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Birth:          ABT 1111 of Wien, Austria
Death:          24 Jan 1163 

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_of_Babenberg
Agnes of Babenberg (German: Agnes von Babenberg, Polish: Agnieszka Babenberg; b. 
ca. 1108/13 – d. 24/25 January 1163), was a German noblewoman, a scion of the 
Franconian House of Babenberg and by marriage High Duchess of Poland and 
Duchess of Silesia.

She was a daughter of Leopold III, Margrave of Austria, by his second wife, Agnes, 
second but eldest surviving daughter of Emperor Henry IV.[1][2]
Life[edit]

Family and personality[edit]

Through her mother, Agnes was a descendant of the Salian Dynasty, which ruled the 
Holy Roman Empire since 1024 until her maternal uncle, Emperor Henry V, died 
without issue in 1125. She was the half-sister of Frederick II, Duke of Swabia, and 
Conrad III, King of Germany since 1138 (both born from her mother's first marriage with 
Frederick I, Duke of Swabia). Of her full-siblings, one sister Judith married Marquess 
William V of Montferrat and one brother was Bishop Otto of Freising, a renowned 
medieval chronicler.

According to Wincenty Kadlubek, Polish chronicler and Bishop of Kraków (and this 
opinion is shared by other sources), Agnes was a very ambitious, energetic woman, 
and proud of her origins. It is no wonder the Bishop called her in the pages of his 
Polish Chronicle, "Tigress" (Polish: tygrysica).

Marriage[edit]

The ruler of Poland, Duke Boleslaw III Wrymouth, in order to hold his ground against 
the Empire wanted to obtain a powerful ally against Lothair III of Supplinburg, who in 
1125 had been elected King of the Romans against Duke Frederick II of Swabia. He 
therefore forged an alliance with the Babenbergs and the Hohenstaufen families, who, 
as relatives of the extinct Salian dynasty, were the natural rivals of Lothair. In order to 
seal this alliance, a marriage between Boleslaw III's eldest son Wladyslaw and Agnes 
was agreed. The wedding took place around 1125; according to some historians, the 
couple had already received the Duchy of Silesia from Boleslaw III as a gift.

High Duchess of Poland[edit]

Boleslaw III died on 28 October 1138. In his will, he divided Poland between his sons. 
As the oldest son, the supreme authority in the country was assigned to Wladyslaw II 
with the title of High Duke (Princeps). In addition to Silesia, he received the Seniorate 
Province (which included Lesser Poland, eastern Greater Poland and western 
Kuyavia) and the authority over Pomerania. His half-brothers Boleslaw IV, Mieszko III 
and Henry received hereditary fiefs as Junior Dukes. In addition, Wladyslaw II would 
also receive the lands of Leczyca, then granted by Boleslaw III to his widow Salomea 
of Berg for life as her Oprawa wdowia and to revert to the Seniorate Province upon 
her death.

Almost immediately, the High Duke began his efforts to unify the country under his 
rule. Wincenty Kadlubek stated that the confrontation between Wladyslaw II and his 
half-brothers was mainly instigated by Agnes, who believed that her husband, as the 
eldest son, had the right to be the sole ruler of the whole country.

In order to strengthen the authority of the High Duke, it is believed that Agnes took 
part in the downfall of one of the most powerful nobles in the country, the voivode 
Piotr Wlostowic, who supported the Junior Dukes. According to a legend, the capture 
of Wlostowic was thanks to Agnes, because she sent her own retainers to his castle 
and they captured him during the night. This event was recorded in German 
contemporary historiography; however, since this story is not confirmed, it not 
generally accepted by modern historians. Agnes demanded Wlostowic's death, but her 
husband decided instead to make an example of him. Wlostowic was blinded, muted 
and sentenced to exile.

Deposition and exile[edit]

The tyrannical rule of Wladyslaw II and Agnes led to many of their subjects switching 
their allegiance to the Junior Dukes. In early 1146 the High Duke's forces were finally 
defeated near Poznan. Wladyslaw II escaped to Bohemia, while Agnes and her 
children remained in Kraków, where for some time they maintained resistance against 
the Junior Dukes from the Wawel Castle. However, the attempts to defend the city 
were unsuccessful and, in the end, the whole family was reunited in exile.

