- Boleslaw was married twice:
1. Zbyslava (c. 1085/90 – c. 1114), his first wife, was a member of the Rurikid dynasty. She was the daughter of Sviatopolk 2 Michael, Prince of Polotsk (1069–1071), of Novgorod (1078–88), of Turov (1088–1093) and Grand Prince of Kiev (1093–1113). The marriage was probably concluded in 1103 with the purpose to obtain future military help from Kiev in the fight against Zbigniew. This union also notoriously limited the attacks of the Princes of Galicia and Terebovlia against Poland. Until Zbyslava's death the relations between Poland and the Principality of Galicia–Volhynia remained friendly.
Issue of Zbyslava of Kiev:
1.1. Wladyslaw 2 the Exile (1105 – 30 May 1159), the only son of Boleslaw and Zbyslava, was Prince of Kraków, Silesia, Sandomierz, eastern Greater Poland, Kuyavia, Western Pomerania and Gdansk Pomerania (1138–1146). Gallus Anonymous wrote that the heir of the Polish throne was born in the winter of 1107–08, but omitted the gender and name of the child. The Rocznik swietokrzyski and Rocznik kapitulny recorded Wladyslaw's birth in 1105.
1.2. A daughter (Judith?) (c. 1112 – after 1124), married in 1124 to Vsevolod Davidovich, Prince of Murom. Her filiation is doubtful, because in Russian chroniclers was only noted that Vsevolod's wife came from Poland; she probably could be either Boles?aw and Zbyslava's daughter or a member of the Awdaniec family as daughter of Skarbimir.
1.3. Older historiography attributed another child born from the marriage of Boleslaw and Zbyslava. In addition to Wladyslaw 2 and the unnamed daughter was also added an unnamed second son. Gallus Anonymous wrote that this son was born around 1107–1108. According to Oswald Balzer, he died shortly after birth. However, Karol Maleczynski believed that he never existed, pointed that probably the sources who provided the year of 1105 as Wladyslaw 2's date of birth (Rocznik swietokrzyski and Rocznik kapitulny) could be made a mistake.
2. Salomea (c. 1093/1101 – 27 July 1144), his second wife, was a German noblewoman. She was the daughter of Henry of Berg-Schelklingen, Count of Berg. The marriage took place in January or February 1115. This union was motivated by the current political situation, on the occasion of the signing of a peace treaty between Poland and Bohemia. Salomea came from a powerful and influential family, who, after the death of Emperor Henry V in 1125, as a result of the support of the opposition in Germany, lost their political influence at the court of Lothair 3.
Issue of Salomea of Berg:
2.1. Leszek (1115/16 – 26 August before 1131), the eldest son of Boleslaw and Salomea. He probably died in infancy.
2.2. Ryksa (1116 – after 25 December 1156), eldest daughter of Boleslaw and Salomea, in 1127 she married with to Danish prince Magnus Nilsson, future King of Västergötland. This union was made to obtain Danish support for Poland in the war against Germany, but in 1134 Denmark took the side of Germany in the conflict. After Magnus' death in 1134, Ryksa returned to Poland. Later she married with Volodar Glebovich, Prince of Minsk and Hrodno; this marriage was concluded in order to obtain an ally in the Polish war against Hungary. Her third marriage was with King Sverker 1 of Sweden.
2.3. A daughter (before 1117/22 – after 1131), betrothed or married in 1131 to Conrad, Count of Plötzkau and Margrave of Nordmark.
2.4. Casimir, known in historiography as the Older (9 August 1122 – 19 October 1131), according to sources (like Rocznik kapituly krakowskiej), he died aged 9. Jan Dlugosz in his chronicle wrote that he was born from the marriage of Boleslaw and Adelaide, the Prince's supposed second wife.
2.5. Gertruda (1123/24 – 7 May 1160), a nun at Zwiefalten (1139).
2.6. Boleslaw 4 the Curly (c. 1125 – 5 January 1173), Prince of Masovia and Kuyavia (1138–46), of Kraków, Gniezno and Kalisz (1146–73), of Sandomierz (1166–73), married aged 12 with Viacheslava, daughter of Vsevolod, Prince of Pskov. Jan Dlugosz reported his birth in 1127 as the second son born from Boleslaw and Adelaide.
2.7 Mieszko 3 the Old (1126/27 – Kalisz, 13 March 1202), Duke of Greater Poland (1138–1202), of Kraków (1173–1177, 1190, 1199–1202), of Kalisz (1173–1202), of Upper Gdansk Pomerania (1173–1202) and Kuyavia (1195–1198), around 1136 married to Elizabeth, daughter of King Béla 2 of Hungary. The marriage was concluded as one of the provisions of the Congress of Merseburg.
2.8. Dobroniega (1129 – by 1160), after her father's death she was married by her mother Salomea around 1141–1142 to Theodoric 1, Margrave of Lusatia, who later repudiated her.
2.9. Judith (1130 – 8 July 1175), betrothed in 1136 to Prince Géza, son of King Béla 2 of Hungary; however the marriage never took place and in 1148 she married to Otto 1, Margrave of Brandenburg.
2.10. Henry (1131 – 18 October 1166), Duke of Sandomierz (1146–66), according to Jan Dlugosz he was born in 1132. Further mention of him was made in his chronicle by 1139, describing the division of the country in districts. Karol Maleczynski placed his birth between 1127 and 1131. During his father's lifetime Henry didn't play an important political role. He died in 1166 in battle against the Prussians, unmarried and childless.
2.11. Agnes (1137 – after 1182), around 1140–1141 she was a proposed bride to one of the sons of Grand Prince Vsevolod 2 of Kiev. This union was to ensure the support of Kiev in the dispute between Salomea's sons and Wladyslaw 2, their half-brother. At the end, the marriage never took place and she married around 1149–1151 to Mstislav 2, Prince of Pereyaslavl and Grand Prince of Kiev since 1168.
2.12. Casimir 2 the Just (1138 – 5 May 1194), Duke of Wislica (1166–73), of Sandomierz (1173–94) of Kraków (1177–1194), of Masovia and Kuyavia (1186–1194), for a long time considered a posthumous child, and for this reason not included in his father's testament.
Older historiography attributed another 2 daughters from the marriage of Boleslaw and Salomea: Adelaide and Sophia.
2.13. Adelaide (c. 1114 - 25 March before 1132), was the first wife of Adalbert 2 the Pious, eldest son of Leopold 3, Margrave of Austria. Modern historians denies that she was a daughter of Boleslaw.
2.14. Sophia (d. 10 October 1136), was probably the mother of Mateusz, Bishop of Kraków.
3. In older historiography Adelaide, daughter of Emperor Henry 4, was erroneously considered as another wife of Boleslaw. The information about this stated that after the death of Zbyslava, Boleslaw married her in Bamberg in 1110. This report is provided by Jan Dlugosz and Archdiacon Sulger. This view was challenged by Oswald Balzer. [1]
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Abt 1101 - 1144 (42 years)