Henry I the Bearded (1165–1238)
Born 1165 CE, died 1238 CE.
Henry the Bearded (Polish: Henryk (Jędrzych) Brodaty, German: Heinrich der Bärtige; c. 1165/1170 – 19 March 1238) was a Polish duke from the Silesian branch of the Piast dynasty. He was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201, Duke of Kraków and High Duke of all Poland – internally divided – from 1232 until his death. A competent ruler, he supported the development of mining, carried out a monetary reform, granted the first town charters, and attempted to reunite an internally divided Poland. Henry succeeded his father, Bolesław I the Tall, as Duke of Silesia, and, through a combination of dynastic marriages, military campaigns, political alliances, and territorial acquisitions, he expanded the influence of the Silesian Piasts. In 1202, he became involved in the struggle for control of Kraków and the seniorate province, although his attempts to establish lasting authority over divided Polish lands there were repeatedly challenged by other Piast princes. A prominent patron of Christian institutions, Henry supported monasteries and churches and promoted the settlement of German-speaking communities in Silesia.
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