List of Polish monarchs

"Queen of Poland" redirects here. For queens consort of Poland, see List of Polish consorts.

History of Poland
This article is part of a series
Chronology List of Polish monarchs
Prehistory and protohistory
Stone Age
Bronze and Iron Age
Antiquity
Middle Ages • History
Early Middle Ages
Kingdom of the Piasts (966–1385)
Kingdom of the Jagiellons (1385–1569)
Early Modern
Elective Monarchy (1569–1648)
The Deluge and Decline (1648–1764)
Three Partitions (1764-1795)
Modern
Partitions - Duchies - Kingdoms (1795–1918)
World War 1 (1914-1918)
Second Republic (1918–1939)
World War 2 (1939–1945)
People's Republic (1945–1989)
Contemporary
Poland Portal v · d · e

Poland, or at least its nucleus, was ruled at various times either by dukes (the 10th-14th century) or by kings (the 11th-18th century). The longest-reigning dynasties were the Piasts (ca. 960 – 1370) and Jagiellons (1386–1572). Intervening and subsequent monarchs were often rulers of foreign countries or princes recruited from foreign dynasties.

During the latter period a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16th-18th centuries). Polish independence ended with the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1795) and was restored at the end of World War I (1918) on a republican basis.

Legendary rulers

Ruler		Tribe	Reign	Notes
Lech		Lechites	6th century	a legendary founder of the Polish nation
Krakus		Lechites	8th century	a legendary founder of Cracow
Wanda		Lechites	8th century	a legendary daughter of Krakus and unknown Vandal woman
Abraham Prochownik		Khazars	9th century	a legendary Jew, nominated prince of Polans, after the death of prince Popiel in 842

Semi-legendary rulers of western Polans (Greater Poland)

Ruler		Dynasty	Reign	Notes
Popiel		Popielids	Duke the 9th century	a semi-legendary ruler of the West Slavic ("proto-Polish") tribe of Goplans and Polans
Siemowit		Piast	Duke the 9th century	semi-legendary son of Piast the Wheelwright
Lestek		Piast	Duke the 9th-10th century	semi-legendary son of Siemowit
Siemomysł		Piast	Duke the 10th century	semi-legendary son of Lestko

