View source for Henry II the Pious

{{Short description|High Duke of Poland from 1238 to 1241}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox royalty
| title          = [[Servant of God]]
| succession     = [[High Duke of Poland]]
| predecessor    = [[Henry the Bearded]]
| successor      = [[Bolesław II the Horned]]
| image          = Henryk II Pobożny (Hedwig Codex).jpg
| image_size     = 220px
| caption        = Henry II (center) holding a shield with the arms of [[Silesia]], [[Hedwig Codex]], {{circa}}. 1353
| reign          = 1238 – 1241
| coronation     = 
| succession1    = [[Duke of Silesia]]
| predecessor1   = [[Henry the Bearded]]
| successor1     = [[Bolesław II the Horned]]
| reign1         = 1238–1241
| spouse         = [[Anne of Bohemia (1204–1265)|Anne of Bohemia]]
| issue          = [[Constance of Wrocław]]<br>[[Bolesław II the Horned]]<ref name="Rosenwein2013">{{Cite book |author=Barbara H. Rosenwein |title=Reading the Middle Ages, Volume II: Sources from Europe, Byzantium, and the Islamic World, c. 900 to c. 1500, Second Edition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F80tBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT1103 |date=18 November 2013 |publisher=[[University of Toronto Press]] |isbn=978-1-4426-0610-4 |page=1103}}</ref><br>[[Mieszko, Duke of Lubusz|Mieszko of Lubusz]]<br>[[Henry III the White]]<br>[[Konrad I, Duke of Silesia-Glogau|Konrad I of Głogów]]<br>[[Elisabeth of Wrocław]]<br>[[Ladislaus of Salzburg]]
| house          = [[Silesian Piasts]]
| father         = [[Henry the Bearded]]
| mother         = [[Hedwig of Silesia]]<ref name="JacksonJackson-Laufer1999">{{Cite book |author1=Guida M. Jackson |author2=Guida Myrl Jackson-Laufer |author3=Lecturer in English Foundations Department Guida M Jackson |title=Women Rulers Throughout the Ages: An Illustrated Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x3BzmTdQLioC&pg=PA164 |year=1999 |publisher=[[ABC-Clio]] |isbn=978-1-57607-091-8 |page=164}}</ref>
| birth_date     = c. 1196
| birth_place    = 
| death_date     = 9 April 1241 (aged 44-45)
| death_place    = [[Legnickie Pole]]
| burial_place   = [[St. Vincent and St. James Cathedral, Wrocław|St. Vincent and St. James Cathedral]], [[Wrocław]]
}}

'''Henry II the Pious''' ({{langx|pl|Henryk II Pobożny}}; 1196 – 9 April 1241) was [[Duke of Silesia]] and [[High Duke of Poland]] as well as [[Duchy of Greater Poland|Duke of South-Greater Poland]] from 1238 until his death. Between 1238 and 1239 he also served as [[regent]] of [[Sandomierz]] and [[Opole]]–[[Racibórz]]. He was the son of [[Henry the Bearded]] and a member of the [[Silesian Piasts|Silesian Piast dynasty]]. In October 2015, the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Legnica]] opened up his cause for beatification, obtaining him the title of [[Servant of God]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://dlp90.pl/|title=Duszpasterstwo Ludzi Pracy '90 w Legnicy - Aktualności |website=dlp90.pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://newsaints.faithweb.com/year/13th_century.htm#Henry |title=Thirteenth Century |website=newsaints.faithweb.com}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Henry the Pious was the second son of High Duke [[Henry the Bearded]] of Poland and [[Hedwig of Silesia]].{{sfn|Halecki|2000|p=98}} His elder brother, Bolesław, died in 1206.<ref name="JacksonJackson-Laufer1999"/> In 1213, his younger brother [[Konrad the Curly]] died during a hunt, leaving the young Henry as the sole heir of [[Lower Silesia]]. Around 1218, his father arranged his marriage to [[Anne of Bohemia (1204–1265)|Anne]], daughter of King [[Ottokar I of Bohemia]].{{sfn|Klaniczay|2000|p=204}} This union with the royal [[Přemyslid dynasty]] allowed Henry the Pious to participate actively in international politics.

