Władysław of Bytom

Władysław of Bytom (Polish: Władysław bytomski; 1277/83 – around 8 September 1352), was a Duke of Koźle during 1303-1334, Duke of Bytom from 1316, Duke of Toszek since 1329 and Duke of Siewierz during 1328–1337.

He was the second son of Duke Casimir of Bytom by his wife Helena.

Władysław's first official appearance was in 1289 on occasion of the homage of his father to King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia. In 1303 Władysław received from his father the town of Koźle.

For unknown reasons, after his father's death in 1312 Władysław retained only Koźle, and the capital of the Duchy, Bytom was given to his younger brother Siemowit. Also, the two of Casimir I's sons who followed the church career also received further lands: Bolesław obtained Toszek and Mieszko received Siewierz (another brother, George was the co-ruler of Władysław, and in fact exercised the whole government).

In 1316 Władysław assumed the government over Bytom. The circumstances around the removal of Siemowit are unknown, and the next notices about him are found only on 19 February 1327, where Władysław, Siemowit and George paid homage to the Bohemian King John of Luxembourg in Opawa. One year before (1315) his brothers Bolesław and Mieszko chosen to live in Hungary and put their lands under the regency of Władysław.

In 1328, Mieszko formally resigned his domain over Siewierz on Władysław's behalf and one year later (1329), the death of Bolesław allowed the Duke of Koźle to reunited the whole paternal lands under his rule. However, this unity didn't remain for too long. The continuous financial problems forced Władysław to sold part of his inheritance. First, on 21 February 1334 he pledged the town of Koźle to his cousin Duke Leszek of Racibórz by the amount of 4,000 pieces of silver with the compromise that, in the event of his death without issue, Koźle return to the Duchy of Bytom. Leszek died two years later, in 1336, and according to the terms of the pledge Koźle would return to Władysław, but soon after he was forced to give this lands to his eldest son Casimir, and after his death in 1347, the town was given to his younger brother Bolesław.

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