Przemyslaus I Noszak, Duke of Cieszyn

Przemysław I Noszak ( _cs. Přemyslav I. Nošák, _de. Przemislaus I.) (1332/1336 – 1410) was the third Duke of Cieszyn. He was the son of Kazimierz I, second Duke of Cieszyn and Eufemia. He is regarded as one of the most skilled Piast Dukes of Cieszyn. [Biermann 1894, 64.] [Panic 2002, 9.] He was a skilled diplomat and negotiator, experienced in many diplomatic efforts in several European countries. His internal politics in the Duchy thus remains little known.

Przemysław married Elżbieta, daughter of Bolesław, Duke of Bytom. They had three children, two sons and a daughter.

Beginning in 1355, he took an active part in political life and eventually became one of the most important people in the Bohemian court of Karel IV and Václav IV. He was often assigned to diplomatic missions. In 1380 he was sent to Paris where he was supposed to help maintain the alliance between Bohemia and France. This mission was however unsuccessful. He also tried to negotiate peace between England and France, who were engaged in the Hundred Years' War. [Panic 2002, 10.] Przemysław I Noszak also negotiated the marriage of the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, Karel IV, Anna with Richard II, King of England. [Biermann 1894, 70.] His diplomatic skills were also used in several disputes between various German nobility.

In the second half of the 1380s, Przemysław became active in the internal politics of Bohemia. In 1386 he acted as the governor of Bohemia when the king, Václav IV, was abroad. Tensions between Bohemian nobility and nobility from other nations escalated and he was eventually removed from his positions by the Bohemian nobility. His position was filled by the Duke of Opava-Racibórz. This resulted in hostility between the two dukes and the culmination point of this hostility was the murder of duke's son Przemysław in 1406. The conflict was finally ended by a peace treaty signed on 7 November 1407 in Żory.

As a result of unstable situation in Bohemia banditry increased. Przemysław's diplomatic efforts resulted in a treaty with Władysław Jagiełło, signed on 12 June 1397, where both sides pledged to fight banditry in the borderlands.

Przemysław I Noszak also extended his possessions and gained lands surrounding Toszek and Pyskowice and half of the Bytom and Gliwice lands. In 1405 he took over the Duchy of Oświęcim and Siewierz land. In 1384, he gained a part of the Duchy of Głogów and in the next year bought Strzelin.

At the dusk of his life, Przemysław I Noszak divided his possessions. Bolesław, his remaining son, received the Duchy of Cieszyn, part of the Duchy of Bytom, Góra and Siewierz.

Footnotes

References

*cite book
last = Biermann
first = Gottlieb
authorlink=
coauthors =
title = Geschichte des Herzogthums Teschen
publisher = Verlag und Hofbuchhandlung Karl Prochaska
date = 1894
location = Teschen
pages =
url = http://www.kc-cieszyn.pl/biblioteka/strony/ramka.php?autor=biermann&licz=1
doi =
id =

*cite book
last = Panic
first = Idzi
authorlink=Idzi Panic
coauthors =
title = Poczet Piastów i Piastówien cieszyńskich
publisher = Urząd Miejski
date = 2002
location = Cieszyn
pages =
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 83-917095-4-X

s-ttl|title=Duke of Cieszyn
years=1358–1410