The Silesian Duchy of Legnica since 1248 had been under the rule of Duke
Bolesław II Rogatka. When Bolesław's eldest son
Henry V the Fat succeeded his father as Duke of Legnica in 1278, he gave the Jawor subdivision to his younger brothers
Bolko I the Strict and
Bernard the Lightsome. In 1281 Bernard was made a Duke of Lwówek in the western part of the Jawor lands. In 1286 Bolko I again inherited Lwówek from his brother and in 1291 further enlarged his territories by receiving the Duchy of Świdnica with the towns of
Świdnica,
Strzegom,
Strzelin and
Ziębice from his elder brother Henry V of Legnica. These territories had formed the southern part of the
Duchy of Wrocław, which Henry V had acquired upon the death of his cousin Duke
Henry IV Probus the year before. Henry V, though backed by King
Wenceslaus II of Bohemia, was in need for support to retain his Wrocław acquisitions against the claims of rivalling Duke
Henry III of Głogów. From 1288 Bolko I had a new residence erected at
Książ Castle in the Świdnica lands. For a brief period, his duchy is sometimes known as the
Duchy of Jawor-Świdnica. Bolko's attempts to gain the
Duchy of Nysa failed, nevertheless he occupied
Paczków and acquired
Chojnów from Duke Henry III of Głogów. After his death in 1301, his sons finally divided their territories in 1312: the lands around Świdnica and Ziębice were again split off into separate duchies, while Jawor was ruled by Duke
Henry I. In 1319, Henry I expanded the duchy to the west and northwest, and acquired the towns of
Zgorzelec,
Lubań,
Trzebiel,
Żary,
Mirsk,
Leśna,
Zły Komorów,
Żytawa,
Ostrowiec,
Biernacice,
Rychbach and
Rozbork. In 1320, Henry I captured a large portion of
Lubusz Land to the northwest of Silesia, which he tried to reclaim as a region lost by his grandfather
Bolesław II the Horned. In August 1320, the forces of Henry I aided Wartislaw IV in the
Uckermark, but lost to
Mecklenburg, and in the following months Henry I lost Lubusz Land. After his death in 1346, the duchy was reunited with Świdnica under the rule of his nephew
Bolko II the Small. Bolko II was the last
Piast duke to retain his independence from the
Kingdom of Bohemia, however as he had no male heirs he signed an inheritance treaty with King
Charles IV of Luxembourg, who married Bolko's niece
Anna von Schweidnitz in 1353. The duke died in 1368 and after the death of his widow
Agnes of Habsburg in 1392 his duchy was finally annexed by the Bohemian Crown. ==Gallery==