DOI article:
Paszkiewicz, Borys: The Sicilian design on the Opole coin and the genesis of the white eagle
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21230#0343
While in the care of his mother, the Bulgarian princess Viola, he was
lord of Ruda and Kalisz (from 1238?7), and in the years 1243-1244 also
the autonomous duke of these territories. Although he lost Kalisz ąuickly,
and in 1249 Ruda also, he ruled from 1246 over Opole and Racibórz,
inherited from his father and brother. Here his authority was never
ąuestioned. In 1273 he was the rebellious magnates' candidate for the
Cracow throne, though in effect he only extended his patrimonial duchy
to Tyniec.8 After 1255 he belonged to the political camp of Pfemysl
Otakar II (the king called him compater, which attested to great familiar-
ity9) and in Poland his greatest ally was his brother-imlaw, Kazimierz I of
Kujawy.10. The first son of Kazimierz and Władysław's sister, Eufrozyna,
the futurę king, was given his name Władysław11 after his uncle from
Opole. The deal between Władysław of Opole and Henryk IV Probus of
Wrocław is often quoted, known from the so-called Nicolaus' Formulary,
in which Władysław promises Henryk support in his coronation designs
on the condition that Henryk's wife (Władysław's daughter) was to be
crowned also. The authenticity of this document has been recently
called into ąuestion by Norbert Mika, who has pointed out a consider-
able number of anachronisms in it.12 From Władysław are descended all
the later Piast dukes of Upper Silesia. He was also the founder of several
important monasteries (e.g. Rudy and Orlova).
Władysław's father, Kazimierz I of Opole was the first Piast to use a he-
7 In relation to this date see J. Rajman, Mieszko II Otyły książę opolsko-raciborski (1239-
1246), Kwartalnik Historyczny, C, 1993, pp. 26-27.
8 O. Halecki, Powołanie księcia Władysława Opolskiego na tron krakowski w r. 1273, Kwartal-
nik Historyczny, XXVII, 1913, pp. 213-315.
9 A. Barciak, Ideologia polityczna monarchii Przemyśla Otokara II. Studium z dziejów czeskiej
polityki zagranicznej w drugiej polowie XIII wieku (The Political Ideology of the Monarchy of
Pf emysl Otakar II. A Study on Czech Foreign Policy in the Second Half of the 13th Century),
Katowice 1982, p. 94; idem, Czechy a ziemie południowej Polski w XIII oraz w początkach XIV wieku,
Katowice 1992, p. 93.
10 For the latest biograms on Władysław see J. Sperka, [in:] Książęta i księżne Górnego Śląska
(The Dukes and Duchesses of Upper Silesia), Katowice 1995, pp. 120-123; T.Jurek, [in:]
Słownik władców polskich (A Dictionary of Polish Rulers), Poznań 1997, pp. 409-410.
11 K Jasiński, Genealogia Władysława Łokietka i jego najbliższej rodziny (The Genealogy of
Władysław the Elbow-Sized and his Immediate Family), [in:] Zapiski Kujawsko-Dobrzyńskie,
6, Historia, Włocławek 1988, pp. 13-14.
12 N. Mika, Ekspansja czesko-morawska na ziemię raciborską w XIII wieku (The Czech Mora-
vian Expansion into the Racibórz Lands in the 13th century), Studia i Materiały z Dziejów
Śląska (Studies into the History of Silesia), 21, 1996, pp. 12-13.
343
lord of Ruda and Kalisz (from 1238?7), and in the years 1243-1244 also
the autonomous duke of these territories. Although he lost Kalisz ąuickly,
and in 1249 Ruda also, he ruled from 1246 over Opole and Racibórz,
inherited from his father and brother. Here his authority was never
ąuestioned. In 1273 he was the rebellious magnates' candidate for the
Cracow throne, though in effect he only extended his patrimonial duchy
to Tyniec.8 After 1255 he belonged to the political camp of Pfemysl
Otakar II (the king called him compater, which attested to great familiar-
ity9) and in Poland his greatest ally was his brother-imlaw, Kazimierz I of
Kujawy.10. The first son of Kazimierz and Władysław's sister, Eufrozyna,
the futurę king, was given his name Władysław11 after his uncle from
Opole. The deal between Władysław of Opole and Henryk IV Probus of
Wrocław is often quoted, known from the so-called Nicolaus' Formulary,
in which Władysław promises Henryk support in his coronation designs
on the condition that Henryk's wife (Władysław's daughter) was to be
crowned also. The authenticity of this document has been recently
called into ąuestion by Norbert Mika, who has pointed out a consider-
able number of anachronisms in it.12 From Władysław are descended all
the later Piast dukes of Upper Silesia. He was also the founder of several
important monasteries (e.g. Rudy and Orlova).
Władysław's father, Kazimierz I of Opole was the first Piast to use a he-
7 In relation to this date see J. Rajman, Mieszko II Otyły książę opolsko-raciborski (1239-
1246), Kwartalnik Historyczny, C, 1993, pp. 26-27.
8 O. Halecki, Powołanie księcia Władysława Opolskiego na tron krakowski w r. 1273, Kwartal-
nik Historyczny, XXVII, 1913, pp. 213-315.
9 A. Barciak, Ideologia polityczna monarchii Przemyśla Otokara II. Studium z dziejów czeskiej
polityki zagranicznej w drugiej polowie XIII wieku (The Political Ideology of the Monarchy of
Pf emysl Otakar II. A Study on Czech Foreign Policy in the Second Half of the 13th Century),
Katowice 1982, p. 94; idem, Czechy a ziemie południowej Polski w XIII oraz w początkach XIV wieku,
Katowice 1992, p. 93.
10 For the latest biograms on Władysław see J. Sperka, [in:] Książęta i księżne Górnego Śląska
(The Dukes and Duchesses of Upper Silesia), Katowice 1995, pp. 120-123; T.Jurek, [in:]
Słownik władców polskich (A Dictionary of Polish Rulers), Poznań 1997, pp. 409-410.
11 K Jasiński, Genealogia Władysława Łokietka i jego najbliższej rodziny (The Genealogy of
Władysław the Elbow-Sized and his Immediate Family), [in:] Zapiski Kujawsko-Dobrzyńskie,
6, Historia, Włocławek 1988, pp. 13-14.
12 N. Mika, Ekspansja czesko-morawska na ziemię raciborską w XIII wieku (The Czech Mora-
vian Expansion into the Racibórz Lands in the 13th century), Studia i Materiały z Dziejów
Śląska (Studies into the History of Silesia), 21, 1996, pp. 12-13.
343