII the Sparrow, Duke of Głogów by his wife Katharina, daughter of Duke Władysław of Opole.

Life

At the time of Henry VIII's death (14 March 1397) his sons were minors. Duke Rupert I of Legnica took the regency of Głogów until 1401, when Jan I formally asumed the guardianship over his younger brothers Henry IX the Older, Henry X Rumpold and Wenceslaus and began his personal rule in Szprotawa, Przemków, Sulechów, half of Głogów, and Bytom Odrzański.

In 1403 their aunt Hedwig of Legnica (Henry VI the Older's widow) renounced to her Oprawa wdowia (Żagań, Krosno Odrzański and Świebodzin) to Jan I and his brothers, who ruled jointly all the lands. Thanks to the Privilege of Elector Rudolph III of Saxony in 1408 he could mantain the unity of his Duchy, despite the protest of his brothers, who claimed their own districts. Ultimately, the division was made in 1412: Jan I retain Żagań, and one year later (in 1413) he also took possession over the Duchy of Przewóz, in the Polish-German borderline (obtained as a result of his marriage with Scholastika, daughter of Elector Rudolph III).

At the exit of Silesian princes in Legnica, in 1419 onwards played a fairly important role, at the request of many of the cities of Lower Silesia with the initiative of creating an organization to fight rycerzami-robbers whose regular grasowały gangs on the road, łupiły cities and the good of the monastery.

Jan I tried to faithfully perform the duties vassal - and therefore in 1420 he took part with the Emperor Sigismund Luksemburczykiem out to armed violence against husytom, and July 28 of that same year he went on his royal coronation in Prague.

Three years later, John and participated together with our brothers in the negotiations between the Emperor turned, and Piastami Silesian Krzyżakami in Preszburgu (Bratislava) having to decide on war with Poland and its cutting. However, given the growing threat Hussite system in Poland and in the plans being Kezmarok nothing came.

Continued from husytami struggle occurred in the years 1427-1428, when together with his brother Henryk Senior IX supported militarily threatened Łużyckie City (1 November 1428 the brothers defeated the Hussite troops at the Battle of Kratzau).

In 1429 John went with the Emperor Sigismund of Luxemburg Łucka in Lithuania, where he took part in the congress have to decide on the coronation | Witold king. At the same time in connection with the growing power of the Hussites Jan decided to pay them high contributions, which was to ensure the safety of its leases.

In time, John began to secretly promote husyckiemu movement and its ideals reformackim. 19 April 1433 together with his brother Henryk oleśnickimi IX and princes went on tour Kalisz, where he promised Wladyslaw Jagielle participation in the proposed expedition against hussite Krzyżakom (these actions may be, however, a simple desire to safeguard against damage żagańskiego duchy of Hussites).

After the death of Sigismund of Luxembourg, Jan I stood on the side of Albrecht Habsburg submitting 3 December 1438 he paid tribute to Lenny in Wroclaw. This allows the support received from the Jan Albrecht intratnych many benefits - including the right of minting coins in princes and cities Szprotawa Żaganiu.

I married John (about 1408 years) with Scholastyka Askańczyków daughter of Rudolf III, the Saxon prince, of whom four sons are doczekał (Baltazar, Rudolf, Wenceslas, and John) and six daughters (wife Anna were from VIII Lindów Albrecht, Jadwiga wife of Bernard VI Bernburskiego, Małgorzata Volrada with Mansfeldu wife, and then Henry XI Śmiałego from Hohenstein, Henry III, finally, Brunswick, and Barbara, and Agnieszka Scholastyka which, in connection with the insolvency is not the father of the man never came).

John and ran the fiscal policy of oppression of a large subject, which led to a conflict with the Augustinian Order in Żaganiu. At some point there was even the imprisonment of John the abbot monastery, for which he was put to excommunication. Because of these events in contemporary sources, was considered a cruel man, even willing to sadyzmu, which were further described to provide the likes of Prince, the 'annual Głogowskim "when in love relationship with his wife tend to the" sharpen his spurs. " Finally, unable to withstand the brutal treatment Scholastyka attempted to escape from Żagań. It was, however, captured and transported to an order of her husband nowogrodzkiego without the right to return the castle to the capital of the Duchy.

John and Żagański died on 12 April 1439, was buried in the cemetery żagańskich princes in the Augustinian church.

Scholastyka Nowogrodu not left even after the death of her husband, because the district had been granted as a binding widow. She died 12 May 1461.