Wenceslaus III Adam, Duke of Cieszyn
Encyclopedia
Wenceslaus III Adam of Cieszyn was a Duke of Cieszyn
since 1528 until his death.
He was the second but only surviving son of Wenceslaus II
, co-Duke of Cieszyn
, by his wife Anna, daughter of Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
. He was born one month after his father's death, on 17 November 1524.
, Baron of Pernštejn and Count of Kłodzko, called "The Rich".
During his minority, the young Duke spent much time at the Imperial court in Vienna
, where he was educated. Despite this, Wenceslaus III Adam adopted the new Evangelical faith, and followed this religion until his death.
At the time of his mother's death in 1539, Wenceslaus III Adam was already fifteen-years-old, and, according to the House of Piast customs, he was since them considered an adult and able to rule by himself. Despite this, Jan of Pernštejn remained as a regent and held the effective government until 9 May 1545, when he finally renounced to the regency only in exchange of the lands of Místek and Friedland
as a pledge.
Under the rule of Wenceslaus III Adam, Cieszyn economy was stabilized and even developed, despite the fact that during the period of regency were lost the Upper Silesia
lands gained during the reign of Casimir II and the Duchy of Opava
.
In 1548 his former regent Jan of Pernštejn died, leaving Mistek and Friedland to his sons Jaroslav, Vratislav and Vojtěch. However, soon after Wenceslaus III pledged this land to Jan of Czechowic.
One of the most important events of Wenceslaus III Adam's rule was the introduction of the Protestant Reformation
in his domains. Various historians deemed it began in the Duchy at the beginning of his rule, but real consequences of Reformation can be seen not until 1540. Most visible sign of the Reformation was the closure of Franciscan
(polish Bernardyni) and Dominican
convents in Cieszyn
and later also Benedictine
convent in Orlová
. Population of the Duchy also shifted to Protestantism. Both duke's wives also supported Protestantism
in the duchy.
Part of the goods obtained from the Catholic religious orders were transferred to the city hospital in Cieszyn, where he treated the poor. Interestingly, as a young prince Wenceslaus III Adam was educated in the medical science, dealing with the care of patients, which gained special significance during the epidemic of 1570.
On 24 June 1573 Wenceslas III Adam issued the called "Land Ordinance of the Duchy of Cieszyn" (Zřízení zemské Knížecství Těšínského) which represented a set of regulations over all the inhabitants of the Duchy. This law, initially taken with great caution, was finally accepted by his subjects.
In foreign policy, despite his conversion to the Lutheranism
, Wenceslaus III Adam based his career in the faithful service to the House of Habsburg in Vienna
. He was present, among others in Bratislava
at the coronation of Maximilian II
as King of Hungary
in 1563 and in the funerals of Ferdinand I
in 1565 in Vienna.
In 1573 he ordened the built of expensive defensive fortifications near Mosty u Jablunkova
to secure the Duchy against eventual Turkish
attack. In the same year, Wenceslaus III Adam was a candidate to the Polish throne after the extinction of the Jagiellonian dynasty, but without success.
Another big problem for the Duke was the prodigality of his oldest son, Frederick Casimir, who was named ruler over Fryštát
and Skoczów
in 1560, and five years later, he also received Bielsko
. Frederick Casimir's debts are so high that, when he suddenly died in 1571, Wenceslaus III Adam had to sell this lands to other Piast Dukes.
Wenceslaus III Adam died victim of an apoplexy
attack, after a long and debilitating disease on 4 November 1579. He was buried in the former Dominican church in Cieszyn.
. The marriage was decided by the Duke Casimir II, and the engagement was formalized on 8 September 1528, three months after Casimir II's death. From his father-in-law, Wenceslaus III Adam received the amount of 12,000 Hungarian pieces of gold
as a dowry
. This union produced three children:
In Cieszyn
on 25 November 1567, Wenceslaus III Adam married secondly with Sidonia Catharina of Saxe-Lauenburg (d. July 1594), daughter of Duke Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg. They had six children:
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 1528 until his death.
He was the second but only surviving son of Wenceslaus II
Wenceslaus II, Duke of Cieszyn
Wenceslaus II of Cieszyn , was a Duke of Cieszyn since 1518 until his death .He was the second son of Casimir II, Duke of Cieszyn, by his wife Johanna, daughter of Wiktoryn of Poděbrady, Duke of Opawa.-Life:...
, co-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....
, by his wife Anna, daughter of Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Frederick I of Ansbach and Bayreuth was born at Ansbach as the eldest son of the Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg by his second wife Anna, daughter of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony. His elder half-brother was the Elector Johann Cicero of Brandenburg...
. He was born one month after his father's death, on 17 November 1524.
Life
Since the time of his birth, Wenceslaus III Adam was placed under the guardianship of his grandfather Casimir II, Duke of Cieszyn as his only heir, until his death four year later, in 1528. In his will, Duke Casimir II leave his Duchy to his grandson under the regency of his mother Anna and the Bohemian magnate JanJohn III of Pernstein
John of Pernstein was High Treasurer of Moravia from 1506 and 1516 and Landeshauptmann of Moravia from 1515 to 1519 and from 1526 to 1528 and Governor of Moravia from 1530 to 1532...
, Baron of Pernštejn and Count of Kłodzko, called "The Rich".
During his minority, the young Duke spent much time at the Imperial court in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, where he was educated. Despite this, Wenceslaus III Adam adopted the new Evangelical faith, and followed this religion until his death.
At the time of his mother's death in 1539, Wenceslaus III Adam was already fifteen-years-old, and, according to the House of Piast customs, he was since them considered an adult and able to rule by himself. Despite this, Jan of Pernštejn remained as a regent and held the effective government until 9 May 1545, when he finally renounced to the regency only in exchange of the lands of Místek and Friedland
Friedland
- Places :Germany:* Friedland, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern* Friedland, Brandenburg* Friedland, Lower SaxonyRussia:* Pravdinsk , RussiaCzech:* Frýdlant v Čechách , Czech Republic...
as a pledge.
