The castle of the Opolanie on the island in the Oder (Ostrówek), seat of Jarosław's small duchy, with a market settlement and the Oder crossing.
Jarosław lives at Wrocław as bishop, so his castellan governs. No town law: Casimir I gives Opole its first town privileges in the 1210s.
Who holds it
- Name
- Jarosław, bishop of Wrocław
- Title
- Duke of Opole
- Since
- 1173 (or 1180)
- Confidence
- high
Lord in 1200
Duke Jarosław, through his castellan of Opole (not pinned)
How things stand that morning
Held for Jarosław; reverts to his father when he dies (22 March 1201); Mieszko Tanglefoot takes it in 1202.
Charter
None in 1200.
Communities
Polish.
Militia
None as a town.
Walls and castle
The castle on Ostrówek island; no town wall.
Trade and crafts
The Oder crossing on the road from Wrocław to Kraków; river traffic.
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.
- 22 March 1201; early 1202Reverts to Bolesław on Jarosław's death; seized by Mieszko Tanglefoot in 1202.Depends on: The natural deaths of Jarosław and Bolesław. Stopped by: Henry garrisoning it.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Castle attested; its state in 1200 inferred.
Primary sources for Opole (Bishop-duke Jarosław)
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.