Monarchs of Poland

Ruler		Dynasty	Reign	Notes
Mieszko I of Poland		Piast	Duke 960?–992	son of Siemomysł first Christian monarch Misico, dux Wandalorum
Boleslas I the Brave (Bolesław I Chrobry)		Piast	Duke 992–1025 King 1025	son of Mieszko I and Dobrawa of Bohemia first to be crowned King Regnum Sclavorum, Gothorum sive Polonorum
Mieszko II Lambert		Piast	King 1025–1031	son of Boleslas I and Emnilda of Lusatia
Bezprym		Piast	Duke 1031–1032	son of Boleslas I and Judith of Hungary (disputed)
Otto Bolesławowic		Piast	Duke 1032	son of Boleslas I and Emnilda
Dytryk (Thiedric)		Piast	Duke 1032	grandson of Mieszko I and Oda of Haldensleben
Mieszko II Lambert		Piast	Duke 1032–1034	restored
Bolesław the Forgotten (Bolesław Zapomniany)		Piast	Duke 1034-1039	son of Mieszko II and Richeza of Lotharingia
Casimir I the Restorer (Kazimierz I Odnowiciel)		Piast	Duke 1039–1058	son of Mieszko II and Richeza of Lotharingia
Boleslas II the Bold (Bolesław II Szczodry)		Piast	Duke 1058–1076 King 1076–1079	son of Casimir I and Maria Dobroniega of Kiev
Ladislas I Herman (Władysław I Herman)		Piast	Duke 1079–1102	son of Casimir I and Maria Dobroniega
Vratislaus II of Bohemia (Wratysław II Czeski) (disputed)		Přemyslid	King of Bohemia and Poland 1085–1092	the royal title was a grant from Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Zbigniew		Piast	Duke 1098–1107	son of Ladislas I and Przecława, Prawdzic coat of arms (disputed) first jointly with Ladislas I 1098-1102
Boleslas III Wrymouth (Bolesław III Krzywousty)		Piast	Duke 1107–1138	son of Ladislas I and Judith of Bohemia first jointly with Ladislas 1098-1102 introduced senioral principle
Ladislas II the Exile (Władysław II Wygnaniec)		Piast	High Duke 1138–1146	son of Boleslas III and Zbyslava of Kiev also Duke of Silesia exiled by his brothers
Boleslas IV the Curly (Bolesław IV Kędzierzawy)		Piast	High Duke 1146–1173	son of Boleslas III and Salomea of Berg also Duke of Masovia
Mieszko III the Old (Mieszko III Stary)		Piast	High Duke 1173–1177	son of Boleslas III and Salomea also Duke of Greater Poland
Casimir II the Just (Kazimierz II Sprawiedliwy)		Piast	High Duke 1177–1190	son of Boleslas III and Salomea also Duke of Wiślica and Sandomierz
Mieszko III the Old (Mieszko III Stary)		Piast	High Duke 1190	restored
Casimir II the Just (Kazimierz II Sprawiedliwy)		Piast	High Duke 1190–1194	restored
Leszek I the White (Leszek I Biały)		Piast	High Duke 1194–1198	son of Casimir II and Helen of Znojmo also Duke of Sandomierz
Mieszko III the Old (Mieszko III Stary)		Piast	High Duke 1198–1199	restored
Leszek I the White (Leszek I Biały)		Piast	High Duke 1199	restored
Mieszko III the Old (Mieszko III Stary)		Piast	High Duke 1199-1202	restored
Ladislas III Spindleshanks (Władysław III Laskonogi)		Piast	High Duke 1202	son of Mieszko III and Eudoxia of Kiev also Duke of Greater Poland
Leszek I the White (Leszek I Biały)		Piast	High Duke 1202–1210	restored
Mieszko IV Tanglefoot (Mieszko IV Plątonogi)		Piast	High Duke 1210–1211	son of Ladislas II and Agnes of Babenberg also Duke of Silesia
Leszek I the White (Leszek I Biały)		Piast	High Duke 1211–1225	restored
Henry I the Bearded (Henryk I Brodaty)		Piast	High Duke 1225	grandson of Ladislas II, son of Bolesław I the Tall and Krystyna also Duke of Silesia
Leszek I the White (Leszek I Biały)		Piast	High Duke 1225–1227	restored assassinated
Ladislas III Spindleshanks (Władysław III Laskonogi)		Piast	High Duke 1227–1229	restored
Conrad I of Masovia (Konrad Mazowiecki)		Piast	High Duke 1229–1232	son of Casimir II and Helen of Znojmo also Duke of Masovia
Henry I the Bearded (Henryk I Brodaty)		Piast	High Duke 1232–1238	restored
Henry II the Pious (Henryk II Pobożny)		Piast	High Duke 1238–1241	son of Henry I and Saint Hedwig of Andechs (Saint Hedwig of Silesia) also Duke of Wroclaw and Greater Poland fell at Battle of Legnica
Boleslas V the Bald (Bolesław V Rogatka)		Piast	High Duke 1241	son of Henry II and Anne of Bohemia also Duke of Silesia
Conrad I of Masovia (Konrad Mazowiecki)		Piast	High Duke 1241–1243	restored
Boleslas VI the Chaste (Bolesław VI Wstydliwy)		Piast	High Duke 1243–1279	son of Leszek the White and Grzymislawa of Luck
Leszek II the Black (Leszek II Czarny)		Piast	High Duke 1279–1288	paternal grandson of CI maternal grandson of Henry II son of Casimir I of Kuyavia and Constance of Wrocław
Boleslas VII (Bolesław VII Siemowitowicz)		Piast	High Duke 1288	grandson of Conrad of Masovia Duke of Masovia
Henry III Probus (Henryk III Prawy)		Piast	High Duke 1288–1289	paternal grandson of Henry II maternal grandson of Konrad I son of Henry III the White and Judyta of Masovia Duke of Lower Silesia
Boleslas VII (Bolesław VII Siemowitowicz)		Piast	High Duke 1289	restored
Ladislas IV/I the Elbow-high (Władysław I Łokietek)		Piast	High Duke 1289	grandson of Konrad I of Masovia son of Casimir I of Kuyavia and Euphrosyne of Opole
Henry III Probus (Henryk III Prawy)		Piast	High Duke 1289–1290	restored
Przemysł II (Premyslas II)		Piast	High Duke 1290–1291 King 1295–1296	grandson of Henry II son of Przemysł I and Elisabeth of Wrocław also Duke of Poznań, Greater Poland and Pomerania
Wenceslaus II of Bohemia (Wacław II Czeski)		Přemyslid	High Duke 1291–1300 King 1300–1305	son of Ottokar II of Bohemia and Kunigunda of Slavonia married Premyslas II's daughter Elisabeth Richeza of Poland also King of Bohemia
Wenceslaus III of Bohemia (Wacław III Czeski)		Přemyslid	King 1305–1306	son of Wenceslaus II and Judith of Habsburg uncrowned assassinated
Rudolph I of Bohemia (Rudolf Austriacki)		Habsburg	Titular King of Poland 1306–1307	Duke of Austria and Styria (as Rudolph III)
Henry of Bohemia (Henryk Karyncki)		Meinhardin	Titular King of Poland 1307–1310	Count of Tyrol and Duke of Carinthia and Carniola (as Henry VI)
John of Bohemia (Jan Luksemburski)		Luxembourg	Titular King of Poland 1310–1335	Count of Luxembourg (as John the Blind)
Ladislas IV/I the Elbow-high (Władysław I Łokietek)		Piast	High Duke 1306–1320 King 1320–1333	restored re-united the Kingdom of Poland
Casimir III The Great (Kazimierz III Wielki)		Piast	King 1333–1370	son of Ladislas IV/I and Hedwig of Kalisz regarded as one of the greatest Polish monarchs
Louis I of Hungary (Ludwik Węgierski)		Anjou	King 1370–1382	son of Charles I of Hungary and Elisabeth of Poland nephew of Casimir III elected King and crowned on 17 November also King of Hungary
Jadwiga of Poland (Jadwiga Andegaweńska)		Anjou	King 1384–1399	daughter of Louis I and Elisabeth of Bosnia crowned at 1384 reigned jointly with her husband Ladislas II since 1386