After a short time at the Bohemian court of Duke Vladislaus II, Agnes' half-brother, 
King Conrad III of Germany, offered his hospitality to the Polish royal family, who 
settled at the Kaiserpfalz of Altenburg. At first, it seemed that Wladyslaw II would soon 
regain power in Poland. A German expedition against the Junior Dukes was launched 
in 1146, but due to flooding of the Oder River and the pressures on the German king 
by the margraves Albert the Bear and Conrad of Meissen, the campaign failed.

The failure of the expedition did not discourage Agnes, who continued with her 
attempts to restore her husband. She asked for the intervention of Pope Eugenius III, 
who decided to raise the question in the 1148 Council of Reims, and sent his legate 
Guy to Poland to obtain the submission of the Junior Dukes. However, they refused to 
accept the return of Wladyslaw II, and the Pope declared a ban over Poland. The 
Pope's actions had few repercussions thanks for the united support of the Polish 
church hierarchy for the Junior Dukes.

In 1152 King Conrad III died and was succeeded by his nephew Frederick Barbarossa. 
With the accession of this energetic ruler, the hopes of Agnes and Wladyslaw II of 
returning to Poland were rekindled. With the encouragement of his aunt, the new 
German King launched an expedition against Poland in 1157. The campaign was a 
success but unexpectedly Barbarossa did not restore Wladyslaw II to the Polish 
throne. Instead High Duke Boleslaw IV was declared a vassal of Emperor Frederick 
and was compelled to pay tribute to him. In compensation to Wladyslaw II, he forced 
Boleslaw to promise the restitution of the Silesian duchy to Wladyslaw's sons.

Death and aftermaths[edit]

Both Agnes and Wladyslaw II knew that their battle was finally lost. They remained in 
Altenburg, where Wladyslaw II died on 30 May 1159. Agnes' day of death is generally 
placed by sources between 24 and 25 January, but the year remained disputed among 
historians and sources. Certainly she survived her husband,[3] and it is known that 
she did not return to Silesia with her sons when they were finally restored in their 
heritage in 1163. Thus, it is believed that Agnes died between 1160 and 1163. She 
was buried in the Cistercian abbey of Pforta near Naumburg on the Saale river.

Children[edit]

Agnes and Wladyslaw had the following children:
1.Boleslaw I the Tall (1127 – 8 December 1201).
2.Mieszko I Tanglefoot (1131 – 16 May 1211).
3.Richeza (1140 – 16 June 1185), married firstly in 1152 to Alfonso VII, King of Galicia, 
Castile and León, secondly in 1162 to Ramon Berenguer II, Count of Provence and 
thirdly by 1167 to Count Albert III of Everstein.
4.Konrad Spindleshanks (1146/57 – 17 January 1180/90).
5.Albert (c. 1156 - c. 1168/78).

Parents
____ Leopold III "The Saint" (ABT 1087 - 15 Nov 1136)
OF FRANCONIA Agnes (ABT 1073 - 24 Sep 1143)

Siblings
OF AUSTRIA (BABENBERG) Agnes (ABT 1111 - 24 Jan 1163)
OF BABENBERG Judith (Jutta) (ABT 1117 - AFT 18 Oct 1168)

Marriage To ____ Wladislav II "The Exile" (1105 - 30 May 1159)
    m. ABT 1126 

Notes

Parents
____ Boleslaw III "Crooked Mouth" (20 Aug 1085 - 28 Oct 1138)
SVYATOPOLKOVNA OF KIEV Zbyslava (Sbislawa) Sbyslava (ABT 1087 - ABT 1114)

Children by ____ Wladislav II "The Exile" 1105 - 30 May 1159
OF POLAND (OF SILICIA) Richeza (Richilde) (Ryksa) (ABT 1138 - 16 Jun 1185)

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