* April 3 – Bolesław IV the Curly, High-Duke of Poland ( b. 1120 )

When Eckard was assassinated in April, Bolesław I lent his support to Henry IV, Duke of Bavaria, and helped him ascend to the German throne as Henry II.

Bolesław I, claiming the Ducal throne for himself, invaded Bohemia in 1003 and took Prague without any serious opposition, ruling as Boleslav IV for a little over a year.

Henry IV was forced to give Bolesław II one third of his duchy including the towns of Środa Śląska and Strzegom and forced to pledge Krosno Odrzańskie, which he had obtained from the Dukes of Głogów in 1273 – 1274, in order to obtain the money for his ransom.

# Bolesław IV the Curly ( b. ca.

Polish prince Bolesław IV the Curly () built a palace there in the 12th century.

His younger half-brothers Bolesław IV the Curly and Mieszko III received the eastern Duchy of Masovia ( composed of Masovia with eastern Kuyavia ) and the western Duchy of Greater Poland ( the remaining parts of Greater Poland with Lubusz Land ) respectively, each as hereditary fiefs.

At the time of the death of his father, Władysław was already an adult, with many years of marriage and at least one surviving son, Bolesław I the Tall, born in 1127 ( the date of birth of the second son, Mieszko IV Tanglefoot, is still debatable and varies between 1130 and 1146 ).

Without waiting the arrival of food he sent his troops against the forces of Bolesław IV the Curly and Mieszko III ; unexpectedly, Władysław suffered a defeat.

Initially, it seemed that victory of the High Duke was only a matter of time, since he managed to take Masovia without obstacles and forced Duke Bolesław IV the Curly to withdraw to the defense of his brother Mieszko III at Poznań in Greater Poland.

The campaign was a success, but unexpectedly Frederick Barbarossa did not restore Władysław to the Polish throne, after Bolesław IV apprehended at Krzyszkowo had to declare himself a vassal to the Emperor and was compelled to pay tribute to him.

In compensation, the Emperor forced Bolesław IV to promise the restitution of Silesia to Władysław's sons Bolesław the Tall and Mieszko IV Tanglefoot.

It was not until 1163 that Bolesław IV finally granted the Silesian province to Władysław's sons.

: Bolesław ( Boleslaus ) IV of Poland redirects here.

For a 15th century prince of Masovia, see Bolesław IV Warszawski.

Bolesław IV the Curly () ( ca.

An additional humiliation for Bolesław IV and his brothers was that they were sent by the High Duke on an expedition to the Kievan Rus ' as ambassadors during 1142 – 1143.

At first the combined forces of Bolesław IV and his brothers prevented the disaster and demanded a hasty reorganization of the forces of Władysław at the Battle on the Pilicą River.

In subsequent years, Bolesław IV along with his younger brothers bellows sought to maintain good relations with the royal House of Hohenstaufen, Władysław's allies.

Things worsened for Bolesław in 1157, when King Conrad's nephew Frederick Barbarossa, crowned Emperor by Pope Adrian IV in 1155, decided to made a new expedition to Poland, thanks to the ongoing pressures by his aunt Agnes, Władysław's wife.

This time the campaign was well organized, and the Emperor was well determined to force Bolesław IV to accept his own conditions.

Not before 1163 the sons of the late Władysław, Bolesław I the Tall and Mieszko IV Tanglefoot, backed by the Emperor insisting on the agreement made with Bolesław IV, were restored in their Silesia heritage ; but this return didn't affect the power of Bolesław as a High Duke and overlord of Poland.

The future marriage of Bolesław I's son Mieszko to Richeza (), niece of Otto III, was also probably agreed upon at this point.

Some time between 11th and 13th century, the town was annexed by the Ruthenians, and Polish princes of the Piast dynasty confirmed it in 1264, when in Tarnów, there was a meeting of Prince Bolesław V the Chaste, and Prince Daniel of Galicia, during which both sides agreed that the border would go between Rzeszów and Czudec ( Rzeszów belonged to Red Ruthenia, while Czudec and Strzyżów to Lesser Poland ).

Unable to faced the powerful pressure, Bolesław agreed to this and given his nephew the district of Poznań.

Given the difficult situation, Bolesław was forced to accept the humiliating negotiations and in a shameful ceremony on 30 August 1157, was declared a vassal of the Empire at his camp in Krzyszkowo.

Conrad campaigned unsuccessfully against Poland in 1028 – 1030, but in 1031 in a combined action with the Kievan Rus ' forced King Mieszko II, son and heir of Bolesław I, to make peace and return the land that Bolesław had conquered from the Empire during Henry II's reign.

Gallus was a foreign monk who accompanied King Bolesław III Wrymouth in his return from Hungary to Poland.

With the help of Sieciech, Judith convinced her husband to postpone the return of Władysław I's first-born son Zbigniew, who seems to be a strong candidate to the succession despite his illegitimacy ; also, they wanted an eventual alliance with the only legitimate son of Władysław I, Bolesław, born from his first marriage with the Bohemian princess.

Therefore in order to put pressure on Bolesław, Zbigniew allied himself with Borivoj II of Bohemia, to whom he promised to pay tribute in return for his help.

Another reason for the expedition was the fact that Svatopluk, who owed Bolesław III his throne, did not honor his accord in which he promised to return Silesian cities seized from Poland ( Raciborz, Kamieniec, Kozle among others ) by his predecessors.

Following his return to Poland, Bolesław III traveled to Gniezno to pay further penance at the tomb of Saint Adalbert.

Bolesław was in his knees and beg for forgiveness to the Emperor, in return for which he kindly received from Barbarossa the further control over the Polish lands ; also, he had to pay an enormous tribute to Emperor.

After Ziemomysł was expelled by Bolesław the Pious due to his alliance with the Pomerelian duke Sambor II, Leszek also became Duke of Kuyavia in 1273, but allowed his brother to return five years later.

For Bolesław, this alliance cost him a complete devastation of Greater Poland during the winter of 1267-1268 by troops of King Ottokar II of Bohemia during his return from an expedition against the Prussians.

Both Konrad II and his younger brother Bolesław II are minors at that time ; for this reason, Bolesław became in regent of their domains ( Duchies of Masovia, Płock and Czersk ) for the next two years, until 1264, when Konrad II obtain his freedom and return to Masovia.

Upon his return to Poland in 1944 – together with hardliner Bolesław Bierut and the Jewish economist Hilary Minc – Berman formed a triumvirate of Stalinist leaders in postwar Poland.

Before World War II, French historian Pierre David advanced a theory that Gallus might have been a Hungarian monk from Saint Giles ' Monastery in Somogyvár who accompanied King Bolesław III in his return from Hungary to Poland.

With one of the first organized expeditions to Pomerania by Bolesław III he managed to convinced the knights to turn back and return home, which caused the fury of the Junior Duke.

However, the intervention of the Emperor favored the return of Bolesław soon afterwards, but he was forced to give his own separated lands to both Mieszko ( who received the towns of Racibórz and Cieszyn ) and Jarosław ( who received Opole ).

Only in 1253, when the authority of Bolesław II collapsed completely, Henry III helped him to return to his Duchy.