Vladislaus II of Opole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vladislaus II of Opole
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| Duke of Opole | |
Vladislaus depicted in a 17th-century mosaic
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| Palatine of Hungary | |
| Reign | 1367–1372 |
| Predecessor | Nicholas Kont |
| Successor | Emeric Lackfi |
| Native name | Władysław Opolczyk |
| Born | c. 1332 |
| Died | 18 May 1401 Opole, Poland |
| Noble family | Silesian Piasts of Opole |
| Spouse(s) | Elisabeth of Wallachia Euphemia of Masovia |
| Issue | Kinga Elisabeth [Agnes] Katharina Hedwig Euphemia |
| Father | Bolko II of Opole |
| Mother | Elisabeth of Świdnica |
Vladislaus II of Opole (Polish: Władysław Opolczyk; around 1332 – 18 May 1401) was a powerful duke. He was known by the nickname Naderspan. Vladislaus ruled the Duchy of Opole starting in 1356. He also held many other important roles. These included being a top official in Hungary and a governor in Ruthenia. He also ruled several other lands in Poland.
Vladislaus was the oldest son of Duke Bolko II of Opole. His mother was Elisabeth, daughter of Duke Bernard of Świdnica. He belonged to the House of Piast, a very old Polish royal family.
Life of Vladislaus II of Opole
Early Life and Hungarian Adventures
Not much is known about Vladislaus's early years. To gain experience, he went to Hungary around 1353. He likely stayed there until his father died in 1356. It was in Hungary that he also got married for the first time.
Becoming Duke of Opole
When his father, Duke Bolko II of Opole, passed away, Vladislaus and his brothers, Bolko III and Henry, inherited the Duchy of Opole. At that time, Opole was part of the Bohemian Kingdom. Even though they were co-rulers, Vladislaus was a very strong leader. He quickly took charge of the government. His brothers accepted smaller parts of their inheritance. Bolko III and Henry remained dukes of Opole, but mostly in name only.
Working with King Louis I of Hungary
Vladislaus's political career really took off in the mid-1360s. He worked closely with King Louis I of Hungary. In 1364, he attended the famous Congress of Cracow. This was a big meeting of European rulers. Two years later, in 1366, Vladislaus had an even more important job. He helped arrange a marriage between King Louis's niece and Wenceslaus, the son of Emperor Charles IV.
Because of his loyal service, King Louis made Vladislaus a Count Palatine. This was a very important position. It meant he was the most powerful person in Hungary after the King. He had wide-ranging powers, especially in legal matters. Vladislaus was very dedicated and skilled in this role. He even created a system of four special court meetings to handle legal cases.
Changes in Poland and New Lands
In 1370, Casimir III the Great, the King of Poland, died. Vladislaus helped King Louis I of Hungary become the new King of Poland. As a reward, King Louis gave Vladislaus the towns of Wieluń and Częstochowa.
Around this time, Vladislaus's brother Bolko III inherited Strzelce Opolskie. This meant Vladislaus could rule his own lands without sharing. His youngest brother, Henry, had died in 1365 without children.
In 1371, Vladislaus led an army against the Bohemian Kingdom. This caused a lot of damage in Moravia. However, the next year, he helped settle a disagreement. He mediated between Emperor Charles IV and King Louis I.
Governing Galicia-Volhynia
In October 1372, Vladislaus was removed from his role as Count Palatine. He still kept most of his castles and lands in Hungary. But his political power was reduced. As a way to make up for this, he was made Governor of the Hungarian-controlled part of Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia. In this new role, Vladislaus helped the region grow economically. He usually lived in Lviv, but later spent more time in Halych.
He faced one main challenge in this role. He was friendly towards the Eastern Orthodox Church. This made the local nobles, called boyars, angry. They were very strong Catholics.
In 1374, King Louis I issued a special agreement for Polish nobles. This was likely due to Vladislaus's advice. This agreement, called the Privilege of Koszyce, made sure King Louis's daughters could inherit the Polish throne.
Polish Politics and New Territories
In 1378, Queen Elisabeth left Poland for Hungary. King Louis then appointed Vladislaus to a new role: Polish Count Palatine. But Polish nobles were unhappy with King Louis's decision to name his daughters as heirs. Vladislaus faced strong opposition and soon had to resign.
