Casimir I the Restorer
Fragment of a painting by Jan Matejko.
Born	July 25, 1016
Died	November 28, 1058
Reign	ca. 1040 to 1058
Family or dynasty	Piast dynasty
Coat of Arms	Piast.
Parents	Mieszko II Lambert Richensa of Lotharingia
Marriage and children	with Maria Dobroniega:  Boleslaus II the Bold Vladislaus I Herman Świętosława I of Bohemia (aka Svatava Polská in Czech) Mieszko Kazimierzowic Otton Kazimierzowic

Casimir I the Restorer (Polish: Kazimierz I Odnowiciel; 25 July 1016 – 28 November 1058), was a Duke of Poland of the Piast dynasty and the de facto monarch of the entire country. He is known as the Restorer mostly because he managed to reunite all parts of Poland after a period of turmoil and permanently attached Masovia, Silesia and Pomerania. Son of Mieszko II Lambert and Richensa of Lotharingia, Casimir failed to crown himself the King of Poland, mainly because of internal and external threats to his rule. Jan Matejko , self-portrait Jan Matejko (aka Jan Mateyko; Free City of Kraków, July 28, 1838 – November 1, 1893, Kraków, was a Polish artist famous for paintings of notable Polish political and military events. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... Events George Tsul, ruler of Khazaria, is captured by a combined Byzantine- Rus force, which effectively ends Khazarias existence. ... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events March 17 - King Lulach I of Scotland is killed in battle against his cousin and rival Malcolm Canmore, who later becomes King of Scotland as Malcolm III of Scotland. ... Events March War of Independence of Western Xia occurred. ... Events March 17 - King Lulach I of Scotland is killed in battle against his cousin and rival Malcolm Canmore, who later becomes King of Scotland as Malcolm III of Scotland. ... Polish szlachcic. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... // History The history of Polish heraldry is an integral part of the history of the Szlachta, the Polish nobility. ... Reign From 1025 until 1034 Coronation On December 25, 1025 in Gniezno Cathedral, Poland Royal House Piast Coat of Arms Orzeł Piastowski Parents Bolesław I Chrobry Emnilda Consorts Ryksa Children with Ryksa Boleslaw Zapomiany Kazimierz I Odnowiciel Gertruda Date of Birth 990 Place of Birth  ? Date of... Born between 995 and 1000, Richensa of Lotharingia (Fr. ... Boleslaus II on Jan Matejkos painting Boleslaus II was a duke and king of Poland 1058-1079 (crowned 1076). ... Categories: Poland-related stubs | Polish monarchs | Dukes of Pomerania | Dukes of Greater Poland | Dukes of Poznan | Dukes of Gniezno | Dukes of Kalisz ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... Events George Tsul, ruler of Khazaria, is captured by a combined Byzantine- Rus force, which effectively ends Khazarias existence. ... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events March 17 - King Lulach I of Scotland is killed in battle against his cousin and rival Malcolm Canmore, who later becomes King of Scotland as Malcolm III of Scotland. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Historical division of Masovia Masovia (Polish: Mazowsze) is a geographical and historical region situated in central Poland with its capital at Warsaw. ... Prussian Silesia, 1871, outlined in yellow; Silesia at the close of the Seven Years War in 1763, outlined in cyan (areas now in the Czech Republic were Austrian-ruled at that time) Silesia (Czech: ; German: ; Polish: ; Silesian: Åšlonsk / Åšlónsk) is a historical region in central Europe. ... Historic Pomerania (outlined in yellow) on the background of modern country borders. ... Reign From 1025 until 1031 Coronation On December 25, 1025 in Gniezno Cathedral, Poland Royal House Piast Coat of Arms Orzeł Piastowski Parents Bolesław I Chrobry Emnilda Consorts Ryksa Children with Ryksa Boleslaw Zapomiany Kazimierz I Odnowiciel Gertruda Date of Birth 990 Place of Birth  ? Date of... Born between 995 and 1000, Richensa of Lotharingia (Fr. ... Poland was ruled by dukes (c. ...