Kings of Poland and Grand Dukes of Lithuania

Jagiellon Dynasty

Ruler		Dynasty	Reign Began	Reign Ended	Notes
Władysław II Jagiełło (Ladislas II, Jogaila)		Jagiellon	4 March 1386	1 June 1434	son of Algirdas of Lithuania and Uliana of Tver Grand Duke of Lithuania 1377-1434 reigned jointly with his wife Jadwiga until 1399 the longest reigning king of Poland
Władysław III Warneńczyk (Ladislas III, Vladislovas III)		Jagiellon	25 July 1434	10 November 1444	son of Ladislas II and Sophia of Halshany also king of Hungary (as Ulászló I) fell at Varna, therefore surnamed "of Varna"
Kazimierz IV (Casimir IV, Kazimieras Jogailaitis)		Jagiellon	25 June 1447	7 June 1492	son of Ladislas II and Sophia of Halshany also Grand Duke of Lithuania 1440-1492
Jan I Olbracht (John I Albert, Jonas Albrechtas)		Jagiellon	23 September 1492	16 June 1501	son of Casimir IV and Elisabeth of Austria
Aleksander (Alexander, Aleksandras)		Jagiellon	12 December 1501	19 August 1506	son of Casimir IV and Elisabeth of Austria also Grand Duke of Lithuania 1492-1506
Zygmunt I the Old (Sigismund I, Žygimantas Senasis)		Jagiellon	8 December 1506	1 April 1548	son of Casimir IV and Elisabeth of Austria also Grand Duke of Lithuania forced Prussian Homage in 1525 annexed Duchy of Masovia in 1526 entered alliance with Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Zygmunt II August I (Sigismund II August I, Žygimantas Augustas)		Jagiellon	1 April 1548	7 July 1572	son of Sigismund I and Bona Sforza also Grand Duke of Lithuania replaced the personal union of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a real union and an elective monarchy (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) in 1569

