duchy · Germany and Central Europe

Duchy of Opole

1281 CE – 1532 CE · capital Opole

Upper Silesian Piast duchy whose duke Władysław Opolczyk brought the Black Madonna to Częstochowa and whose last prince died in 1532.

Origins

In 1281 the Duchy of Opole and Racibórz was divided among the sons of Władysław of Opole, and Bolko I received Opole on the Oder. He accepted Bohemian overlordship in 1327 along with other Upper Silesian dukes, while his descendants continued to rule.

Rule and society

Władysław II of Opole served as palatine of Hungary and in 1382 founded the Pauline monastery of Jasna Góra at Częstochowa, bringing the Black Madonna icon. The Opole dukes later gathered much of Upper Silesia, and John II the Good issued a charter of privileges for the region and allowed the mining town of Tarnowskie Góry to develop. The population was largely Polish-speaking.

Decline and legacy

With John II's death in 1532 the Upper Silesian Piasts died out, and Opole passed to the Bohemian crown under the Habsburgs, pledged at times to Brandenburg and the Polish Vasas. It went to Prussia in 1742 and to Poland in 1945.

Lineage

Duchy of Opole and Racibórz 1172 CE – 1281 CEDuchy of Racibórz 1281 CE – 1532 CEDuchy of OpoleKingdom of Bohemia 1198 CE – 1918 CE

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Duchy of Opole. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-opole
MLA
“Duchy of Opole.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-opole. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Duchy of Opole.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-opole.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Duchy of Opole’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-opole (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