Relatively little is known of Casimir's early life. Born to Mieszko II of Poland and Richensa of Lotharingia, he must have spent his childhood at the royal court of Poland in Gniezno. Mieszko II was crowned the king of Poland in 1025 after his father's death. The many landlords, however, feared the single rule of the monarch. This situation led to conflicts in the country, in which Mieszko's brothers turned against him and the Emperor Conrad II's forces attacked the country, seizing Lusatia. Years of chaos and conflict followed, during which Mieszko died (1034) in suspicious circumstances after his forced abdication and a brief restoration. Reign From 1025 until 1034 Coronation On December 25, 1025 in Gniezno Cathedral, Poland Royal House Piast Coat of Arms Orzeł Piastowski Parents Bolesław I Chrobry Emnilda Consorts Ryksa Children with Ryksa Boleslaw Zapomiany Kazimierz I Odnowiciel Gertruda Date of Birth 990 Place of Birth  ? Date of... Born between 995 and 1000, Richensa of Lotharingia (Fr. ... Motto: none Voivodship Greater Poland Municipal government Mayor Jaromir Dziel Area 40,9 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 71 040 none 1737/km² Founded City rights 8th century 1239 Latitude Longitude 52°32 N 17°36 E Area code +48 61 Car plates PGN Twin towns Anagni, Esztergom, Falkenberg, Saint... Events April 18 - Boleslaw I Chrobry is crowned as the first king of Poland. ... Conrad II (c. ... Lusatia (German Lausitz, Upper Sorbian Łužica, Lower Sorbian Łužyca, Polish Łużyce, Czech Lužice) is a historical region between the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers and the Elbe river in the eastern German states of Saxony and Brandenburg, south-western Poland (Lower Silesian Voivodeship) and the northern... Events April 11 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium marries her chamberlain and elevates him to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael IV. Franche-Comté becomes subject to the Holy Roman Empire. ...

After the death of her husband, Richensa probably tried to seize the power in the country and secure the crown for her son. However, she failed and Casimir had to flee to the Kingdom of Hungary while the central parts of Poland were controlled by Bezprym. The region of Greater Poland revolted against the nobles and clergy and a mass pagan revival ensued there. Also the land of Masovia seceded and a local landlord named Miecław formed a state of his own there. Similar situation happened in Pomerania, where the power was held by a local dynasty loosely related to the Piasts. Duke Bretislaus I of Bohemia, observing the period of turmoil in Poland, took advantage of his neighbour's weakness and invaded the country. After a short struggle he conquered Silesia and Lesser Poland and severely pillaged Greater Poland, burning Gniezno to the ground and looting the relics of Saint Adalbert. The Kingdom of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyar Királyság) is the name of a multiethnic kingdom that existed in Central Europe from 1000 to 1918. ... Bezprym (986-1032), the first-born son of king of Poland BolesÅ‚aw I Chrobry and his second wife, who came from Hungary (unknown name); he was deprived of throne of Poland due to giving it to his brother Mieszko II. In 1031, in alliance with Conrad II, Holy Roman... Voivodship wielkopolskie since 1999 Coat of Arms for voivodship wielkopolskie Greater Poland (also Great Poland; Polish: , German: Großpolen, Latin: Polonia Maior) is a historical region of west-central Poland. ... Problems The Pagan ideas have went into the wind, Poland is now a very large Catholic Populous. ... Historical division of Masovia Masovia (Polish: Mazowsze) is a geographical and historical region situated in central Poland with its capital at Warsaw. ... Historic Pomerania (outlined in yellow) on the background of modern country borders. ... BÅ™etislav the Bohemian Achilles (b. ... Flag of Bohemia Bohemia (Czech: ; German: ) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western and middle thirds of the Czech Republic. ... Prussian Silesia, 1871, outlined in yellow; Silesia at the close of the Seven Years War in 1763, outlined in cyan (areas now in the Czech Republic were Austrian-ruled at that time) Silesia (Czech: ; German: ; Polish: ; Silesian: Åšlonsk / Åšlónsk) is a historical region in central Europe. ... Lesser Poland voivodship since 1999 Lesser Poland (sometimes also referred to as Little Poland, Polish MaÅ‚opolska, Latin Polonia Minor) is one of the historical regions of Poland. ... A relic is an object, especially a piece of the body or a personal item of someone of religious significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial, Relics are an important aspect of Buddhism, some denominations of Christianity, Hinduism, shamanism, and many other personal belief systems. ... Silver coffin of St. ...

