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Henry II of Silesia killed at Legnica
On April 9, 1241, at the Battle of Legnica, Henry II the Pious, Duke of Silesia, was killed fighting alongside a Polish-German allied army against th…
Timeline
- 1241Wrocław · Lower SilesiaUpon learning of the Mongols' westward advance, Henry II, one of Poland's most powerful princes, gathered Silesian and Moravian knights along with German reinforcements at Wrocław and elsewhere, preparing to intercept the Mongols along the Legnica line.
- 1241Legnica battlefield · Lower SilesiaHenry II personally led a cavalry charge and was killed in the melee; legend holds that his head was cut off and displayed on a spear (details uncertain), and the allied army's morale collapsed. His body was later recovered and buried by Franciscan friars.
- 1241Church of St. Vincent (Franciscan) · Lower SilesiaAfter Henry II's death, the Duchy of Silesia passed to his son Bolesław II, and Poland's capacity to organize resistance against the Mongols was greatly weakened. Later generations of Poles regarded Henry II as a martyr and hero, erecting statues in his memory in Wrocław and elsewhere.
Sources
- Henry II the Pious https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-II-the-Pious
- The Battle of Legnica — Paul W. Knoll (1974)