Henry the Bearded quickly designated his sole surviving son as his sole heir, and from 1222, the young prince countersigned documents with his father. By 1224, he had his own seal and notary. In 1227, during a meeting of Piast dukes in [[Gąsawa]], Henry the Bearded and High Duke [[Leszek I the White]] were ambushed. Leszek was killed and Henry was seriously wounded. Henry the Pious acted as interim duke. In 1229, Henry the Bearded was captured by Duke [[Konrad I of Masovia]], and again, young Henry the Pious acted as interim duke. During 1229–1230, he led a military expedition to recover and secure the possession of [[Lubusz Land]], and in 1233–1234, he actively supported his father's affairs in [[Prussia (region)|Prussia]] and Greater Poland. In 1234, Henry the Bearded named his son co-ruler. Later, Henry the Bearded took the duchies of Kraków and Silesia, and Henry the Pious was given the duchies of Silesia and Greater Poland. When Henry the Bearded died on 19 March 1238, Henry the Pious became duke of Silesia, Kraków and Greater Poland.

== Sole reign ==
[[File:Mon Henrykow Slaskich (1201-1241).JPG|thumb|left|Henry II's reach of power at its greatest extent, 1239]]
[[File:Henryk Pobozny.jpg|thumb|19th century portrait by [[Jan Matejko]]]]

Henry the Pious inherited [[Lower Silesia]] from his father. Southern Greater Poland and Kraków were ruled by the Piast princes, although the late duke of Greater Poland and Kraków, [[Władysław III Spindleshanks|Władysław III]], had left all his lands to Henry the Bearded. The will was ignored by Duke Konrad of Masovia and Władysław's III nephew [[Władysław Odonic]].

Henry II could retain his authority as a regent over the [[Upper Silesia]]n [[Duchy of Opole and Racibórz]] and the [[Duchy of Sandomierz]] during the minority of their rulers [[Mieszko II the Fat]] and [[Bolesław V the Chaste]]. Nevertheless, in 1239, Henry was compelled to resign the regency, although he remained on good terms with the Dukes of Opole and Sandomierz, and managed to retain Greater Polish [[Kalisz]] and [[Wieluń]].<ref name="wis">{{Cite web |url=https://repozytorium.uni.wroc.pl/Content/53358/07_Przemyslaw_Wiszewski.pdf |title=The multi-ethnic character of medieval Silesian society and its influence on theregion's cohesion (12th–15th centuries) |publisher=[[University of Wrocław]] |author=Przemysław Wiszewski |access-date=19 October 2020}}</ref>

The situation in the northwest was more complicated: Margrave [[Otto III, Margrave of Brandenburg|Otto III]] of [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]] took the important Greater Polish fortress at [[Santok]] and besieged [[Lebus|Lubusz]]. Henry II also inherited the disputes with Konrad of Masovia, Władysław Odonic, and with the Church, led by [[Pełka (archbishop of Gniezno)|Pełka]], [[list of archbishops of Gniezno and primates of Poland|Archbishop of Gniezno]]. The situation changed unexpectedly after the death of Władysław Odonic on 5 June 1239, who left two minor sons, [[Przemysł I of Greater Poland|Przemysł I]] and [[Bolesław the Pious]]. Henry II took the majority of Odonic's possessions (including [[Gniezno]]), leaving [[Nakło nad Notecią]] and [[Ujście]] to Odonic's sons.

Henry then abandoned the traditional alliance of his family with the Imperial [[House of Hohenstaufen]] and supported [[Pope Gregory IX]], immediately resolving his dispute with the Church.<ref name="PWN">Encyklopedia Powszechna PWN Warsaw 1975 vol. III p. 505</ref> He then put an end to his conflicts with Konrad of Masovia by arranging the marriages of two of his daughters to two of Konrad's sons: Gertrude to [[Bolesław I of Masovia|Bolesław]], and [[Constance of Wrocław|Constance]], to [[Casimir I of Kuyavia]]. In 1239, Henry II reclaimed the Santok fortress from Margrave [[Otto III, Margrave of Brandenburg|Otto III]] after Henry's victory in the Battle of Lubusz.<ref name="wis"/>

