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Birth:          ABT 1043 of Krakow, Poland
Death:          4 Jun 1102 

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C5%82adys%C5%82aw_I_Herman
Wladyslaw I Herman (c. 1044[1] – 4 June 1102) was a Duke of Poland from 1079 until 
his death.

He was the second son of Casimir I the Restorer by his wife Maria Dobroniega, 
daughter of Vladimir the Great, Grand Duke of Kiev.
Biography[edit]

As the second son, Wladyslaw was not destined for the throne. However, due to the 
flight from Poland of his older brother Boleslaw II the Bold in 1079, he was elevated to 
the rank of Duke of Poland. Opinions vary on whether Wladyslaw played an active 
role in the plot to depose his brother or whether he was handed the authority simply 
because he was the most proper person, being the next in line in the absence of the 
king and his son Mieszko Boleslawowic.

In 1080, in order to improve the relations between Poland and Bohemia, Wladyslaw 
married Judith, the daughter of the Duke (and first King from 1085) Vratislaus II. After 
this, the foreign policy of the Duke gravitated strongly towards appeasement of the 
Holy Roman Empire.

He accepted overlordship of the Empire, and when in 1085 while in Mainz the Holy 
Roman Emperor Henry IV announced that his brother-in-law Vratislaus II to be King of 
Bohemia and Poland, Wladyslaw did not object. He also never pursued the Royal 
crown due to his subservient status. Soon after, he was forced by the barons of 
Poland to recall from exile in Hungary his nephew and rightful heir to the Polish 
throne, Mieszko Boleslawowic. The young prince accepted the overlordship of his 
uncle and gave up his hereditary claims in exchange for becoming first in line of 
succession. Wladyslaw was forced to accept the terms of his nephew, because his 
eldest and only son at that time, Zbigniew, was illegitimate because he had been born 
from a union not recognized by the church. Wladyslaw's relations with the Emperor 
were considerably improved after his second marriage with his sister Judith (also 
Dowager Queen of Hungary) in 1089.

Wladyslaw abandoned the alliance with Hungary favored by his deposed brother, and 
joined the anti-Papal camp. Also, he resumed paying tribute for Silesia to Bohemia. In 
addition Kraków and Cieszyn were ceded to Bohemia, Lubusz Land was lost to 
Germany while Przemysl Land in the east was lost to Halych-Ruthenia. Wladyslaw did 
make attempts to regain the control of Pomerania, and through numerous expeditions 
was temporarily (1090–1091) able to do so.

Although Wladyslaw was formally Dux and an Overlord of Poland, in reality the barons 
who banished his brother used this victory to strengthen their position. It's not 
surprising therefore, that within a short time the Duke was forced to give up the 
government to his Count Palatine, (Polish: wojewoda) a high born noble named 
Sieciech. Sieciech's administration of the realm was negatively perceived by those of 
the barons who were not the beneficiaries of the power shift.

The birth of the future Boleslaw III completely changed the political situation in 
Poland. Mieszko Boleslawowic was already seventeen at that time and was, by the 
previous agreement made after his return, the first in line to succeed. In 1089 Mieszko 
died under mysterious circumstances, probably poisoned on the orders of Sieciech and 
Duchess Judith-Sophia. Almost immediately, Zbigniew was sent to Germany and 
placed in the Quedlinburg Abbey. With the idea of forcing his first-born son to take the 
holy vows, Wladyslaw intended to deprive him of any chance of succession.

In 1090 Sieciech, with help of Polish forces under his command, managed to gain 
control of Gdansk Pomerania, albeit for a short time. Major towns were garrisoned by 
Polish troops, the rest were burned, in order to thwart any future resistance. Several 
months later, however, a rebellion of native elites led to the restoration of the region’s 
independence from Poland.

Sieciech's tyrannical rule reflected negatively on Wladyslaw, causing a massive 
political migration out of Poland. In 1093 Silesia rebelled, and the comes Magnus with 
the assistance of the Bohemian and Polish knights welcomed Zbigniew after he 
escaped from Germany; however, soon Sieciech captured the prince and imprisoned 
him. The increasing dissatisfaction in the country forced the release of Zbigniew in 
1097. Immediately after this Wladyslaw (after an unsuccessfully retaliatory expedition 
against Silesia and forced to recognize Zbigniew as the legitimate heir) appointed his 
sons as commanders of the army which was formed in order to recapture Gdansk 
Pomerania.

Simultaneously a great migration of Jews from Western Europe to Poland began circa 
1096, around the time of the First Crusade. Wladyslaw, a tolerant ruler, attracted the 
Jews into his domains, and permitted to settle throughout the entire country without 
restriction.

Soon Zbigniew and Boleslaw decided to join forces and demanded that the reigns of 
the government should be handed over to them. Wladyslaw agreed to divide the realm 
between the brothers, each to be granted his own province while he himself kept 
control of Mazovia and its capital at Plock. Wladyslaw also retained control of the 
most important cities i.e. Wroclaw, Kraków and Sandomierz. Zbigniew’s province 
encompassed Greater Poland including Gniezno, Kuyavia, Leczyca and Sieradz. 
Boleslaw’s territory included Lesser Poland, Silesia and Lubusz Land.

