page_title: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wrocław
section_title: Within Bohemia
hierarchical_section_title: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wrocław / History / Within Bohemia
caption_attribution_description: Polski: Nagrobek Biskupa Piotra Nowaka Deutsch: Epitaph des Bischofs von Breslau Peter Nowak (+ 1456). Interessant ist die Ähnlichkeit mit diesem Epitaph von 1455.
context_page_description: The Archdiocese of Wrocław is a Latin Rite archdiocese of the Catholic Church centered in the capital city Wrocław in Poland. From its founding as a bishopric in 1000 until 1821, it was under the Archbishopric of Gniezno in Greater Poland. From 1821 to 1930 it was subjected directly to the Apostolic See. Between 1821 and 1972 it was officially known as Diocese of Breslau.
context_section_description: The constant division and subdivision of Silesian territory into small principalities for the members of the ruling families resulted in a condition of weakness that necessitated dependence on a stronger neighbour, and Silesia thus came under the control of Bohemia (first between 1289–1306; definitely from 1327 onwards), which itself was part of the Holy Roman Empire. A quarrel broke out between Bishop Nanker and the suzerain of Silesia, King John I of Bohemia, when the king seized the castle of Militsch which belonged to the cathedral chapter. The bishop excommunicated the king and those members of the Council of Breslau who sided with him. On account of this he was obliged to flee from Breslau and take refuge in Neisse, where he died.
  Przecław of Pogarell (1341–1376) was elected bishop while pursuing his studies at Bologna, and was consecrated bishop at Avignon. Through his friendship with Charles, the son of King John, he was soon able to settle the discord that had arisen under his predecessor. The diocese prospered greatly under his rule. He bought the Duchy of Grodków (Grottkau) from Duke Bolesław of Brieg and added it to the episcopal territory of Neisse. The Bishops of Breslau had, therefore, after this the titles of Fürst (Prince) of Neisse and Duke of Grottkau, and took precedence over the other Silesian rulers who held principalities in fief.
  Emperor Charles IV wished to separate Breslau from the Archdiocese of Gniezno and to make it a suffragan of the newly erected Archbishopric of Prague (1344) but the plan failed, owing to the opposition of the Archbishop of Gniezno. Przecław added to the cathedral the beautiful Lady Chapel, in which he was buried and where his tomb still exists. Dietrich, dean of the cathedral, who was elected as successor to Przecław, could not obtain the papal confirmation, and the Bishop of Olomouc (Olmütz), who was chosen in his place, soon died. After a long contest with Charles, Bishop Wenzel of Lebus, Duke of Liegnitz, was transferred to Breslau (1382–1417). The new bishop devoted himself to repairing the damage inflicted on the Church in Silesia by the actions of Charles. He held two synods, in 1410 and 1415, with the object of securing a higher standard of ecclesiastical discipline; and he settled the right of inheritance in the territory under his dominion by promulgating the church decree called "Wenzel's law". Resigning his bishopric in 1417, Wenzel died in 1419.
  The episcopate of Conrad, Duke of Oleśnica (Oels), the next bishop (1417–47), was a trying time for Silesia during the Hussite wars. Conrad was placed at the head of the Silesian confederation formed to defend the country against hostile incursions. In 1435 the bishop issued a decree of which the chief intent was to close the prebends in the diocese of Breslau to foreigners, and thus prevent the Poles from obtaining these offices. The effort to shut out the Polish element and to loosen the connection with Gniezno was not a momentary one; it continued, and led gradually to a virtual separation from the Polish archdiocese some time before the formal separation took place. The troubles of the times brought the bishop and the diocese into serious pecuniary difficulties, and in 1444 Conrad resigned, but his resignation was not accepted and he resumed his office. In 1446 he held a diocesan synod and died in the following year.
  Conrad's successor was the provest of the cathedral of Breslau, Peter II Nowak (1447–56). By wise economy Bishop Peter succeeded in bringing the diocesan finances into a better condition and in redeeming the greater part of the church lands which his predecessor had been obliged to mortgage. At the diocesan synod of 1454 he endeavoured to suppress the abuses that had arisen in the diocese.
  Jodokus (Jošt) of Rosenberg (1456–67) was a Bohemian nobleman and Grand Prior of the Knights of St. John. His love of peace made his position a very difficult one during the fierce ecclesiastic-political contention that raged between the Hussite King of Bohemia, George of Poděbrady, and the people of Breslau, who had
caption: Peter Nowak, 23rd Bishop of Wrocław
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