Nicholas I of Opole

Nicholas I of Opole (Polish: Mikołaj I opolski) (c. 1424 – 3 July 1476) was a Duke of Opole since 1437 (until 1439 with his brother as co-ruler), Duke of Brzeg from 1450, ruler over Kluczbork from 1451 and Duke of Strzelce, Niemodlin and Olesno from 1460.

He was the fourth son of Duke Bolko IV of Opole by his wife Margareta, possibly member of the House of Gorizia.

At the time of his father's death in 1437 Nicholas I was still a minor, and therefore was placed under the care of his older brothers Bolko V and Jan I. On 6 October 1438 Nicholas I and his brothers paid homage to Casimir Jagiełło as King-elect of Bohemia, but after his resignation and the coronation of Albert of Habsburg as King, he paid homage again, this time to the Austrian ruler, during the Congress of Wrocław on 3 December 1438.

In 1439 Jan I died unexpectedly without issue, and Nicholas I inherited the whole Duchy of Opole. In 1443 Nicholas received as a pledge the Duchy of Brzeg from his nephews (sons of his sister), Dukes Jan I and Henry X of Lubin-Oława-Chojnów. For unknown reasons, in 1447 Jan I and Henry X recovered Brzeg and pledged it again, this time to the knight Heinz Stoschow. Only after a new settlement on 11 April 1450 did Brzeg finally return to the hands of the Duke of Opole.

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