Mieszko II Lambert facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mieszko II Lambert
Mieszko Lambert receiving a liturgical book from Matilda of Swabia, 1000–1025
King of Poland
Reign	1025–1031
Coronation	25 December 1025 Gniezno Cathedral
Predecessor	Bolesław I the Brave
Successor	Bolesław the Forgotten
Duke of Poland
Reign	1032–1034
Born	c. 990
Died	10 or 11 May 1034 Poznań (?)
Burial	10 or 11 May 1034
Spouse	Richeza of Lotharingia
Issue	Richeza, Queen of Hungary Casimir I, Duke of Poland Gertruda, Grand Princess of Kiev
Dynasty	Piast
Father	Bolesław I the Brave
Mother	Emnilda of Lusatia
Religion	Chalcedonian Christianity

Mieszko II Lambert (born around 990 – died May 10 or 11, 1034) was an important ruler of Poland. He was the King of Poland from 1025 to 1031. After losing his throne, he became the Duke of Poland from 1032 until his death.

Mieszko II was the second son of Bolesław I the Brave, Poland's first king. His mother was Emnilda of Lusatia. He was likely named after his grandfather, Mieszko I of Poland. His second name, Lambert, might have been chosen to honor Saint Lambert. It could also be a nod to Bolesław's half-brother, Lambert Mieszkowic. This choice of name might have shown better relations between Bolesław I and his stepmother, Oda of Haldensleben.

Mieszko II led two big attacks on Saxony in 1028 and 1030. He then had to defend Poland against Germany, Bohemia, and the Kievan Rus'. In 1031, Mieszko II was forced to leave Poland. This happened after Yaroslav I the Wise attacked and put Mieszko's older half-brother, Bezprym, on the Polish throne. Mieszko II went to Bohemia, where Duke Oldrich imprisoned him.

In 1032, Mieszko II got back some power. He ruled one of Poland's three areas. He then worked to unite the country again. During this time, Poland lost some lands his father had gained. These included Upper Lusatia, parts of Lower Lusatia, Red Ruthenia, and parts of what is now Slovakia.

Mieszko II was very well educated for his time. He could read and write, and he knew both Greek and Latin. He is sometimes unfairly called "Mieszko II the Lazy." This nickname came from how his rule ended. But at the start, he was a skilled and strong leader.

Mieszko's Early Life and Training

Mieszko was the son of King Bolesław the Brave. Before his father died, Mieszko II was already active in politics. Bolesław chose him to be his successor. Mieszko often took part in German politics. He represented his father and led Polish troops.

Early Diplomatic Missions

In 1013, Mieszko II traveled to Magdeburg. There, he paid respect to Emperor Henry II. A few months later, his father, Bolesław I, did the same. The exact reason for Mieszko II's visit is not fully clear. It's thought he paid homage for lands like Milsko, Lusatia, and Moravia. A treaty said this was a personal tribute. It did not create any legal duties for Poland. Another idea is that Bolesław gave these lands to Mieszko II. This would have made Mieszko II a vassal of the Empire.

Mieszko II's standing grew stronger in 1013. He married Richeza. She was the daughter of Count Palatine Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lotharingia. Richeza was also the niece of Emperor Otto III. Ezzo was a powerful leader who opposed Henry II. By marrying Richeza, Mieszko II joined the Imperial family. He became as important, or even more important, than the Emperor. After the wedding, King Bolesław I likely gave Mieszko II a separate area to rule. This area was Kraków. Mieszko II chose Wawel (now part of Kraków) as his home.

Mieszko's Role in Conflicts

In 1014, Mieszko II went to Bohemia for his father. He was sent to convince Duke Oldřich to join an alliance against Emperor Henry II. The mission failed. Oldřich imprisoned Mieszko II. He was freed only after the Emperor stepped in. Even though Bolesław I planned to betray him, the Emperor helped his vassal. Mieszko II was then sent to the Imperial court in Merseburg as a hostage. Henry II likely wanted to force Bolesław I to come to Merseburg. He wanted Bolesław to explain his actions. But the plan failed. The Emperor soon agreed to release Mieszko II.

A year later, Mieszko II led Polish troops in another war against the Emperor. The war did not go well for Henry. His army took over a month to reach the Oder River. There, Mieszko II and his father put up a strong fight. Henry II sent people to the Polish rulers. He wanted to make peace. Mieszko II refused. After the Emperor failed to beat his troops, Henry decided to retreat. The Polish prince chased them. He caused heavy losses to the German army. When the Polish army reached Meissen, Mieszko II tried to attack a castle. It belonged to his brother-in-law, Margrave Herman I. But he was not successful. The fighting stopped in autumn. It started again in 1017 after peace talks failed.