Kings of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Ruler		Dynasty	Reign Began	Reign Ended	Notes
Henryk Walezy (Henry III)		Valois	21 February 1574	12 May 1575	son of Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici abandoned the Polish-Lithuanian throne three months after his coronation in order to become King of France
Maksymilian II (Maximilian I)		Habsburg	1575	1575	King of Bohemia, Germany, Hungary and Croatia, Archduke of Austria, Holy Roman Emperor election contested after four days
Anna		Jagiellon	King 15 December 1575	12 December 1586	daughter of Sigismund I and Bona Sforza reigned together with her husband Stephen Báthory
Stefan I Batory (Stephen I Báthory)		Báthory	15 December 1575	12 December 1586	son of Stephen VIII Báthory and Catherine Telegdi Prince of Transylvania reigned together with his wife Anna regarded as one of the greatest kings of Poland
Maksymilian III (Maximilian II)		Habsburg	1587	1587	son of Maximilian II and Maria of Spain Archduke of Austria defeated by Zygmunt Vasa
Zygmunt III (Sigismund III )		Vasa	18 September 1587	19 April 1632	grandson of Sigismund I son of John III of Sweden and Catherine Jagellon also King of Sweden 1592-1599, titular King 1599-1632
Władysław IV (Ladislas IV)		Vasa	8 November 1632	20 May 1648	son of Sigismund III and Anne of Austria Titular Tsar of Russia 1610-1634, titular King of Sweden 1632-1648
Jan II Kazimierz (John II Casimir)		Vasa	20 November 1648	16 September 1668	son of Sigismund III and Constance of Austria Titular King of Sweden 1648-1660 abdicated
Michał Korybut (Michael I)		Wiśniowiecki	19 June 1669	10 November 1673	son of a successful but controversial military commander, Jeremi Wiśniowiecki, and Gryzelda Konstancja Zamoyska
Jan III (John III)		Sobieski	21 May 1674	17 June 1696	son of Jakub Sobieski and Zofia Teofillia Daniłowicz most famous for his brilliant victory over the Turks at the Battle of Vienna in 1683
Franciszek Ludwik Burbon-Conti (François Louis, Prince of Conti)		Bourbon	27 June 1697	ca. 20 July 1697 (withdrew)	son of Armand de Bourbon-Conti and Anne Marie Martinozzi elected king, obliged to return to France from Gdansk without the crown
August II Mocny (Augustus II the Strong)		Wettin	15 September 1697	16 February 1704 (deposed) 24 September 1706 (abdicates)	son of John George III and Anna Sophie of Denmark Elector of Saxony as Frederick Augustus I, 1694–1733
Stanisław I (Stanislas I)		Leszczyński	4 October 1705	8 August 1709	son of Rafał Leszczyński and Anna Jabłonowska yielded to Augustus II
August II Mocny (Augustus II the Strong)		Wettin	8 August 1709	1 February 1733	restored
Stanisław I (Stanislas I)		Leszczyński	12 September 1733	30 June 1734 (deposed) 27 January 1736 (abdicates)	restored defeated in War of the Polish Succession became Duke of Lorraine until his death
August III Sas (Augustus III)		Wettin	17 January 1734 (in opposition) 30 June 1734 (effectively)	5 October 1763	son of Augustus II and Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Stanisław II August (Stanislas II August)		Poniatowski	25 November 1764	7 January 1795	son of Stanisław Poniatowski and Konstancja Czartoryska forced to abdicate when the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (the Polish Republic since May 3, 1791) ceased to exist

Claim made by foreign states after Partitions of Poland

Tsars of the Tsardom of Poland

Ruler		Dynasty	Reign Began	Reign Ended	Notes
Alexander I		Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov	9 June 1815	1 December 1825	The Kingdom of Poland created at the Congress of Vienna and therefore dubbed "Congress Poland".
Nicholas I		Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov	1 December 1825	2 March 1855	deposed by the Polish Parliament (Sejm) on 25 January 1831 during November Uprising (1830–1831), autonomy abolished in 1832.
Alexander II		Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov	2 March 1855	13 March 1881	"Congress Poland" annexed into the Russian Empire after January Uprising (1863–1864), and the name of the kingdom was changed to Vistula Land (1867–1915)
Alexander III		Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov	13 March 1881	1 November 1894
Nicholas II		Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov	1 November 1894	15 March 1917	during World War I "Congress Poland" was looted and abandoned by the retreating Russian army in 1915; abdicated in 1917

