Władysław I Łokietek
Władysław I Łokietek, in English known as the "Elbow-high" or Ladislaus the Short (c. 1260/1 – 2 March 1333), was King of Poland from 1320 to 1333, and duke of several of the provinces and principalities in the preceding years. He was a member of the royal Piast dynasty, the son of Duke Casimir I of Kuyavia, and great-grandson of High-Duke Casimir II the Just.
Władysław I Łokietek
Ladislaus the Short
Władysław I inherited a small portion of his father's domain, but his dominion grew as some of his brothers died young. He unsuccessfully tried to incorporate the Duchy of Kraków (the Seniorate Province) in 1289, following the death of his half-brother Leszek II the Black and the withdrawal from contention of his ally Bolesław II of Masovia. After a period in exile during the rule of Wenceslaus II, Władysław regained several duchies and then Kraków in 1306 when Wenceslaus III was murdered. He temporarily took control of part of Greater Poland after the death of his ally Przemysł II, lost it, and then regained it.
Władysław was a skilled military leader, but also an administrator; he conquered Gdańsk Pomerania, and left it to familial governors. For the defense of this territory, he turned to the Teutonic Knights, who then demanded an exorbitant sum, or the land itself as an alternative. This led to an extended conflict with the Knights.
Perhaps his greatest achievement was gaining papal permission to be crowned king of Poland in 1320, which occurred for the first time at Wawel Cathedral in Kraków. Władysław died in 1333 and was succeeded by his son, Casimir III the Great.
Legacy and assessment of the ruler[edit]
Władysław the Short persistently pursued the goal of his life, to unite Poland. He was not, however, entirely successful, and his achievements did not come easily. Furthermore, if not for the unexpected deaths of his many stronger opponents: Leszek the Black, Henry IV Probus, Casimir II of Łęczycka, Przemysl II of Greater Poland, Wenceslaus II, Wenceslaus III, and Henry III of Głogow, Władysław might have forever remained the prince of tiny Brześć-Kuyavia. But if not for the persistent and consistent actions of Władysław the Short, Poland could have become part of the Luxembourg monarchy or could have been permanently divided. It was during his reign that Poland seriously clashed for the first time with the Teutonic Order and established a surprising alliance with Lithuania that would ultimately last for centuries. With the coronation at Wawel, the King established a precedent and solidified the position of the Polish kingdom. Władysław also endeavored to establish a uniform legal code throughout the land. In this code he assured the safety and freedom of Jews and placed them on an equal footing with Christians. Finally, as he initiated the unification of the country he also began to organize a nationwide administration structure and treasury. This action was successfully continued by his son and successor, Casimir III the Great.
If not for the merits of his father, Casimir III would not have been able to have the threshold rule to pay the king of Bohemia and titular Polish king John of Bohemia the gigantic sum of 1.2 million Prague groschen to cede his rights to the Polish crown, or to speak with the biggest European rulers as equals, or develop an economically unified state. As in the case of Mieszko I and Boleslaw the Brave, the father lies in the shadow of his son and successor.
Later histories refer to him also as Władysław IV or Władysław I. There are no records to show that he actually used any regnal number. Both numerals are retrospective assignments by later historians. "IV" comes from him being the fourth of that name to rule as overlord of the Polish, since Władysław I Herman. "I" comes from him having restored the monarchy after a fragmented era of a century or more, and also backwards-counting from Władysław of Varna who officially used the numeral III and Władysław Vasa who used the numeral IV.
Władysław married Jadwiga of Kalisz,[32] the daughter of Bolesław the Pious, Duke of Greater Poland, and Jolenta of Hungary. They had six known children.[d]
In popular culture[edit]
He is played by Wiesław Wójcik in the Polish historical drama TV series Korona królów (The Crown of the Kings). He is a recurring character in the first season.
![The so-called Crown of Bolesław the Brave was made for Władysław I.[38]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Korona_Boleslawa_Chrobrego.jpg/113px-Korona_Boleslawa_Chrobrego.jpg)
![In 1320 the King began the building of a new Wawel Cathedral.[39]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/01146Krak%C3%B3w.JPG/90px-01146Krak%C3%B3w.JPG)
Poland between 1275 and 1300.
Władysław I on White Horse by M. Barwicki.
