Nicholas the Small | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Ziębice | |
 Coat-of-arms of Ziębice | |
| Born | 1322/1327 |
| Died | 23 April 1358 |
| Noble family | Silesian Piasts |
| Spouse(s) | Agnes Krušina of Lichtenberg |
| Issue | Ludmila [Anna?, Elisabeth?] Bolko III of Ziębice Henry I of Ziębice Agnes Guta Katharina |
| Father | Bolko II of Ziębice |
| Mother | Bonne or Guta/Judith of Savoy |
Nicholas the Small (Mikołaj Mały) (1322/1327 – 23 April 1358) was a Duke ofZiębice from 1341 until his death.
He was the only son of DukeBolko II of Ziębice and his wife Guta. He was born between 1322 and 1327. He had a sister, Małgorzata, but he did not know whether she was older or younger.
Nicholas received a good education in theCistercian monastery of Heinrichau [pl] (Henryków). After his father's death on 11 June 1341, he took control of the government of his domains. He almost immediately went toPrague, where on 24 August he paidhomage to KingJohn of Bohemia. The huge debts left by his father forced Nicholas on 14 October 1343 to promise not to sell any of his lands without John's consent. In addition, if he did sell, the King had the first option to buy. He also agreed that, if the male line of the Dukes of Ziębice became extinct, the duchy would be annexed to the Bohemian Kingdom on condition that appropriate dowries be provided to the late Duke's daughters.
Financial problems as early as 1343 forced Nicholas to sell the district of Zobten (Sobótka) to his cousinBolko II the Small for 1,000grzywnas of silver. Three years later, and for the same amount, he sold Frankenstein (Ząbkowice) and the monastery of Kamenz (Kamieniec Ząbkowicki) to the Bohemian magnate Heinrich von Haugwitz. A combination of favorable circumstances enabled him to sell the same land in 1348, this time definitively, toEmperor Charles IV for 6,000 grzywnas. Finally, in 1350 Nicholas sold the town ofWąsów to theBishop of Breslau,Przecław of Pogorzela. As a result, of the vast domains he inherited from his father, Nicholas retained only Münsterberg, Strehlen (Strzelin), Kanth (Kąty Wrocławskie) and Patschkau (Paczków).
In 1355, Nicholas took part in the coronation of Charles IV asHoly Roman Emperor inRome. After a long stay inPrague, he returned to his duchy a year later. The Duke then went on a pilgrimage toPalestine between 1357 and 1358.
Nicholas died inHungary on 23 April 1358 during his return trip. His body was brought to the duchy and buried in the monastery in Heinrichau.[citation needed]
By 23 October 1343, Nicholas married Agnes (d. 16 July 1370), daughter of Hynek (also namedHermann orHajman) Krušina z Lichtemburka, a Bohemian magnate.[1] They had six children:
In his will, Nicholas left to his wife the regency of his lands on behalf of their infant sons and effective rule over Strehlen.
Nicholas the Small Born:c. 1327 Died: 23 April 1358 | ||
| Preceded by | Duke of Ziębice 1341–1358 | Succeeded by |