El título de duque de Silesia era el de los hijos y descendientes del duque polaco Boleslao III de Wrymouth . De acuerdo con el último testamento de Boleslao , a su muerte sus tierras se dividieron en cuatro o cinco provincias hereditarias distribuidas entre sus hijos, y una provincia real de Cracovia reservada para el mayor, que iba a ser Gran Duque de toda Polonia. Esto se conoció como la fragmentación de Polonia . Los acontecimientos posteriores condujeron a una mayor fragmentación de los ducados.
A principios del siglo XIV existían en Silesia catorce ducados independientes: Brzeg, Wrocław, Świdnica, Jawor, Ziębice, Głogów, Ścinawa, Żagan y Oleśnica en la Baja Silesia; Koźle, Cieszyn, Bytom, Niemodlin, Opole, Strzelce, Racibórz y Opava en la Alta Silesia y el ducado eclesiástico de Nysa. Entre 1327 y 1329 la mayoría de los duques aceptaron el señorío del rey bohemio Juan de Bohemia , que adquirió el derecho de sucesión para todos estos ducados. En los siglos siguientes todas las ramas de los Piastas de Silesia se extinguieron, y con la muerte de Jorge Guillermo, duque de Liegnitz, la dinastía dejó de existir.
En 1173 Boleslao regresó y aceptó que Mieszko y Boleslao gobernaran en sus propios ducados, separados del ducado de Silesia. Esto llevó a la creación del ducado de Racibórz para Mieszko I y el ducado de Opole para Jaroslao, comenzando la fragmentación del ducado de Silesia. Los territorios controlados por Mieszko I y Jaroslao correspondían aproximadamente a lo que se conoce como Alta Silesia , mientras que los territorios que permanecieron con Boleslao I correspondían aproximadamente a Baja Silesia .
Baja Silesia
El Ducado de Baja Silesia era una continuación directa del Ducado de Silesia, pero sin los territorios que aproximadamente se correspondían con la Alta Silesia ; por lo tanto, estaba compuesto por los territorios que aproximadamente se correspondían con la Baja Silesia . Algunas fuentes se refieren a él como el Ducado de Silesia; algunas como el Ducado de Baja Silesia; otras aún como el Ducado de Wrocław (Breslau). Wrocław era la capital del Ducado de Silesia, pero este temprano (1172-1248) Ducado de Silesia no debe confundirse con el Ducado de Wrocław más pequeño que se creó con una mayor fragmentación en 1248. El Ducado pasó por varios cambios de fronteras en los años siguientes, a veces perdiendo y a veces ganando territorio. En 1248 la Baja Silesia se dividió cuando Boleslao II tuvo que ceder el Ducado de Wrocław a su hermano menor Enrique III.
Alta Silesia
La Alta Silesia fue dividida en los ducados de Cieszyn y Opole-Racibórz. En 1340 el ducado de Racibórz fue unido a Opava, un feudo de Bohemia.
PiastDuques de Silesia
Repartos de la Silesia polaca bajo la dinastía Piast
A continuación se muestra una tabla simplificada de las particiones de Silesia:
Un recordatorio rápido para evitar confusiones:
Tabla de gobernantes
PremislidaDuques de Silesia
Repartos de la Silesia Bohemia bajo la dinastía Premislida
A continuación se muestra una tabla simplificada de las particiones de Silesia:
Tabla de gobernantes
Notas:
La numeración de los gobernantes Premislidas de Silesia es un asunto problemático entre los estudiosos, ya que diferentes fuentes los numeran y ordenan de forma diferente.
PodiebradDuques de Silesia
Repartos de Silesia bajo la dinastía de los Podebrad
^As Opole kept the original capital of Opole-Racibórz, the duchy will be pictured with the same color.
^divided into Świdnica and Jawor between 1312 and 1346
^Zator split few years before the annexation of Oświęcim to Poland; Zator therefore will be seen as a direct successor duchy, and will be pictured with the same color.
^Briefly recovered by Jawor between 1337 and 1346.
^The dukes changed their capital to Chojnów in early 1440's, and sold the town of Lubin to Głogów, which was bought back in 1482 by Legnica. The recovery of Legnica by Chojnów (1454) recentered the capital to this recovered town, and, until 1488, the territory of Chojnów and later Lubin became part of the Legnica. Lubin re-emerged in 1488, but was definitely annexed to Legnica in 1550
^Shared a half, between 1358 and 1368, with Świdnica-Jawor; Olawa split between 1400 and 1454 and eventually joined Legnica
^Brzeg was bought from Opole in 1481 and Lubin from Głogów in 1482
^Olawa split from Brzeg in three periods: 1586–1595, 1602–1605, 1672–1680. The latter two were dowries as well.
^A new line of dukes started with Conrad I, and Henry was his son. As Henry was, like his uncle Henry III the White, descendant of Henry II, he was numbered, not according to his uncle, but independently as a new line.
^Ruled in Swidnica-Jawor since 1273, and abdicated at his father's death, when the partitions were made.
^Albeit more known as Bolko, his true name was probably Boleslaus. Avoid confusion with his contemporary, Bolko I of Opole.
^A new line of dukes starts with Mieszko I, who is thereby counted as I.
^A new line of dukes starts with Casimir, who is thereby counted as I.
^ a bApplied for Bolko I and Bolko II of Opole. Albeit more known as Bolko, their true name was probably Boleslaus, name with they are also stated in sources. Bolko I was the first Boleslaus/Bolko in Upper Silesia and he was numbered as such. However, avoid confusion with his Lower Silesian contemporary, Bolko I the Strict. The same can be said to Bolko II of Opole. Avoid confusiom between him and his Lower Silesian contemporaries, Bolko the Small and Bolko II of Ziębice.
^A new line of dukes started with Bolko I, and Henry was his son. However, unlike Głogów line, who followed Henry the Pious, this Henry didn't follow any numbering of his ancestors, and styled himself as the I.
^Albeit known as Bolko, his true name was probably Boleslaus. Starter of a new line of dukes, he recognized his father's numbering
^Albeit known as Bolko, his true name was probably Boleslaus. Avoid confusion with his Lower Silesian uncle, Bolko II of Ziębice, and the Upper Silesian Bolko II of Opole.
^Not counting the regents of Opole-Racibórz, Henry was in fact the first (and only) ruler in Upper Silesia to bear this name, more usual in Lower Silesia. In fact, his mother, Elisabeth of Świdnica, was Lower Silesian.
^ a bApplied to Upper Silesian Bolko III of Strzelce and Lower Silesian Bolko III of Ziębice. Albeit more known as Bolko, their true name must have been Boleslaus. Avoid confusion between these two contemporary dukes.
^Albeit following the numberings of the rulers named Bolko, the same is not applied to the dukes Henry in Ziębice. Henry is styled the I, ignoring the numbering of Henry II the Pious.
^Numbered higher, as Henry VII of Brzeg, despite succeeding to his father only in 1398, was co-ruling with his father since 1361, sooner than Henry VIII's ascension.
^ a bAvoid confusion between contemporary dukes Henry IX of Lubin and Henry IX the Elder of Żagań. Henry IX the Elder has also the same sobriquet as his uncle, Henry VI.