Castellany of Cieszyn

Who he is

Title

Castellan of Cieszyn

Confidence

low

Castellan (kasztelan, comes castellanus) not named for 1199-1200 in the sources consulted. Silesian castellans appear by name mostly in charters from 1202 onward; no name is carried back to 1 January 1200 here.

Overlord

Mieszko Tanglefoot, duke of Racibórz

What it holds

• The castle of Cieszyn with the rotunda of St Nicholas
• The road to the Jablunkov pass
• The forest country of the upper Vistula and the Olza

How it was acquired

Appointed by the duke at his pleasure; the castellan is not a hereditary lord.

How things stand that morning

Held for Mieszko by his castellan (not pinned).

Places of note

• Cieszyn castle: Castellany seat (gród)

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: The castle (first named 1155) and its place in Mieszko's share are attested; the castellan is not.

On the map: The district is drawn from its head castle and a few places near its later edges; its 1200 bounds are not documented.

Primary sources for Racibórz (Mieszko Tanglefoot)

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

• Chronicle of the Poles, by Master Vincent (Wincenty Kadłubek), Wincenty Kadłubek (about 1190 to 1208). Book 4 is a contemporary's account of the fight for the senior throne of Kraków. Read online
• The annals of the Kraków chapter and the other Polish annals (kept from the 11th century; the Kraków chapter annals continued to 1266). Short dated entries that fix the chronology Kadłubek blurs: the deaths of dukes and bishops, Mieszko the Old's captures of Kraków, Prussian raids on Masovia, church consecrations. Read online