Duchy of Siewierz

The Duchy of Siewierz was a Silesian duchy with its capital in Siewierz. The area was part of the original Duchy of Silesia established after the death of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth in 1138 during the times of the fragmentation of Poland.

Siewierz in Upper Silesia was ruled by the Silesian Piasts as part of the Duchy of Bytom under Duke Casimir. In 1312 he granted the town to his youngest son Mieszko, who renounced it in favour of his brother Władysław. In 1337 it was acquired by Casimir I, Duke of Cieszyn, whose scion Wenceslaus I sold it to the Archbishop of Kraków in 1443. Zygmunt Gloger in his book "Historical geography of lands of ancient Poland" ("Geografia historyczna ziem dawnej Polski"), published in 1900, writes that the Duchy of Siewierz belonged to Lesser Poland, after it was bought by the Archbishops of Kraków.

Since 1443, after its acquisition by Archbishop Zbigniew Cardinal Oleśnicki for 6,000 silver groats, it was, alongside the Duchy of Nysa, the only ecclesiastical duchy in the region (ruled by a bishop of the Catholic Church). On many levels this tiny principality was almost a 'country within a country': it had its own laws, treasury and army.

Siewierz

Siewierz [ˈɕɛvʲɛʂ] (German: Sewerien) is a town in the Silesian Voivodeship in Poland.

History

In history, Sewerien was first mentioned in 1125, which was administered by the Castellan of Bytom. In 1177, Casimir II granted Sewerien to Mieszko IV Tanglefoot duke of Silesia and Racibórz, together with the duchy of Bytom. The town became a seat of a separate castellan by the beginning of the 13th century. In 1241, the Mongols burned the city, and razed the fort to ground.

In 1276, Siewierz received city status. On 26 February 1289, in front of the city gates of Siewierz, the allied forces of Władysław I the Elbow-high, then Duke of Kujawy and Mazovia, the future King of Poland, defeated the army of Henryk IV Probus, duke of Wrocław and Kraków. Henryk IV Probus accepted vassalage and protection from the Bohemian king, Wenceslaus II. He was the first Piast Silesian duke to become Bohemian vassal, leading to Bohemian annexation of most Silesia in the coming years.

In 1337, the duchy of Bytom sold Siewierz to Kazimierz I, duke of Cieszyn. In 1359 the duke of Teschen bought the city of Sewer from Bolko, Duke of Świdnica, lord of Fürstenberg, for 2,500 marks. The king Charles IV authorized the sale the same year. On 30 December 1443, Zbigniew Oleśnicki, the bishop of Kraków, bought Sewer/Siewierz from Wacław I of Teschen, who was deeply in debts then. The sale was for 6000 Prager Groschen. The bishops of Kraków became dukes of Siewierz, the duchy being not a part of Poland. The city became the seat of the bishops of Kraków, who received also the title duke of Siewierz. They also constructed a castle in Siewierz.