Imperial forces went around the main defense near Krosno Odrzańskie. They then attacked Niemcza. At the same time, Mieszko II led ten groups of soldiers to Moravia. He planned a joint attack with Bohemia against the Emperor. This action made the Emperor give up on a direct attack. A year later, the Peace of Bautzen was signed on January 30, 1018. This treaty was very good for Poland.

Starting in 1028, Mieszko II fought successfully against the Holy Roman Empire. He pushed back their invading army. Later, he even attacked Saxony. He made an alliance between Poland and Hungary. This led to Hungary briefly taking over Vienna. This war was probably started by Mieszko II's family in Germany. They were against Emperor Conrad II.

Not much is known about Mieszko II's life from 1018 to 1025. This is because Thietmar of Merseburg, a main writer of that time, died. Only Gallus Anonymus mentions Mieszko II. He wrote about his father's trip to Kievan Rus' in 1018. He said that Mieszko was not yet ready to rule alone. So, a regent was chosen from his family. This statement was likely wrong. In 1018, Mieszko II was 28 years old. He was fully able to rule by himself.

Becoming King of Poland

Mieszko's Coronation and Kingdom

King Bolesław died on June 17, 1025. Six months later, on Christmas Day, Mieszko II Lambert was crowned King of Poland. The archbishop of Gniezno, Hipolit, crowned him in the Gniezno Cathedral. German writers at the time thought this was an abuse of power. They felt it was needed because of the political situation. After his father's death, Mieszko II inherited a large area. This included Greater Poland, Lesser Poland, Silesia, and Gdańsk Pomerania. It also had Lusatia, Red Ruthenia, and parts of today's Slovakia. It is not clear if Moravia was still under his rule. Once he ruled alone, Mieszko II became a very important leader in Central Europe. He was also important to the Holy Roman Empire.

Later problems in his rule came from family issues. His older half-brother, Bezprym, was the son of a Hungarian princess. Mieszko II also had a younger full-brother, Otto. In Slavic custom, a father was expected to divide his lands among all his sons. But Bolesław I did not want to split the kingdom. So, Mieszko II's brothers received nothing.

Bezprym was the oldest son. Some people felt he should have been king. But Bezprym was never liked by his father. This is shown by his name. The Piast dynasty usually gave names like Bolesław or Mieszko. Bezprym was more of a commoner's name. This suggests Bolesław did not want Bezprym to be his heir. Because of this, Bezprym was sent to a monastery.

Some writers say Mieszko II forced his two brothers to leave the country. Otto went to Germany. Bezprym fled to the Kievan Rus'.

Poland's Role in German Conflicts

In 1026, King Conrad II of Germany went to Italy to be crowned Emperor. While he was away, his opponents became more active. These included Dukes Ernest II of Swabia and Frederick II of Upper Lorraine. Conrad II's enemies tried to get Mieszko's help. We know this from a prayer book sent to Mieszko by Frederick's wife, Matilda of Swabia, around 1027. The book showed Matilda giving the book to Mieszko II, who was sitting on a throne. The gift came with a letter. In it, Matilda called him a great king. She said he was a role model for spreading Christianity. She also praised Mieszko II for building new churches. And she noted his knowledge of Latin, which was rare then. This gift had the desired effect. Mieszko II promised to take military action. War preparations began in the autumn of 1027.

In the middle of that year, Conrad II returned to Germany. He began fighting the rebels. Soon, he defeated Duke Ernest II and took his lands. Only when the rebels were almost defeated did Mieszko II arrive to help them. In 1028, Polish troops attacked Saxony. They took many prisoners. The damage was so great that, according to Saxon sources, "where Mieszko II's troops put their feet grass never thence grew." The Emperor accused the Polish ruler of being an illegal king. He called him a usurper. This attack involved the lands of the Lutici tribe. In October 1028, the Emperor got his chance. The Lutici area of Pöhlde asked the Emperor for help against Mieszko II's attacks. They promised to support him against the Polish ruler.

Responding to Attacks

Even with a peace treaty between Poland and Germany, the Emperor soon prepared to strike back at Mieszko II. Conrad II's army reached Lusatia in the autumn of 1029. They began to attack Bautzen. But the German troops did not get the help they were promised from the Lutici tribe. So, the attack failed. The Emperor was also threatened by the Hungarians. He was forced to retreat.

Around this same year, Duke Oldřich's son, Bretislaus I, attacked and took Moravia.

In 1030, Mieszko II made an alliance with Hungary. He again attacked Saxony. At the same time, his ally in the south attacked Bavaria. They briefly took over Vienna.

In response, the Emperor planned another attack against the Polish king. This time, he formed a group of allies against Mieszko II. Already in 1030, Yaroslav I the Wise began his attack. He conquered Red Ruthenia and some castles in Bełz.