King Louis compensated Vladislaus with new lands. These included the Dobrzyń Land and parts of Kuyavia. These lands were near the Teutonic Order's territory. Vladislaus became very close with the Teutonic Knights. He even let them chase criminals in his lands.
In Kuyavia, Vladislaus had a money dispute with the Bishop of Płock. This led to Vladislaus being banned from the Church. However, the ban was lifted a year later. To show he wanted peace with the Church, Vladislaus founded a monastery. This was the Pauline monastery of Our Lady at Jasna Góra in Częstochowa. He also brought the famous icon of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa there. It is said to have come from Jerusalem. It traveled through Constantinople and Bełz before reaching Częstochowa in August 1382.
In 1382, his brother Bolko III died, leaving four young sons. A month later, Duke Henry of Niemodlin also died without children. These deaths allowed Vladislaus to gain more influence in Upper Silesia. He became the ruler of Strzelce and Niemodlin (as a guardian for his nephews). He also received Głogówek in 1383. Vladislaus also helped Bolko III's oldest son, Jan Kropidło, in his Church career. He tried to get him the position of Bishop of Poznań, even though Jan was young.
Challenges with King Władysław II Jagiełło
On September 10, 1382, King Louis I of Hungary, Vladislaus's supporter, died. Vladislaus had previously supported Louis's daughters for the Polish throne. But now, he wanted the crown for himself. However, he was not popular with the Polish nobles. After King Louis's daughter Hedwig broke off her engagement, Vladislaus supported another duke, Siemowit IV of Płock, for the throne.
At first, Vladislaus supported the new Polish King, Władysław II Jagiełło. Some historians even say Vladislaus was the King's godfather when he became Catholic in 1386. But their cooperation did not last long. In 1388, King Władysław took away Bydgoszcz from Vladislaus. Vladislaus then tried to capture the King and the Wawel Castle. He was defeated and captured by a local governor. Vladislaus was forced to give up his claim to the Polish throne. King Władysław also stopped Jan Kropidło from becoming Archbishop of Gniezno.
Later Years and War with Poland
More problems with the King of Poland arose in May 1391. Vladislaus gave the land of Złotów to the Teutonic Order. King Władysław saw this as a danger, as the Teutonic Order was getting too close to his borders. The King decided to take away Vladislaus's lands in Poland. Vladislaus gave in and transferred the disputed lands to Poland in 1392. Only Bolesławiec remained loyal to Vladislaus. It only joined Poland after Vladislaus died.
However, Vladislaus's actions did not change. In 1393, he sold his rights over Dobrzyń Land to the Teutonic Order. He also tried to convince the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order to attack Poland. He wanted to combine troops from the Teutonic Knights, Hungary, and Bohemia. The war began well for Vladislaus. But it ended in 1396 when the Polish army attacked Vladislaus's lands in Silesia. After Polish troops took control of Strzelce, Vladislaus's nephews made peace with the King of Poland. From then on, Vladislaus's nephews, the sons of Bolko III, mostly ruled the Duchy of Opole. Vladislaus had a much smaller role.
Vladislaus was disappointed that his big plans had failed. He died on May 18, 1401, in Opole. He was buried in the local Franciscan monastery.
Family Life
Around 1355, while in Hungary, Vladislaus married Elisabeth Basarab. She was the daughter of Nicolae Alexandru Basarab, a ruler from Wallachia. They had three daughters:
- Kinga (born 1355/57 – died after 1369), who became a nun.
- Elisabeth [Agnes] (born 1360 – died by 9 September 1411), who married Margrave Jobst of Moravia.
- Katharina (born around 26 March 1367 – died 6 June 1420), who married Duke Henry VIII of Żagań-Głogów-Ścinawa.
By 1369, Vladislaus married his second wife, Euphemia of Masovia. She was the daughter of Duke Siemowit III of Masovia. They had two daughters:
- Hedwig (born 1376/78 – died after 13 May 1390), who married Duke Vygantas-Alexander.
- Euphemia (died young, before 30 March 1408).
Vladislaus did not have any sons. So, after his death, his nephews, Bolko IV and Bernard, inherited most of the Duchy. However, Vladislaus gave Głogówek to his wife, Euphemia, as her special inheritance.
