John, Duke of Ścinawa

Jan of Ścinawa (Polish: Jan Ścinawski; (b. ca. 1298 - d. by 19 May 1365), was a Duke of Żagań, Ścinawa, etc. durin 1309-1317 (with his brothers as co-rulers), Duke of Poznań during 1312-1314 (with his brothers) and sole Duke of Ścinawa since.

He was the fourth son of Henry III (I), Duke of Głogów, by his wife Matilda, daughter of Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

Life

At the time of his father's death Jan was still a minor, and therefore he remained under the care of mother and his older brother Henry IV the Faithful.

On 29 February 1312 was made the first division of the Duchy, under which Jan, Henry IV and Przemko II received Żagań, Ścinawa and Poznań; also, they received the promise of inheritance over Głogów after the death of their mother Matilda, who held this land as her Oprawa wdowia. The rest of the lands were taken by his other brothers Konrad I and Bolesław.

The period of joint rule of the princes faced several difficulties, the most importante of them was the loss of part of Greater Poland in favor of Władysław I the Elbow-high. At the same time they also lost part of the territories acquired by the father to the Dukes of Legnica.

In 1317 Jan received from his brothers Henry IV the districts of Ścinawa, Góra and Lubin as his own independent Duchy.

In the internal politics, Jan's participation was almost null. The Duke of Ścinawa interferences were exclusively in contact with his brothers. On 29 July 1326 Jan concluded a treaty with Henry IV and the childless Przemko II according to which if one of them died without male issue, the other two inherited his land. At the same time, due to his hostile relations with the Dukes of Legnica, Jan made contacts with Poland.

In 1328 Jan supported the habitants of Brzeg-Legnica in the fight against Bolesław III the Generous and Henry VI the Good; however, this war caused significant areas of devastation outside Lower Silesia.

On 29 April 1329 Jan succumbed to the pressures from the King John of Bohemia and paid homage to him in Wroclaw. The Bohemian King, however, guaranteed to him the right to decided the fate of his lands without the consent of his brothers.

At the beginning of 1331 Przemko II of Głogów died, probably poisoned by his vassals. According to the treaty signed between the brothers in 1326, all his lands (with the exception of the city of Głogów, who passed to Przemko II's widow Constance as her Oprawa wdowia) were divided between Jan and Henry IV. Unexpectedly, these plans were changed by King John, who srhotly after invaded Głogów and took control over the Duchy, forced Constance to flee and Jan to sold him for 2,000 pieces of silver his rights over the half of Przemko II's lands. At the same time, Władysław I the Elbow-high take advantage with the reigning confusion and occupied the Greater Poland lands who still remained under the hands of Henry III's sons after 1314. Despite the interference of King John, the Duke of Ścinawa participated in his expedition against Poland and in the unsuccessful siege of Poznań.

Sales Głogów Czech king very concerned his older brothers, Henry and Conrad. 25 July 1334 John was obliged by them, that never dzierżonych sell their territories without their consent. Despite this John being in constant financial trouble tried to continue his principality traffic. 29 January 1336, during a visit to Prague, Jan decided to transfer after his death to John Ścinawa Luksemburskiemu in exchange for life in the reign Glogow. Only a sharp protests by his brothers that eventually the system will not enter into force. Henryk and Konrad could not stop for the John in zastawieniu Lubina Bolesławowie III Rozrzutnemu of Legnica.

In order to avoid further rozprzedawania ojcowizny 27 August 1337 and Konrad Henryk purchased from John all the while maintaining the duchy Ścinawski life for him there. The system has been confirmed by the king of Bohemia. The price, however, were long relative of John of Luxembourg Głogowskich princes, and the abandonment of the previously pledged Lubina. Despite all these efforts, even in the same year, probably with the consent of the brothers sold the Czech Republic Jan Hill Silesia (the town was soon in unknown circumstances, recovered and re-sold in 1345 for the amount of fines in 1500).

In forty years, the fifties and sixties the fourteenth century John Ścinawski duchy sold part of its first piece after piece of Henryk IV faithful, and then his son Henryk V Żelaznemu. And so in April 1341 sold the 30 princes of żagańskim Wschowa circle, and in 1353 the castle Ryczyn, Ścinawy half of 1358 and the territory between the Oder and Barycz and Polkowice 1361.

In 1343, in Henry V during World War II Iron with Kazimierz Wielki militarily supported his nephew, so that the Polish army wtargnęły to his principality, and acquired and spaliły Ścinawa.

Jan Ścinawski from about 1322 was married to Malgorzata (deceased between 1334 and 1337 onwards) daughter of Prince Boguslaw IV of Pomerania. A marriage has been childless.

It is not known exactly when the prince died Ścinawski. This happened between 1361 and 1365 he was buried in a monastery in Lubiążu. After his death the area shared Iron Henry V and Konrad I oleśnicki.