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A Road Never taken or the Madonna of Silesia Wielun and Opole, a match made in heaven
During his time as Count palatine, Wladyslaw Opolczyk didn't stop to participated in the foreign politics; the example of this was, among others things, his trip to Bulgaria in 1368. In 1370, after the death of Casimir III the Great, the Duke of Opole actively participated in preparing the succession of King Louis I of Hungary in the Polish throne. As a reward, King Louis give him the towns of Wieluń and Częstochowa.
By that time, Wladyslaw's brother Bolko III inherited Strzelce Opolskie from their uncle Albert and with this, the Duke of Opole could maintain the sole government over his domains (the youngest brother, Henry, died in 1365 without issue).
In 1371 Wladyslaw led an armed expedition against Duke John of Moravia(who caused a terrible devastation of Moravia); however, this didn't prevent the fact, that, years later later, the Duke of Opole was the head of a mission of mediation to resolve the dispute between the Emperor Charles IV and King Louis I, at this time.
On June 4, 1371, Euphemia of Mazovia, his wife gave birth to a son named Kazimier, a son that he waited for so long to be born, Louis I of Hungary and Poland helped him in gaining prestige in Silesia, on 1372, Charles IV of the Holy Roman Empire died.
In 1378 the departure of Queen Elisabeth from Poland to Hungary, forced King Louis to release Wladislaw from his post of Governor and appointed him with the empty position of Polish Count palatine. But almost immediately Wladislaw had to faced the strong resistance of the Polish nobility, dissatisfied with the decision of King Louis to named heirs to his daughters, and soon was forced to resign.
As compensation for his resignation, the Duke of Opole received from the Hungarian ruler the towns of Dobrzyń, part of Kujawy, Bydgoszcz, Inowrocław and Gniewkowo. These territories were on the border of the Teutonic Order lands, which soon shortly Wladyslaw established close contacts, who included allowed the prosecution of criminals by Teutonic knights in his domains.
In Kujawy, Wladyslaw entered in a dispute over finances with the Bishop of Płock, Dobiesław Sówka, resulting in the excommunication of the Duke, who was repealed a year later by the Archbishop of Gniezno. As a gesture of reconciliation with the Church, Wladyslaw founded the Pauline monastery of Our Lady at Jasna Góra in Częstochowa; also, the Duke brought the famous Black Madonna of Częstochowa, who according to oldest documents, travelled from Jerusalem, via Constantinople and Bełz, to finally reach Częstochowa in August 1382, he gave Dobrzyń, part of Kujawy, Bydgoszcz, Inowrocław and Gniewkowo to his brothers in exchange of their lands in Silesia.
on 1382, supported by Louis I of Hungary, Wladyslaw annexed the Duchy of Wroclaw from the Kingdom of Bohemia and assumed the title Duke of Silesia and became the Duke of Silesia and the liege of other Silesian duchies as Wladyslaw I.
In 1383 Siemowit IV conquered Cuyavia, but was soon expelled by the joint forces of szlachta from Lesser Poland and armies of Hungary.
On 1385, on the the death of Louis I of Hungary, Kazimierz of Silesia, the son of Wladyslaw II of Opole marries Jadwiga Andagawenska, while her older sister, Maria Andagawenska declares her sponsalia to Sigismund of Luxembourg invalid and marries Jogaila of Lithuania and becomes the King of Poland, Hungary, and her consort was renamed as Wladyslaw Jagiello on their marriage after Wladyslaw Jagiello converted to catholicism.
In 1386 Siemowit IV accepted the rule of King of Poland Maria of Poland and her king consort Grand Duke of Lithuania Władysław II Jagiełło and became a hereditary vassal of Poland. The following year he married the sister of the Polish king-consort, Aleksandra, and received the land of Bełz.
On 1390 with the assistance of Wladyslaw II Jagiello, Holy Roman Emperor Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia formally renounces his claims to the Duchy of Silesia in favor of Wladyslaw I of Silesia, who assumed the title Duke of Silesia earlier with the exception of Swidnica and Jawor, however, if Wenceslaus IV dies without heirs Swidnica and Jawor, would revert to Wladyslaw I of Silesia both Wladyslaw I of Silesia and Siemowit IV of Mazovia, focused on the sovereignity of their duchies, on 1392, the Duchy of Swidnica and Jawor were integrated to the Kingdom of Bohemia due to the death of Agnes of Habsburg, meanwhile, on June 4, 1393 Jadwiga Andagawena gives birth to a son named Wladyslaw.