The following year the new Holy Roman Emperor, Henry III, allied himself with the exiled Polish ruler against the Bohemians. Casimir was given a troop of 1,000 heavy footmen and a significant amount of gold to restore his power in the country. Casimir also signed an alliance with Yaroslav I the Wise, the Prince of Kievan Rus'. The alliance was sealed by Casimir's marriage with Yaroslav's sister, Maria Dobronega. With such support Casimir returned to Poland and managed to retake most of his domain. In 1041 defeated Bretislaus signed a treaty at Regensburg in which he renounced his claims to all Polish lands except for Silesia, which was to be incorporated into the Crown of Bohemia. It was Casimir's success in strengthening royal power and ending internal strife that earned him the epithet of "the Restorer". The Holy Roman Emperor was, with some variation, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the predecessor of modern Germany, during its existence from the 10th century until its collapse in 1806. ... Henry III, from a miniature of 1040 Henry III (October 29, 1017 – October 5, 1056), called the Black, was a member of the Salian (sometimes Franconian) dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors. ... Image based on Yaroslavs skull reconstructed by Mikhail Gerasimov. ... Kievan Rus′ was the early, mostly East Slavic [1] state dominated by the city of Kiev from about 880 to the middle of the 12th century. ... Events December 10 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V. Revolt at Worcester against the naval taxes of Harthacanute. ... Regensburg (English formerly Ratisbon, Latin Ratisbona) is a city (population 129,175 in 2005) in Bavaria, south-east Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. ...

Kazimierz I the Restorer. Black and white reproduction of the entire painting by Jan Matejko.

The treaty gained Casimir a period of peace at the southern border and the capital of Poland was moved to Kraków, the only major Polish city relatively untouched by the wars. It is probable that the Holy Roman Emperor was happy with the balance of power restored in the region and forced Casimir not to crown himself the king of Poland. In 1046 Emperor Henry held royal and imperial courts at Merseburg and Meißen, at which he ended the strife among the Dux Bomeraniorum (Duke of Pomerania), Duke Bretislaus of Bohemia, and Poland's Casimir I. In 1047 Casimir, aided by his Kievan ally, started a war against Masovia and seized the land. It is probable that he also defeated Miecław's allies from Pomerania and attached Gdańsk to Poland. This secured his power in central Poland. Three years later, against the will of the emperor, Casimir seized Czech-controlled Silesia, thus securing most of his father's domain. In 1054 in Quedlinburg the Emperor ruled that Silesia was to remain in Poland in exchange for a yearly tribute of 117 kilograms of silver and 7 kg of gold. Casimir I of Poland This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Casimir I of Poland This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Jan Matejko , self-portrait Jan Matejko (aka Jan Mateyko; Free City of Kraków, July 28, 1838 – November 1, 1893, Kraków, was a Polish artist famous for paintings of notable Polish political and military events. ... Tomb of Kazimierz the Great. ... // Events First contact between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuks. ... Merseburg is a city in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. ... Meißen, internationally most known for porcelain, is a town of approximately 35,000 near Dresden on the river Elbe in the State of Saxony in the southern part of eastern Germany. ... Historic Pomerania (outlined in yellow) on the background of modern country borders. ... Flag of Bohemia Bohemia (Czech: ; German: ) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western and middle thirds of the Czech Republic. ... Events William the Conqueror, with assistance from King Henry I of France, secured control of Normandy by defeating the rebel Norman barons at Caen the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes Births Deaths October 9 - Pope Clement II Categories: 1047 ... GdaÅ„sk (IPA: ; German: , Kashubian: , Latin: ; older English Dantzig also other languages) is the sixth-largest city in Poland, and also its principal seaport and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. ... Events Cardinal Humbertus, a representative of Pope Leo IX, and Michael Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, decree each others excommunication. ... Roland The city of Quedlinburg in the German Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt has existed since at least the early ninth century, when a settlement known as Gross Orden existed at the site of the modern Quedlinburg. ...

At that time Casimir focused on internal matters. Conflicted with the Emperor in the Silesian case, he supported the Papacy in the Investiture Controversy and gained the support of the church. To strengthen his rule he re-created the bishopric in Kraków and Wrocław and erected the new Wawel Cathedral. During Casimir's rule heraldry was introduced in Poland and, unlike his predecessors, he promoted landed gentry over the drużyna as his base of power. One of his reforms was the introduction, to Poland, of a key element of feudalism: the granting of fiefdoms to his retinue of warriors, thus gradually transforming them into medieval knights. The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... The Investiture Controversy was the most significant conflict between secular and religious powers in medieval Europe. ... WrocÅ‚aw, (Polish pronunciation: (?), Czech: , German: ( (help· info)), Latin: Wratislavia or Vratislavia) is the capital of Lower Silesia in southwestern Poland, situated on the Oder River (Odra). ... Wawel Cathedral Wawel Cathedral Wawel Cathedral – in full, the Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Wenceslaus – is Polands national sanctuary. ... // History The history of Polish heraldry is an integral part of the history of the Szlachta, the Polish nobility. ... Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste. ... Under the system of feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud or fee, often consisted of heritable lands or revenue-producing property granted by a liege lord in return for a form of allegiance, originally often to give him the means to fulfill his military duties when called upon. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ...

See also

• History of Poland (966-1385)
• Masław