Under the rule of Wenceslaus III Adam, Cieszyn economy was stabilized and even developed, despite the fact that during the period of regency were lost the 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...
lands gained during the reign of Casimir II and the Duchy of Opava
Opava
Opava is a city in the northern Czech Republic on the river Opava, located to the north-west of Ostrava. The historical capital of Czech Silesia, Opava is now in the Moravian-Silesian Region and has a population of 59,843 as of January 1, 2005....
.
In 1548 his former regent Jan of Pernštejn died, leaving Mistek and Friedland to his sons Jaroslav, Vratislav and Vojtěch. However, soon after Wenceslaus III pledged this land to Jan of Czechowic.
One of the most important events of Wenceslaus III Adam's rule was the introduction of the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in his domains. Various historians deemed it began in the Duchy at the beginning of his rule, but real consequences of Reformation can be seen not until 1540. Most visible sign of the Reformation was the closure of Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
(polish Bernardyni) and Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
convents in 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....
and later also Benedictine
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
convent in Orlová
Orlová
Orlová is a town in the Karviná District, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. It lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia.- History :...
. Population of the Duchy also shifted to Protestantism. Both duke's wives also supported Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
in the duchy.
Part of the goods obtained from the Catholic religious orders were transferred to the city hospital in Cieszyn, where he treated the poor. Interestingly, as a young prince Wenceslaus III Adam was educated in the medical science, dealing with the care of patients, which gained special significance during the epidemic of 1570.
On 24 June 1573 Wenceslas III Adam issued the called "Land Ordinance of the Duchy of Cieszyn" (Zřízení zemské Knížecství Těšínského) which represented a set of regulations over all the inhabitants of the Duchy. This law, initially taken with great caution, was finally accepted by his subjects.
In foreign policy, despite his conversion to the Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
, Wenceslaus III Adam based his career in the faithful service to the House of Habsburg in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. He was present, among others in Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
at the coronation of Maximilian II
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
as King of Hungary
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
in 1563 and in the funerals of Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
in 1565 in Vienna.
In 1573 he ordened the built of expensive defensive fortifications near Mosty u Jablunkova
Mosty u Jablunkova
is a village in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic, located in the Jablunkov Pass. It has 3,997 inhabitants, 18.3% of the population are the Poles. 83.9% of the population are religious, of whom 93.8% are Catholic...
to secure the Duchy against eventual Turkish
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
attack. In the same year, Wenceslaus III Adam was a candidate to the Polish throne after the extinction of the Jagiellonian dynasty, but without success.
Another big problem for the Duke was the prodigality of his oldest son, Frederick Casimir, who was named ruler over Fryštát
Fryštát
is a town in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic, now administratively a part of the city of Karviná. Until 1948 it was a separate town. It lies on the Olza River, in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia....
and Skoczów
Skoczów
Skoczów is a town and the seat of Gmina Skoczów in Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland with 14,783 inhabitants . It lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia....
in 1560, and five years later, he also received 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....
. Frederick Casimir's debts are so high that, when he suddenly died in 1571, Wenceslaus III Adam had to sell this lands to other Piast Dukes.
Wenceslaus III Adam died victim of an apoplexy
Apoplexy
Apoplexy is a medical term, which can be used to describe 'bleeding' in a stroke . Without further specification, it is rather outdated in use. Today it is used only for specific conditions, such as pituitary apoplexy and ovarian apoplexy. In common speech, it is used non-medically to mean a state...
attack, after a long and debilitating disease on 4 November 1579. He was buried in the former Dominican church in Cieszyn.
Marriages and Issue
On 8 February 1540, Wenceslaus III Adam married firstly with Maria (b. 24 February 1524 - d. 19 November 1566), daughter of his guardian Jan of PernštejnJohn III of Pernstein
John of Pernstein was High Treasurer of Moravia from 1506 and 1516 and Landeshauptmann of Moravia from 1515 to 1519 and from 1526 to 1528 and Governor of Moravia from 1530 to 1532...
. The marriage was decided by the Duke Casimir II, and the engagement was formalized on 8 September 1528, three months after Casimir II's death. From his father-in-law, Wenceslaus III Adam received the amount of 12,000 Hungarian pieces of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
as a dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
. This union produced three children:
- Sophie (b. 1540 - d. 1541).
- Frederick CasimirFrederick Casimir of CieszynFrederick Casimir of Cieszyn also known as of Frysztat , was a Polish prince member of the House of Piast in the Cieszyn branch and ruler over Fryštát, Skoczów , and Bielsko ....
(b. December 1541/January 1542 - d. 4 May 1571). - Anna (b. 7 March 1543 - d. bef. 1564).
In 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....
on 25 November 1567, Wenceslaus III Adam married secondly with Sidonia Catharina of Saxe-Lauenburg (d. July 1594), daughter of Duke Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg. They had six children:
- A daughter (b. and d. shortly aft. 23 February 1569).
- Christian August (b. 30 April 1570 - d. 18 February 1571).
- Maria Sidonia (b. 10 May 1572 - d. 3 October 1587), married on 20 January 1587 to Duke Frederick IV of LegnicaFrederick IV of LegnicaFrederick IV of Liegnitz was Duke of Liegnitz since 1571 until his death ....
. - Anna Sibylla (b. 4 June 1573 - d. aft. 1601).
- Adam Wenceslaus (b. 12 December 1574 - d. 13 July 1617).
- Jan Albert (b. 3 August 1578 - d. bef. 4 November 1579).