Nicholas the Small

Nicholas the Small (ca. 1327 – 23 April 1358) was a Duke of Münsterberg (Ziębice) since 1341 until his death.

He was the eldest child and only son of Duke Bolko II of Münsterberg and his wife Bonne (Guta), daughter of Louis of Savoy, Baron of Vaud.

Life

Nicholas received a quite firmly education in in the Cistercian monastery of Heinrichau (Henryków). After his father's death on 11 June 1341 and took the full government over his domains, he almost immediately went to Prague, where on 24 August he paid homage to King John of Bohemia. The huge debts leave by his father forced Nicholas on 14 October 1343 to committed made a settlement with the Bohemian King, under which he promised not sell any of his lands without the consent of the King. In the case when he was forced to do this, the King had the first right to buy. Also, was made the compromise of, if the case of the extinction of the male line of the Dukes of Münsterberg, the Duchy will be anexed to the Bohemian Kingdom, after secured to the late Duke's daughters an appropriate dowry.

Financial problems, forced Nicholas to sold in early 1343 the silver mines of Zobten (Sobótka) to his cousin Bolko II the Small by the amount of 1,000 fines. Three years later, and by the same amount, he also sold Frankenstein (Ząbkowice), together with the monastery of Kamenz (Kamieniec Ząbkowicki) to the Bohemian magnate Heinrich von Haugwitz. Combination of desfavorable circumstances forced to sell again some tows in 1348, this time to Emperor Charles IV for 6,000 fines. Finally, in 1350 Nicholas sold to the Bishop of Breslau, Przecław of Pogorzeli, the town of Wąsów. As a result, from the vast domains of his late father, Nicholas retained only Münsterberg, Strehlen (Strzelin), Kanth (Kąty Wrocławskie) and Patschkau (Paczków).

In 1355 Nicholas took part in coronation of Charles IV as Holy Roman Emperor in Rome. After this event, he spent a long stay in Prague, and he returned to his Duchy only one year later. Then the Duke decided to go on a pilgrimage to Palestine, which took place during 1357-1358. Nicholas never returned to his country: he died on 23 April 1358 during his return trip in Hungary. His body was brought to the Duchy and buried in the monastery in Heinrichau.^[1]

Marriage and issue

By 23 October 1343, Nicholas married with Agnes (d. 16 July 1370), daughter of Hynek (also named Hermann or Hajman) Krušina z Lichtemburka, a Bohemian magnate^[2]. They had six children:

1. Ludmila [Anna?, Elisabeth?] (b. ca. 1344 - d. ca. 1372), married by 1360 to Duke Siemowit III of Masovia.
2. Bolko III (b. ca. 1348 - d. 13 June 1410).
3. Henry I (b. ca. 1350 - d. aft. 8 August 1366).
4. Agnes (b. ca. 1351/53? - d. October 1434), Abbess of St. Klara, Strehlen.
5. Guta (b. ca. 1354? - d. 2 September 1413), Abbess of St. Klara, Breslau (bef. 1380).
6. Katharina (b. ca. 1355/58? - d. ca. 1396), a nun in St. Klara, Strehlen.

In his will, Nicholas leave to his wife the regency of his lands on behalf of their infant sons and the effective rule over Strehlen.

References

1. ^

   This article incorporates information from the revision as of 22 March 2009 of the equivalent article on the Polish Wikipedia.

2. ^ Genealogy of the House of Krušina z Lichtemburka. In some sources, Agnes was erroneously named daughter of "Herman, Landgrave of Leuchtenberg", who historically never existed. Elisabeth Krušina z Lichtemeburk, Agnes' older sister, married with Boček z Kunštátu, another bohemian magnate, and they were the paternal great-grandparents of George of Poděbrady, later King of Bohemia.

External links

• SILESIA
• Complete Genealogy of the House of Piast
• Chronological Dates in Stoyan
• Genealogy of the Dukes of Ziębice

Preceded by Bolko II

Duke of Ziębice 1341–1358

Succeeded by Bolko III and Henry I

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