Bolesław I the Brave, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Bolesław I the Brave

King of Poland, Duke of Bohemia

Date of Birth: 01-Jan-0001

Place of Birth: Poznań, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland

Date of Death: 17-Jun-1025

Profession: politician

Nationality: Poland

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn


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About Bolesław I the Brave

  • Boleslaw I the Brave (Polish: Boleslaw I Chrobry Polish , Czech: Boleslav Chrabrý; 967 – 17 June 1025), less often known as Boleslaw I the Great (Polish: Boleslaw I Wielki), was Duke of Poland from 992 to 1025, and the first King of Poland in 1025.
  • As Boleslav IV, he was also Duke of Bohemia between 1002 and 1003.
  • He was the son of Mieszko I of Poland by his wife, Dobrawa of Bohemia.
  • According to a scholarly theory, Boleslaw ruled Lesser Poland already during the last years of his father's reign.
  • Mieszko I, who died in 992, divided Poland among his sons, but Boleslaw expelled his father's last wife, Oda of Haldensleben, and his half-brothers and reunited Poland between 992 and 995. He supported the missionary goals of Adalbert, Bishop of Prague, and Bruno of Querfurt.
  • The martyrdom of Adalbert in 997 and his imminent canonization were used to consolidate Poland's autonomy from the Holy Roman Empire.
  • This perhaps happened most clearly during the Congress of Gniezno (11 March 1000), which resulted in the establishment of a Polish church structure with a Metropolitan See at Gniezno.
  • This See was independent of the German Archbishopric of Magdeburg, which had tried to claim jurisdiction over the Polish church.
  • Following the Congress of Gniezno, bishoprics were also established in Kraków, Wroclaw, and Kolobrzeg, and Boleslaw formally repudiated paying tribute to the Holy Roman Empire.
  • Following the death of Holy Roman Emperor Otto III in 1002, Boleslaw fought a series of wars against the Holy Roman Empire and Otto's cousin and heir, Henry II, ending in the Peace of Bautzen (1018).
  • In the summer of 1018, in one of his expeditions, Boleslaw I captured Kiev, where he installed his son-in-law Sviatopolk I as ruler.
  • According to legend, Boleslaw chipped his sword when striking Kiev's Golden Gate.
  • Later, in honor of this legend, a sword called Szczerbiec ("Jagged Sword") would become the coronation sword of Poland's kings. Boleslaw I was a remarkable politician, strategist, and statesman.
  • He not only turned Poland into a country comparable to older western monarchies, but he raised it to the front rank of European states.
  • Boleslaw conducted successful military campaigns in the west, south and east.
  • He consolidated Polish lands and conquered territories outside the borders of modern-day Poland, including Slovakia, Moravia, Red Ruthenia, Meissen, Lusatia, and Bohemia.
  • He was a powerful mediator in Central European affairs.
  • Finally, as the culmination of his reign, in 1025 he had himself crowned King of Poland.
  • He was the first Polish ruler to receive the title of rex (Latin: "king"). He was an able administrator who established the "Prince's Law" and built many forts, churches, monasteries and bridges.
  • He introduced the first Polish monetary unit, the grzywna, divided into 240 denarii, and minted his own coinage.
  • Boleslaw I is widely considered one of Poland's most capable and accomplished Piast rulers.

Read more at Wikipedia

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