duchy · Poland, Lithuania and Russia

Duchy of Oswiecim

1315 CE – 1457 CE · capital Oswiecim

A Silesian Piast duchy on the Vistula, under Bohemian overlordship until the Polish king bought it in 1457.

Origins

Oswiecim, west of Krakow, belonged to the Silesian Duchy of Cieszyn. In 1315 it was split off for Wladyslaw, a son of the duke of Cieszyn, who became the first duke of Oswiecim. In 1327 his successor did homage to John of Bohemia, making the duchy a fief of the Kingdom of Bohemia.

Rule and society

The duchy was a small land on the upper Vistula, with salt and trade routes between Krakow, Silesia and Moravia. Its Piast dukes were minor rulers balancing between Bohemia and Poland. In 1445 its lands were divided, and the Duchy of Zator was created for one branch of the family.

Decline and legacy

In 1457 Duke Jan IV sold Oswiecim to Casimir IV of Poland for 50,000 marks, and it was fully incorporated into the Kingdom of Poland (1385-1569) in 1564. The town's German name, Auschwitz, was later given to the Nazi concentration and extermination camp built nearby.

Lineage

Duchy of Cieszyn 1290 CE – 1918 CEDuchy of OswiecimKingdom of Poland (1385-1569) 1385 CE – 1569 CE

Connections (2)

More states of Poland, Lithuania and Russia →

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