Bolesław III

Bolesław III Wrymouth
Duke of Poland
Imaginative portrait by Aleksander Lesser
Reign	1107–38
Predecessor	Władysław I Herman
Successor	Władysław II the Exile
Born	(1086-08-20)20 August 1086 Płock, Poland
Died	28 October 1138(1138-10-28) (aged 52) Sochaczew, Poland
Burial	Masovian Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral, Płock, Poland
Wives	Zbyslava of Kiev Salomea of Berg
Issue	With Zbyslava: Władysław II the Exile A son (?) A daughter [Judith?], Princess of Murom With Salomea: Leszek Ryksa, Queen of Sweden A daughter, Margravine of Nordmark Casimir Gertruda Bolesław IV the Curly Mieszko III the Old Dobroniega, Margravine of Lusatia Judith, Margravine of Brandenburg Henry Agnes, Grand Princess of Kiev Casimir II the Just
House	Piast
Father	Władysław I Herman
Mother	Judith of Bohemia

Bolesław III Wrymouth (also known as Boleslaus III the Wry-mouthed, Polish: Bolesław III Krzywousty) (20 August 1086 – 28 October 1138), was a Duke of Lesser Poland, Silesia and Sandomierz between 1102 and 1107 and over the whole Poland between 1107 and 1138. He was the only child of Prince Władysław I Herman and his first wife Judith, daughter of Vratislaus II of Bohemia.

Bolesław began to rule in the last decade of the 11th century, when the central government in Poland was significantly weakened. Władysław I Herman fell under the political dependence of the Count palatine Sieciech, who became the real ruler of the country. Backed by their father, Boleslaw and his half-brother Zbigniew finally expelled Sieciech from the country in 1101, after several years of fighting. After the death of Władysław I Herman in 1102, two independent states were created ruled by Bolesław and Zbigniew.

Bolesław sought to gain Pomerania which caused an armed conflict between the brothers, and forced Zbigniew to flee the country and seek military help from German King Henry V. Bolesław punished Zbigniew by blinding him. This action caused outrage among supporters of Zbigniew, resulting in a political crisis in Poland. Bolesław once again gained the favor of his subjects with public penance, and made a pilgrimage to the monastery of his patron, Saint Giles, in Hungary.

Bolesław, like Bolesław II the Generous, based his foreign policy on maintaining good relations with neighboring Hungary and Kievan Rus, with whom he forged strong links through marriage and military cooperation in order to break the political dependence on Germany and his vassal, the King of Bohemia, who in moments of weakness of Polish policy was forced to pay tribute in Silesia. These alliances have allowed Bolesław to effectively defend the country from invasion in 1109. Several years later, Bolesław skillfully took advantage of the dynastic disputes in Bohemia to ensure peace on the south-west border.