Kings and Queens of Galicia and Lodomeria (Galicja)

Ruler	English	Dynasty	Reign Began	Reign Ended	Notes
Maria Teresa	Maria Theresa	Habsburg	22 September 1772	29 November 1780	the area annexed by the Habsburg Monarchy in the First Partition of Poland (the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth); Empress Maria Theresa of Austria (who was also Queen of Hungary, Queen of Bohemia, etc.) recalled the old Hungarian claims to the Regnum Galiciæ et Lodomeriæ, and Czech claims to the Duchies of Auschwitz and Zator
Józef II	Joseph II	Habsburg-Lorraine	29 November 1780	20 February 1790
Leopold II	Leopold II	Habsburg-Lorraine	20 February 1790	1 March 1792
Franciszek II	Francis II	Habsburg-Lorraine	1 March 1792	2 March 1835
Ferdynand I	Ferdinand I	Habsburg-Lorraine	2 March 1835	2 December 1848	after the unsuccessful Cracow Uprising of 1846, the Free City of Cracow was annexed by Austria on 16 November 1846 as the Grand Duchy of Cracow; the full official name of the province was extended to Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, and the Grand Duchy of Cracow with the Duchies of Auschwitz and Zator
Franciszek Józef I	Francis Joseph I	Habsburg-Lorraine	2 December 1848	21 November 1916	after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, and the reorganization of the Empire as the Dual Monarchy, a broad autonomy was granted to Galicia and Lodomeria within Cisleithania, the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary
Karol I	Charles I	Habsburg-Lorraine	21 November 1916	11 November 1918	renounced all participation in affairs of state but did not abdicate

Dukes of Warsaw (Warszawa)

Ruler	English	Dynasty	Reign Began	Reign Ended	Notes
Fryderyk August	Frederick August I	Wettin	9 July 1807	14 March 1813	grandson of Augustus III King of Saxony 1805–1827 Duchy of Warsaw established by Napoleon I in 1807 as a protectorate of the French Empire, dissolved at the Congress of Vienna and divided into the Kingdom of Poland, protectorate of the Russian Empire, and the Grand Duchy of Posen, protectorate of the Kingdom of Prussia

Grand Dukes of Posen (Poznań)

Ruler	English	Dynasty	Reign Began	Reign Ended	Notes
Fryderyk Wilhelm III	Frederick William III	Hohenzollern	9 June 1815	7 June 1840	The Grand Duchy of Posen created at the Congress of Vienna; represented by Duke-Governor Antoni Radziwiłł until 1831.
Fryderyk Wilhelm IV	Frederick William IV	Hohenzollern	7 June 1840	2 January 1861	autonomy abolished on June 28, 1848; the Grand Duchy was formally replaced by the Province of Posen in the Prussian constitution of 5 December 1848.
Wilhelm I	William I	Hohenzollern	2 January 1861	9 March 1888	The Province of Posen, within the Kingdom of Prussia, became a part of the German Empire (1871–1918)
Fryderyk III	Frederick III	Hohenzollern	9 March 1888	15 June 1888
Wilhelm II	William II	Hohenzollern	15 June 1888	9 November 1918	abdicated in 1918

See also

• Royal coronations in Poland
• Dukes of Greater Poland
• Dukes of Masovia
• Dukes of Pomerania
• Dukes of Sieradz-Łęczyca
• Dukes of Silesia
• List of Galician rulers
• List of Polish heads of state (1918–present) and list of Prime Ministers of Poland

External links

• Górczyk, Wojciech, "Półksiężyc, orzeł, lew i smok. Uwagi o godłach napieczętnych Piastów" Histmag.org June 14 2009