The formation of Racibórz and Opole Duchies. Comments on the problem of the first division of Silesia in the second half od the 12th century.
The formation of Racibórz and Opole Duchies. Comments on the problem of the first division of Silesia in the second half od the 12th century.

Summary/Abstract: The article presents arguments questioning the currently accepted interpretation of the Silesian Chronicle that it was Mieszko Tanglefoot that attacked Bolesław the Tall, his older brother, in 1172. In my opinion, Mieszko possessed his own duchy with the capital in Racibórz between 1166 and 1170, and the person who removed Bolesław the Tall from Wrocław was Mieszko the Old. Such a conviction is in accordance with contemporary German sources. The controversy between Mieszko Tanglefoot and his older brother dates back to 1177. However, the insufficuency of the source basis does not allow one to define the exact date of the ascription of the Opole Duchy to Jarosław, the eldest son of Bolesław the Tall. In this article, I make an attempt at indicating the weak points in the hypothesis proposed by J. Bieniak, who dates the formation of this duchy to 1175. I assume that Jarosław only took action against his father as late as in 1177. What can be established, however, is the fact that before Jarosław became the bishop in Wrocław in 1109 he had already been the Duke of Opole, which one can assume on the basis of the authentic document issued by Henryk the Bearded (broadly discussed in the article). In contrast to J Bieniak, who questions the fact that Mieszko and Henryk were in the state of war, I think that Mieszko received the record of the Opole territory from his brother Bolesław only after his death. In the first half of 1202, it was Henryk the Bearded who would force him to include Opole into his realm, but Mieszko ousted him from Opole and threatened his rule in Wrocław. The conflict ended in 1202 thanks to the intervention of Pope Innocent III. The Pope confirmed Mieszko's legal rights to "Castles and lands" in the bull from 1202, under the general statement of which the lands in question are undoubtedly the Polish lands. In return, prince Mieszko had to promise that he would not oust Henryk from his homeland, that is, the Wrocław Duchy.

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