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- BIOGRAPHY
Przemko was born about 1365, the son of Mikulas II, duke of Troppau and Ratibor, and his third wife Jutta von Schlesien-Falkenberg. After the death of his father shortly after his birth, Przemko and his elder brother Wenzel were placed under the guardianship of their eldest half-brother Jan I, who was his father's sole heir to the duchy of Ratibor.
After inheritance disputes, in 1367 the duchy of Troppau was divided among the four brothers. In 1377 a further division occurred in which Jan I retained the duchy of Ratibor and gained the territories of Jägerndorf and Freudenthal from the duchy of Troppau. The duchy of Leobschütz was carved out for Mikulas III, leaving the reduced duchy of Troppau for the brothers Wenzel and Przemko. After the death of Wenzel in 1381, Przemko inherited his share. After the death of Mikulas III, who had pledged Leobschütz, Zuckmantel, Hultschin and Kranstädt to Öls, Przemko was able to redeem Leobschütz.
Due to financial difficulties, Przemko had to pledge the neighbouring lordship of Gratz to Wok Lacek of Kravar, but he redeemed it in 1394. In the same year he founded the Holy Cross Chapel in Katharein (Katerinky).
About 1395 Przemko married Anna von der Luczka, with whom he had three children of whom Wenzel II would have progeny. Anna died in 1404, and about 1405 Przemko married Katharina von Münsterberg, daughter of Bolko III, duke of Münsterberg, and Euphemia of Bytom and Kozielsk. Of their three children, Wilhelm would have progeny.
During the period of turmoil in Moravia, Przemko maintained close relations with Jobst, margrave of Moravia, whose mother Margarethe came from the ducal family of Troppau. Since Przemko sided politically with Wenceslas IV, king of Bohemia, the emperor-elect, in 1402 he joined the Silesian Confederation. After Wenceslas' death, Przemko was a supporter of his half-brother Emperor Sigismund, and supported him militarily in the Hussite wars. Probably for this reason a Hussite army devastated the duchy of Troppau in February 1428. Through an agreement with the Hussites Przemko was able to save the land of Leobschütz from complete destruction for his eldest son Wenzel II. In March 1428 Przemko assembled an army at Neisse with Ruprecht II, duke of Liegnitz, and the bishop of Breslau, but their army was overrun by the Hussites, though they were prevented from capturing Neisse by Puta II von Czastalowitz, Premko's future son-in-law. In December 1428 Przemko and his son Wenzel II fought in the Battle of Altwilmsdorf, in which the Hussites were again victorious. In March 1430 Przemko was able to save the land of Troppau from further destruction by the Hussites through a treaty with them, but they devastated Ratibor and Cosel. In 1431 a fire destroyed most of the city of Troppau.
Przemko's second wife Katharina died in 1422. About 1425 he married Helene of Bosnia, daughter of Stjepan Tvrtko I Kotromanic, king of Bosnia. They had three children who did not have progeny.
Shortly before his death on 28 September 1433, Przemko wrote a will in which he determined that his youngest three sons from his second and third marriages were to come under the guardianship of his eldest son Wenzel II. He also stipulated that the duchy should no longer be divided, but this was not respected by his descendants.
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