== Mongol invasion ==
[[File:Lehnice (cropped).jpg|thumb|250px|The Mongols carrying the head of Henry II before [[Legnica]], [[Hedwig Codex]], {{circa}} 1353]]
[[File:Henryk II Pobożny.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Original tomb effigy of Henry treading on a Mongol, drawing from 1733]]

In the East, a new dangerous opponent appeared: the [[Mongols]], under the leadership of [[Batu Khan]], who, after the [[Mongol invasion of Rus'|invasion of Rus']] chose the [[Kingdom of Hungary]] as his next target. Batu Khan realised that he had to take control of Poland before he could take Hungary. In January 1241, Batu sent reconnaissance troops to [[Lublin]] and [[Zawichost]]. The invasion was launched a month later, by an [[tumen (unit)|army of 10,000 men]] under the leadership of [[Orda Khan|Orda]]. In [[Lesser Poland]] the Mongols met weaker resistance, defeating and killing almost all the Kraków and Sandomierz nobility in the [[Battle of Tursko]] (13 February), and the Battles of Tarczek and Chmielnik (18 March), including the [[voivode]] of Kraków, [[Włodzimierz of Cracow|Włodzimierz]] and the [[castellan]] [[Klement of Brzeźnica]]. All of Lesser Poland, including Kraków and Sandomierz, fell into the hands of the Mongols.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/the-invasion-of-the-christian-west-by-the-tatars-mongols-a-clash-of-civilizations-between-frederick-ii-gregory-ix-and-the-tatars |title=The invasion of the Christian West by the Tatars (Mongols). A clash of civilizations between Frederick II, Gregory IX and the Tatars |publisher=[[CyberLeninka]] |author=Kurstjens Huub |access-date=19 October 2020}}</ref>

Henry did not wait for the promised aid from Western rulers and began to concentrate the surviving troops of Lesser Poland and his own Silesian and Greater Poland forces in [[Legnica]]. Europe's rulers were more focused on the struggle between the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and [[Papacy]], and they ignored Henry's requests for help. The only foreign troops who joined him were those of King [[Wenceslaus I of Bohemia]] and the combined forces of some [[Knights Templar]]. Some sources report that European forces halted their troops near Legnica, probably fearing that the Christian Army would become an easy prey to the Mongols. The [[battle of Legnica]] took place on 9 April 1241. Henry was defeated and [[killed in action]].{{sfn|Halecki|2000|p=87}}

The defeat was widely blamed on the European monarchs, especially [[Emperor Frederick II]] and King [[Béla IV of Hungary]], who had refused to help, and the unexpected retreat from the battle by Henry's Upper Silesian cousin [[Mieszko II the Fat]], through a trick of the Mongols.{{sfn|Cheshire|1926|pp=89–105}} There are two descriptions of Henry's death, one submitted by [[Jan Długosz]] (today considered dubious), and the second by C. de Brigia in his ''[[Historii Tartatorum]]'' (based on reports of direct witnesses, now considered more reliable). However, the Mongols did not intend to occupy the country, and shortly afterward they went through [[Moravia]] to Hungary, wanting to connect with the main army of [[Batu Khan]]. Henry's naked and decapitated body could only be identified by his wife because of his [[polydactyly]]. He had six toes on his left foot,<ref>{{Cite book |publisher=Państwowe Zakłady Wydawn. Szkolnych |last=Historyczne |first=Polskie Towarzystwo |title=Mowia, wieki: magazyn historyczny |language=pl |page=52 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mYYSAAAAIAAJ&q=Henryk+II+Pobo%C5%BCny+sze%C5%9B%C4%87+palc%C3%B3w |year=1961}}</ref> which was confirmed when his tomb was opened in 1832. Henry was buried in the crypt of the Franciscan Church of Sts. Vincent and Jacob in [[Wrocław]] (Breslau).

Despite ruling for only three years, Henry remained in the memories of Silesia, Greater Poland and Kraków as the perfect Christian knight, lord and martyr, whose brilliant career was abruptly ended by his early death. Upon his death, the line of the Silesian Piasts fragmented into numerous [[dukes of Silesia]], who (except for Henry's grandson [[Henry IV Probus]]) were no longer able to prevail as Polish High Dukes and subsequently came under the influence of the neighbouring [[Kingdom of Bohemia]].

