Bolesław of Cieszyn (d. 1356)
Encyclopedia
Bolesław of Cieszyn was a Polish prince, member of the Piast dynasty
in the Cieszyn branch
.
He was the second son of Casimir I, Duke of Cieszyn, by his wife Euphemia, daughter of Duke Trojden I of Czersk
-Warsaw
.
), and two of his brothers (Jan
and Siemowit
). The main reason for why Casimir I put three of his five sons to follow a church career was to prevent further division of the already small Duchy of Cieszyn between them after his death. In addition, the Duke of Cieszyn, as a loyal vassal of the Bohemian Kings, hoped to obtain the help of them in obtaining high ecclesiastical dignities for his sons.
In 1345 Bolesław was still a normal priest. Then King John of Bohemia began his efforts to obtain for him the canonry and prebendary
of the Cathedrals of both Kraków
and Wrocław. As a result, in 1349 Bolesław finally sat in the Kraków Chapter
. The son and successor of King John, the future Emperor Charles IV
, obtained for him the canonry of Wrocław, and in 1353 appointed him as his personal chaplain
, and with this, the position of Provost of the Church of All Saints on the Royal Castle
in Prague
. Bolesław's place of burial is unknown.
Piast dynasty
The Piast dynasty was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. It began with the semi-legendary Piast Kołodziej . The first historical ruler was Duke Mieszko I . The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir the Great...
in the Cieszyn branch
Duchy of Cieszyn
The Duchy of Cieszyn or Duchy of Teschen or Duchy of Těšín was an autonomous Silesian duchy centered on Teschen in Upper Silesia. After the feudal division of Poland it was split off in 1281 and ruled by Silesian dukes from the Piast dynasty since 1290...
.
He was the second son of Casimir I, Duke of Cieszyn, by his wife Euphemia, daughter of Duke Trojden I of Czersk
Czersk
Czersk is a town in northern Poland in Chojnice County, Pomeranian Voivodeship.On July 1, 2006 this municipality celebrated 80 years of granting this community the status of city....
-Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
.
Life
Like most of Casimir I's children, Bolesław was destined to the cleric since his early years, together with two of his sisters (Jolanta Helena and ElisabethElisabeth of Cieszyn
Elisabeth of Cieszyn , was a Polish princess, member of the Piast dynasty in the Cieszyn branch.She was the fourth daughter and youngest child of Casimir I, Duke of Cieszyn, by his wife Euphemia, daughter of Duke Trojden I of Czersk-Warsaw.-Life:...
), and two of his brothers (Jan
Jan of Cieszyn
Jan of Cieszyn , was a Polish prince, member of the Piast dynasty in the Cieszyn branch.He was the fourth son of Casimir I, Duke of Cieszyn, by his wife Euphemia, daughter of Duke Trojden I of Czersk-Warsaw.-Life:...
and Siemowit
Siemowit of Cieszyn
Siemowit of Cieszyn was a Polish prince, member of the Piast dynasty in the Cieszyn branch.He was the fifth son of Casimir I, Duke of Cieszyn, by his wife Euphemia, daughter of Duke Trojden I of Czersk-Warsaw.-Life:...
). The main reason for why Casimir I put three of his five sons to follow a church career was to prevent further division of the already small Duchy of Cieszyn between them after his death. In addition, the Duke of Cieszyn, as a loyal vassal of the Bohemian Kings, hoped to obtain the help of them in obtaining high ecclesiastical dignities for his sons.
In 1345 Bolesław was still a normal priest. Then King John of Bohemia began his efforts to obtain for him the canonry and prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of the Cathedrals of both Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
and Wrocław. As a result, in 1349 Bolesław finally sat in the Kraków Chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
. The son and successor of King John, the future Emperor Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
, obtained for him the canonry of Wrocław, and in 1353 appointed him as his personal chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
, and with this, the position of Provost of the Church of All Saints on the Royal Castle
Prague Castle
Prague Castle is a castle in Prague where the Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The Czech Crown Jewels are kept here...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Bolesław's place of burial is unknown.