In 1031, the Emperor made peace with the Kingdom of Hungary. It is likely that in exchange for Stephen I's help, Conrad II gave Hungary lands between the Leitha and Fischa Rivers. Now, the Emperor was less worried about an attack from the south. In the autumn of 1031, he attacked Poland. He attacked Milsko. This attack was a full success. Mieszko II was forced to give up some lands. As a result, the Polish King lost parts of the lands his father had taken. His father had often fought against Emperor Henry II for these lands.

Losing and Regaining the Throne

Historians believe Mieszko II gave up quickly because of problems inside Poland. Bolesław left an unstable kingdom to his son. Mieszko had to defend Poland's independence and his own power. Also, the cost of Mieszko II's long war against Emperor Conrad II made him less popular. This was true even though he was defending Polish land. The final loss of the war against the Holy Roman Empire weakened the King. He faced several rebellions from people who said the war did not bring good results. Another problem was a family crisis. Mieszko II's brothers kept trying to gain power with help from other countries.

The brother who caused the first problems was likely Bezprym. He supposedly got help from Kiev to take power. Otto also supported him. While Mieszko II was busy defending Lusatia, the Kievan army came from the east. Yaroslav I the Wise led them. In 1031, Poland was invaded. Then, Bezprym was put on the throne. Mieszko II and his family had to flee the country. Queen Richeza and her children found safety in Germany. The King could not escape to Hungary. He was stopped by Rus' troops during his journey. King Stephen I of Hungary did not want to let him into his country. With no other choice, Mieszko II went to Bohemia. Duke Oldřich again imprisoned him. This time, the King could not get help from the Emperor. Mieszko II was kept in prison. He and his wife never met again. Some sources say they were officially divorced or just separated.

Bezprym likely treated Mieszko II's supporters very harshly. At that time, there was a rebellion by the people. This event is known as the "Pagan Reaction." The Duke's power fell apart. He was forced to send the Polish regalia (royal symbols) to the Emperor. After only one year of ruling, Bezprym was murdered in 1032. This was probably planned by his brothers.

After Bezprym's death, the Polish throne was empty. Mieszko II was still in prison in Bohemia. Otto was likely in Germany. German sources say the Emperor planned to invade Poland. We don't know what happened next. But Mieszko II was certainly released by Duke Oldřich. He was able to return to Poland. After his former enemy regained power, the Emperor quickly prepared to attack Poland. Mieszko II was not ready for a fight. So, he used his influence at the German court to solve the problem.

On July 7, 1032, a meeting took place in Merseburg. It was between Conrad II and the remaining heirs of the Piast dynasty. Mieszko II had no other choice. He had to give up his crown. He agreed to divide Poland among himself and two others. These were his brother Otto and a cousin named Dytryk. Dytryk was the grandson of Duke Mieszko I. Mieszko II probably received Lesser Poland and Masovia. Otto got Silesia. Dytryk took Greater Poland. Another idea is that Mieszko II received Greater Poland. The other areas went to Otto and Dytryk.

This division did not last long. In 1033, Otto was killed by one of his own men. Mieszko II took over his lands. Soon after, he likely forced Dytryk out. This way, he was able to unite the whole country again. Mieszko II regained full power. But he still had to fight against the nobles and his own people. In Poland, his giving up the crown was ignored. After 1032, he was still called king in the old writings.

Mieszko's Death and Aftermath

Mieszko II died suddenly on May 10 or 11, 1034. He likely died in Poznań. Polish writings clearly state he died of natural causes. He was buried in the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul.

After Mieszko II's death, Poland's peasants rebelled. This is known as the "pagan reaction." The exact reasons and date are not known. Mieszko II's only son and heir, Casimir I, was either forced out by this uprising. Or, the uprising happened because the nobles forced him out. Some modern historians say the rebellion was more about money than religion. For example, new taxes for the Church and the army. Priests, monks, and knights were killed. Cities, churches, and monasteries were burned. The chaos grew worse when the Czechs unexpectedly attacked Silesia and Greater Poland from the south in 1039. The land was divided among local rulers. One of them was Miecław, who ruled Masovia. Greater Poland was so damaged that it stopped being the main part of the Polish Kingdom. The capital was moved to Kraków, in Lesser Poland.

Mieszko's Family

Around 1013, in Merseburg, Mieszko II married Richeza. She was the daughter of Count Palatine Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lotharingia. They had these children:

• Richeza (born September 22, 1013 – died May 21, 1075). She married King Béla I of Hungary around 1039-1042.
• Casimir I the Restorer (born July 25, 1016 – died March 19, 1058).
• Gertruda (born 1025 – died January 4, 1108, in Kiev). She married Grand Prince Iziaslav I of Kiev around 1043.
• Possibly Agatha, who was the wife of Edward the Exile. Her background is not fully known. One idea is that she was the daughter of Mieszko II and Richeza.

See also

In Spanish: Miecislao II Lambert para niños