Henry V the Fat

Henry V "the Fat"
Duke of Legnica
Henry V's seal, dated to 1289
Spouse(s)	Elisabeth of Greater Poland
Noble family	Piast
Father	Bolesław II the Bald
Mother	Hedwig of Anhalt
Born	c.  1248
Died	22 February 1296(1296-02-22)
Buried	Poor Clares monastery in Wrocław

Henry V the Fat (German: Heinrich V der Dicke, Polish: Henryk V Brzuchaty) (c.  1248 – 22 February 1296) was a Duke of Jawor (Jauer) from 1273, of Legnica (Liegnitz) from 1278, and Duke of Wrocław (Breslau) from 1290.

He was the eldest son of Bolesław II the Bald, Duke of Legnica by his first wife, Hedwig, daughter of Henry I, Count of Anhalt.

As a youth, he was present at the court of King Ottokar II of Bohemia in Prague, where he became a knight.

In 1273, Henry's father gave him the town of Jawor (Jauer) as an independent duchy. Four years later, Henry's father Bolesław II the Bald, kidnapped his own nephew Henry IV, the ruler of the Duchy of Wrocław (Breslau), acting on behalf of his ally, king Rudolph of Habsburg. This act aroused the anger of the nobility in Lesser Poland and the neighbors of Henry IV, who then organized an expedition to free him and punish Bolesław. The Greater Poland-Głogów-Wrocław coalition was led by Dukes Przemysł II of Greater Poland and Henry III of Głogów. The armies fought at Ząbkowice Śląskie near Stolec, one of the bloodiest battles of the Polish Middle Ages. The coalition forces overwhelmed Bolesław's forces, and he fled the field, but then young Henry led a charge, turning the tide and achieving a great victory. Both Dukes Przemysł II and Henry III, of the coalition, were taken as prisoners. Young Duke Henry of Jauer, saved his family from disastrous defeat.