Ladislaus the Short
| Władysław I Elbow-high | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| King of Poland | |
| Tenure | 1320–1333 |
| Coronation | 20 January 1320 |
| Predecessor | Wenceslaus III |
| Successor | Casimir III the Great |
| Born | 1261 |
| Died | 2 March 1333 (aged 72) Kraków, Poland |
| Burial | Wawel Cathedral, Kraków |
| Spouse | Hedwig of Kalisz |
| Issue |
Kunigunde, Duchess of Świdnica Casimir III of Poland Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary |
| House | House of Piast |
| Father | Casimir I of Kuyavia |
| Mother | Euphrosyne of Opole |
Władysław the Short or Elbow-high (or Ladislaus I of Poland, Polish: Władysław I Łokietek; 1261 – 2 March 1333) was a King of Poland. He was a Duke until 1300, and Prince of Kraków from 1305 until his coronation as King on 20 January 1320. Because of his short stature he was nicknamed 'Łokietek', a diminutive of the word 'łokieć'. It translates as "ell" or "elbow", a medieval measure of length, as in "elbow-high".
In 1138, the Kingdom of Poland, which had been growing in strength under the rule of the Piast dynasty, encountered an obstacle which impeded its development for nearly two hundred years. In the will of King Bolesław III Wrymouth (Bolesław III Krzywousty), Poland was divided into five provinces: Silesia, Mazovia with eastern Kuyavia, Greater Poland, the Sandomierz Region, and the Seniorate Province. The Seniorate Province initially comprised Kraków and western Lesser Poland, eastern Greater Poland including Gniezno and Kalisz, western Kuyavia, Łęczyca and Sieradz (maintained by the Dowager Duchess Salomea of Berg for her lifetime), and with Pomerelia as a fiefdom. To prevent his four sons from quarreling, Bolesław granted one province to each of them, while the Seniorate Province was to be given to the eldest brother on the grounds of primogeniture. This decision was meant to forestall dynastic feuds and prevent the disintegration of the kingdom. However, it proved inadequate, and began nearly two centuries of what it had sought to counteract – constant fighting and disorder. Władysław I succeeded in re-uniting most of these lands back into the kingdom of Poland.
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