Mieszko rules his duchy from Racibórz, the castle on the Oder at the head of the Moravian Gate road.
The district round it is in his own hand; the other castle districts (Koźle, Cieszyn, Bytom, Oświęcim, Siewierz) are drawn in their own records. en.wikipedia says he laid out the settlement under his castle and brought in Flemish (Walloon) merchants; the date is not given.
Who he is
- Name
- Mieszko I Tanglefoot
- Title
- Duke of Racibórz
- Since
- 1172/73
- Born
- About 1130 (fmg.ac: 1132/46)
- Family
- See Racibórz (Mieszko Tanglefoot): wife Ludmila; son Casimir (born about 1179/80); daughters Ludmila, Agnes, Euphrosyne and Ryksa.
- Confidence
- high
en.wikipedia; de.wikipedia; fmg.ac
Overlord
None in practice (a Piast duke under the theoretical seniority of Kraków)
What it holds
- The castle district of Racibórz
- The Oder crossing on the road from Opava and the Moravian Gate to Kraków
- The castle districts of Koźle, Cieszyn, Bytom, Oświęcim and Siewierz through his castellans
How it was acquired
His share in the division of 1172/73; the Lesser Polish castellanies from Casimir II in 1177 (or about 1179).
How things stand that morning
Held in person.
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- Early 1202Takes Opole.Depends on: The deaths of Jarosław and Bolesław. Stopped by: Henry holding Opole.
Places of note
- Racibórz castle: Ducal seat
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The duke is well attested; the district's bounds are not.
On the map: Bounds from the later Racibórz district.
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
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.