Boleslaus II, Duke of Cieszyn
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Bolesław II of Cieszyn was a Duke of Cieszyn
Cieszyn
Cieszyn is a border-town and the seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It has 36,109 inhabitants . Cieszyn lies on the Olza River, a tributary of the Oder river, opposite Český Těšín....

 since 1431 (until 1442 with his brothers as co-rulers), ruler over half of Bielsko
Bielsko
Bielsko was until 1950 an independent town situated in Cieszyn Silesia, Poland. In 1951 it was joined with Biała Krakowska to form the new town of Bielsko-Biała. Bielsko constitutes the western part of that town....

 and Frysztat (from 1442), and during 1452 sole ruler over one half of Bytom
Bytom
Bytom is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The central-western district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - metropolis with the population of 2 millions. Bytom is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Bytomka river .The city belongs to the Silesian Voivodeship since...

.

He was the fourth and youngest son of Duke Bolesław I of Cieszyn
Cieszyn
Cieszyn is a border-town and the seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It has 36,109 inhabitants . Cieszyn lies on the Olza River, a tributary of the Oder river, opposite Český Těšín....

 by his second wife Euphemia
Euphemia of Masovia
Euphemia of Masovia , was a Polish princess member of the House of Piast in the Masovia branch and by marriage Duchess of Cieszyn.She was the fifth child and third daughter of Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia, by his wife Alexandra, daughter of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania and sister of King...

, daughter of Duke Siemowit IV of Masovia.

Life

After the death of his father in 1431, Bolesław II ruled over the duchy together with his brothers as co-rulers, but under the tutelage of their mother. After the division of the duchy on 29 November 1442, he still held the title of Duke of Cieszyn, but in practice ruled only over 16 towns and villages in Cieszyn; the most important of them was Frysztat, which was obtained by Bolesław II only after his mother's death in 1447 and shortly after, received broader city rights by Bolesław II. He left most of the control over the duchy to his brother Przemyslaus II.

Just like his brothers and father, also Bolesław II tried to be active in the international politics. Unlike his brother Władysław, who was allied with Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...

, Bolesław II maintained close ties mainly with the Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)
The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Jogaila , Grand Duke of Lithuania, to the Polish throne in 1386. The Union of Krewo or Krėva Act, united Poland and Lithuania under the rule of a single monarch...

. In 1443 he supported Poland in his conflicts with Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

, and in 1449 he was appointed judge in the disputes between King Casimir IV
Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV KG of the House of Jagiellon was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440, and King of Poland from 1447, until his death.Casimir was the second son of King Władysław II Jagiełło , and the younger brother of Władysław III of Varna....

 and the Bohemian nobility. However, Bolesław II's good relations with Poland didn't prevent the sale of the Duchy of Siewierz
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....

 to Zbigniew Oleśnicki, Bishop of Kraków, which resulted in a war at Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...

, who lasted until February 1447.

Bolesław II sought to obtain independent sovereignty, and therefore in 1452 he swapped with his brother Wenceslaus I the district of Bielsko
Bielsko
Bielsko was until 1950 an independent town situated in Cieszyn Silesia, Poland. In 1951 it was joined with Biała Krakowska to form the new town of Bielsko-Biała. Bielsko constitutes the western part of that town....

 for one half of Bytom
Bytom
Bytom is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The central-western district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - metropolis with the population of 2 millions. Bytom is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Bytomka river .The city belongs to the Silesian Voivodeship since...

, where he planned to settle. But his plans ended with his sudden death on 4 October 1452.

Marriage and issue

On 28 January 1448 Bolesław II married with Anna (d. aft. 12 February 1490), daughter of Ivan Vladimirovich, Prince of Bielsk
Bielsk
Bielsk may refer to the following places:*Bielsk, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Bielsk, Masovian Voivodeship *Bielsk Podlaski in Podlaskie Voivodeship...

 (in turn grandson of Algirdas
Algirdas
Algirdas was a monarch of medieval Lithuania. Algirdas ruled the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1345 to 1377, which chiefly meant monarch of Lithuanians and Ruthenians...

, Grand Duke of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...

) by his wife Vasilisa of Halshany (sister of Sophia
Sophia of Halshany
Sophia of Halshany , was a Lithuanian princess of Halshany, Queen of Poland from , and the last wife of Jogaila.-Biography:...

, fourth and last wife of King Władysław II Jagiełło
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...

). The union had the approval of Anna's cousin, King Casimir IV, who give to the newlyweds a magnificent wedding gift: 2,000 florins. They had three children:
  1. Casimir II (b. ca. 1449 - d. 13 December 1528).
  2. Sophia (b. ca. 1450/52 - d. 1479), married in 1474 to Wiktoryn of Poděbrady, Duke of Opawa
    Opawa
    Opawa is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located 2.5 kilometres south-east of the city centre.The name is a contraction of Opaawaho, which means a place of an outer pā or outpost in Māori. Opaawaho or Ōpāwaho is the Māori name for the Heathcote River....

    .
  3. Barbara (b. ca. 1452/53 - d. bef. 12 May 1507), married firstly on 11 September 1468 to Duke Balthasar of Żagań
    Balthasar of Zagan
    Balthasar of Żagań , was a Duke of Żagań-Przewóz since 1439 , from 1449 Duke of Żagań. Deposed during 1461-1468, he recovered the Duchy in this year until shortly before his death....

     and secondly by 18 May 1477 to Duke Jan V of Zator
    Jan V of Zator
    Jan V of Zator , was a Duke of Zator during 1468-1474 , and ruler over half of Zator from 1474 until his death ....

    .


After the death of her husband, Anna cared about their son and daughters, and resided mainly in Frysztat.
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