In 1944, Henry II the Pious' body went missing after being taken from its tomb by German scientists for laboratory tests; they had hoped to prove that the prince was [[Aryan race|Aryan]].{{citation needed|date=May 2026}}

== Marriage and children ==
Between 1214 and 1218, Henry married [[Anne of Bohemia (1204–1265)|Anna]] (ca. 1201 –  23 June 1265), daughter of King [[Ottokar I of Bohemia]].{{sfn|Klaniczay|2000|p=204}} They had:
# Gertrude (1218/20 – 23/30 April 1244/1247), married in 1232 to [[Bolesław I of Masovia]];
# [[Constance of Wrocław|Constance]] (1221/1227 – 1253/3 May 1257), married in 1239 to [[Casimir I of Kuyavia]];
# [[Bolesław II the Horned]] (1220/1225 – 26/31 December 1278);{{sfn|Davies|1982|p=64}}
# [[Mieszko, Duke of Lubusz|Mieszko]] (1223/1227 – 1241/1242);
# [[Henry III the White]] (1222/1230 – 3 December 1266);{{sfn|Davies|1982|p=64}}
# [[Elisabeth of Wrocław|Elizabeth]] (1224/1232 – 16 January 1265), married in 1244 to [[Przemysł I of Greater Poland]];
# [[Konrad I, Duke of Silesia-Glogau|Konrad]] (1228/1231 – 6 August 1273/1274);{{sfn|Davies|1982|p=64}}
# [[Władysław of Salzburg|Władysław]] (1237 – 27 April 1270, buried Salzburg Cathedral), Chancellor of Bohemia (1256), Bishop of [[Passau]] (1265) and Archbishop of [[Salzburg]] (1265–1270);{{sfn|Davies|1982|p=64}}
# Agnes (1236 – 14 May after 1277), Abbess of St. Clara in Trebnitz;
# Hedwig (1238/1241 – 3 April 1318), Abbess of St. Clara in [[Wrocław]].

== See also ==
* [[History of Poland (966–1385)]]
* [[Piast dynasty]]
* [[Dukes of Silesia]]
* [[History of Silesia]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Sources ==
* {{Cite journal |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4202032 |title=The Great Tartar Invasion of Europe |first=Harold T. |last=Cheshire |publisher=[[Modern Humanities Research Association]] |journal=The Slavonic Review |year=1926 |volume=5 |issue=13 |pages=89–105 |jstor=4202032 |access-date=October 19, 2020}}
* {{Cite book |title=God's Playground: A History of Poland |first=Norman |last=Davies |volume=I: The Origins to 1795 |publisher=[[Columbia University Press]] |year=1982}}
* {{Cite book |title=Borderlands of Western Civilization: A History of East Central Europe |first=Oskar |last=Halecki |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster|Simon Publications]] |year=2000}}
* {{Cite book |title=Holy Rulers and Blessed Princesses: Dynastic Cults in Medieval Central Europe |first=Gábor |last=Klaniczay |translator-first=Eva |translator-last=Palmai |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2000}}

{{S-start}}
|-
| width="30%" align="center" rowspan="3"|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry the Bearded]]'''
| width="40%" align="center" |'''[[List of Polish monarchs|High Duke of Poland]]'''<br>1238 – 1241
| width="30%" align="center" rowspan="3" |Succeeded by<br>'''[[Bolesław II the Horned]]'''
|-
| width="40%" align="center" |'''[[Dukes of Silesia|Duke of Wrocław]]'''<br>1238 – 1241
|-
| width="40%" align="center" |'''[[Duchy of Greater Poland|Duke of Greater Poland]]'''<br>('''Only in the Southwest''')<br>1238 – 1241
{{S-end}}

{{Monarchs of Poland}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry 02 The Pious}}
[[Category:1196 births]]
[[Category:1241 deaths]]
[[Category:13th-century Polish monarchs]]
[[Category:People with polydactyly]]
[[Category:Polish Servants of God]]
[[Category:13th-century nobility from the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:13th-century Polish people]]
[[Category:Piast dynasty]]
[[Category:Dukes of Greater Poland]]
[[Category:Dukes of Wrocław]]
[[Category:Polish military personnel killed in action]]
[[Category:Christians of the Prussian Crusade]]
[[Category:People of Byzantine descent]]
[[Category:Monarchs killed in action]]