However, Sieciech, alarmed by the evident diminution of his power, began to intrigue 
against the brothers. Wladyslaw decided to support him against his own sons. 
Defeated, in 1101 and after the mediation of the Archbishop of Gniezno Martin, the 
Duke was forced to confiscate Sieciech's properties and exiled him.

Wladyslaw died on 4 June 1102, without resolving the issue of succession, leaving his 
sons to struggle for supremacy. His body was interned in the Plock Cathedral.[2][3][4]
[5]

Churches founded[edit]

St. Idzi Church in Kraków
Church "On the Sand" in Kraków
St. Idzi Church in Inowlodz
Wawel Cathedral with the Silver Bells Tower
Wladyslaw founded several churches in Poland. Most notably he was the founder of 
the Romanesque Wawel Cathedral of which the Silver Bells Tower still remains 
standing. He was also very fond of Saint Giles (Polish: Idzi) to whom he founded no 
less than three churches: in Kraków, Inowlodz and Giebultow. This is attributed to the 
fact that while his first wife was finally pregnant after six years of childless marriage, 
the Duke sent rich gifts to the Benedictine monastery of Saint Gilles in southern 
France, begging for a healthy child. When a boy was born, Wladyslaw began building 
churches in his honor. According to legend, he also founded a church "on the sand" 
dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which was later granted to the Carmelites.

Health issues[edit]

According to Gallus Anonymus, Wladyslaw long suffered from a debilitating ailment 
that affected his legs. There is also a legend which states that in 1086 Wladyslaw was 
affected by a terrible pox, with abscesses that affected his nose and face. According 
to the legend Holy Virgin appeared in the duke's dream and led him to find the cure in 
the sandy area outside the city. Once healed Wladyslaw founded a Church of Holiest 
Virgin Mary "on the sand" in the spot where he found the cure.

Marriages and issue[edit]

Before Wladyslaw took the title of Duke of Poland, probably during the 1070s, he had 
a relationship with a certain Przeclawa, whose exact origins are unknown, although 
some sources stated that she belonged to the Prawdzic clan.[6] Her status is also a 
matter of dispute among the historians: some believed that she only was Wladyslaw's 
mistress and others asserted that she was his wife, but this union was performed under 
pagan rituals and in consequence not recognized by the Church as a valid marriage. 
By 1080, one year after Wladyslaw ascended to the Polish throne, Przeclawa either 
died or was sent away; it's believed by some sources that after she was dismissed by 
the Duke, Przeclawa took the veil under the name of Christina (Polish: Krystyna) and 
died around 1092.[7] This union produced a son, Zbigniew (b. c. 1070/73 – d. c. 
1112/14), who was considered illegitimate.

In 1080 Wladyslaw married firstly with Judith (b. c. 1056 – d. 25 December 1086), 
daughter of Duke (and since 1085 King) Vratislaus II of Bohemia. They had one son:
1.Boleslaw III Wrymouth (b. 20 August 1086 – d. 28 October 1138).

In 1089 Wladyslaw married secondly with Judith (b. 9 April 1054 – d. 14 March c. 
1105), daughter of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor and widow of King Solomon of 
Hungary. They had four daughters:
1.Sophia (b. c. 1089 – d. bef. 12 May 1112), married bef. 1108 to Yaroslav 
Sviatopolkovich, Prince of Volhynia, son of Sviatopolk II of Kiev.
2.Agnes (b. c. 1090 – d. 29 December 1127), Abbess of Quedlinburg (1110) and 
Gandersheim (1111).
3.Adelaide (b. c. 1091 – d. 25/26 March 1127), married bef. 1118 to Dietrich III, Count 
of Vohburg and Margrave of the Northern March.[8]
4.A daughter (b. c. 1092 – d. bef. 1111), married c. 1111 with a Polish lord.

Parents
KAROL Kazimerz (Casimir) I "the Restorer" "The Great" (25 Jul 1018 - 28 Nov 1058)
VLADIMIROVNA OF KIEV Debronega Marie (Dobronegra Mariya) (ABT 1011 - 1087)

Siblings
HERMAN Wladislaw (Ladislas) I (ABT 1043 - 4 Jun 1102)

Marriage To OF BOHEMIA Judith (Judita) I (ABT 1058 - 25 Dec 1086)
    m. 1080 Plotsk

Notes

Parents
____ Wratislaw (Vratislav) II (ABT 1035 - 14 Jan 1092)
____ Adelaide (Adelaida) (ABT 1040 - 27 Jan 1062)

Children by OF BOHEMIA Judith (Judita) I ABT 1058 - 25 Dec 1086
____ Boleslaw III "Crooked Mouth" (20 Aug 1085 - 28 Oct 1138)

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