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- BIOGRAPHY
Henryk, known as 'the White', was born between 1227 and 1230, the third son of Henryk II 'the Pious', Herzog von Schlesien-Krakau und Grosspolen, and Anna of Bohemia. He was duke of Wroclaw (Breslau) from 1248 until his death.
After the heroic death of his father at the Battle of Legnica (Liegnitz) on 9 April 1241, Henryk was still a minor and was under the care of his mother together with his youngest brothers Konrad and Wladislaw. In 1242 the unexpected death of his brother Mieszko placed him second after his oldest brother Boleslaw II 'the Bald'.
The first appearance of Henryk as an adult was recorded in 1247. Boleslaw had not intended to share power with him, but he had no option after the revolt of his brothers, who even captured him. Henryk was made the co-ruler with his older brother. The cooperation between the brothers was not strong, and a year later, under the pressure from Henryk, they decided to make a division of the districts Legnica-Glogów-Lubusz and Wroclaw. Boleslaw, as the older brother, had the opportunity to choose his district; he decided on Legnica because gold had been discovered in the Kaczawa and Wierzbiak rivers.
Boleslaw may have hoped that Henryk would encounter serious difficulties with Wroclaw, so that in the end the duchy would come back to him. These expectations, however, were never realised. Henryk was a strong ruler, and almost immediately he was able to impose his will on the powerful nobility. An additional point of the agreement was the obligation to offer hospitality to the younger brothers Konrad and Wladislaw, who were intended for Church careers. Henryk's success in arranging for Wladislaw to enter the Church contrasted with the relations between Boleslaw and Konrad. There were several disputes between them, particularly after Konrad claimed his own district and refused to become a priest. Open war between Henryk, who supported Konrad, and Boleslaw was only a matter of time.
Boleslaw, without funds, began to fear the prospect of an armed conflict with his brothers. In order to obtain the necessary resources to conduct the war, he decided to sell half of Lubusz to the archbishop of Magdeburg. Unfortunately for him, Henryk III also began to seek an ally in the rulers of Meissen. Defeated, Boleslaw was forced to give the district of Glogów to Konrad. Henryk now sought to avoid open conflicts in his relations with his brothers. Only in 1253, when the authority of Boleslaw collapsed completely, did Henryk help him to return to his duchy of Legnica.
Before 4 February in 1252, Henryk married Judyta of Masovia, widow of Mieszko II, duke of Oppeln, and daughter of Konrad I, Herzog von Masovia, Kujawien, Sierads, Leczyca und Krakau, and Agafia Svjatoslava of Nowgorod. They had two children, Henryk IV 'Probus' who would succeed his father, and Hedwig who would have progeny with her second husband Otto I, Fürst von Anhalt zu Aschersleben.
Between the 1250s and 1260s Henryk became the most powerful Piast duke of Lower Silesia, and he was active in international politics. Henryk made alliances with his relatives, the dukes of Opole and Glogów, and with the kings of Bohemia, Wenceslas I and Przemysl Ottokar II; in 1251, 1252, 1259 and 1261 Henryk attended the royal court in Prague. The cooperation with the Premyslids, however, did not have the expected results. After Bohemia decided to interfere in the Babenberg succession of Austria with the support of the English, Henryk decided to reaffirm his alliance with them and he repudiated his treaty with the rulers of Greater Poland, Przemyslaw I and Boleslaw 'the Pious', and with the Arpád dynasty of Hungary. They decided to punish Henryk, and during 1253-54 the duchy of Wroclaw was besieged and plundered.
A manifestation of Henryk's rule was the intensive German colonisation of Lower Silesia, which significantly contributed to the growth and prosperity of his duchy. Many cities were founded during this time and in Ostrów Tumski in Wroclaw a large castle was built. Henryk also generously supported artists in his court. While German did not dominate at Henryk's court, he himself used it extensively.
In internal politics Henryk defended the prerogatives of the Piast dynasty, and the Church actively supported him as Henryk had supported Bishop Thomas of Wroclaw against Boleslaw II in their disputes. This policy did not please the Wroclaw nobility; by 1266 several riots erupted among the nobles and knights. The 1266 rebellion attempted to force a division of the duchy of Wroclaw between Henryk and his brother Archbishop Wladislaw of Salzburg. Wladislaw was not the head of the revolt, which came as a complete surprise to him. The revolt failed and the duchy was not divided. However only a few months later Henryk suddenly died, aged only thirty-nine, on 3 December 1266. As is common in such situations, rumours soon began about poisoning. The unnatural circumstances of his death suggest that some of the Silesian dukes may have conspired against him. In the last months of Henryk's life he had spent all his time fighting against the internal opposition to his rule.
Henryk was buried in the Clare Church in Wroclaw, which was still under construction. His mysterious death was even recorded on his tombstone: _Anno domini Millesimo, Nonas Decembris obiit eneno inclitus dux Wratislaviensis Henricus tertius, secundus filius Henrici, a Thartaris._
Shortly before his death, Henryk had married Helene von Sachsen, daughter of Albrecht I, Herzog von Sachsen, and Helene von Braunschweig-Lüneburg. They had no children. In 1275 she married Friedrich I-III, Burggraf von Nürnberg, with whom she had progeny.
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