The Duchy of Oels or Duchy of Oleśnica was one of the duchies of Silesia

Duchies of Silesia

The Duchies of Silesia resulted from divisions of the original Duchy of Silesia after 1138.In accordance with the last will and testament of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth, the Kingdom of Poland was, upon his death in 1138, divided into five hereditary provinces distributed among his sons, including...

, with the capital in Oleśnica

Olesnica

Oleśnica is a town in the Trzebnickie Hills in southwestern Poland with 36,951 inhabitants . It is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship...

, Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

.
Initially part of the Piast

Piast dynasty

The Piast dynasty was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. It began with the semi-legendary Piast Kołodziej . The first historical ruler was Duke Mieszko I . The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir the Great...

 Duchy of Wrocław, the Oleśnica area became part of the Duchy of Głogów in 1294, following an armed conflict between Duke Henry III

Henry III, Duke of Silesia-Glogau

Henry III of Głogów was a Duke of Głogów from 1274 to his death and also Duke of parts of Greater Poland during 1306–1309....

 and Henry V the Fat

Henry V, Duke of Legnica

Henry V the Fat was a Duke of Jawor from 1273, of Legnica from 1278 and also Duke of Wroclaw from 1290....

, Duke of Wrocław. After the death of Duke Henry III in 1309, it gained significant autonomy during the division of the Głogów lands and the creation of the Duchy of Oleśnica for Henry's son Bolesław in 1313, followed by his brother Konrad I

Konrad I of Olesnica

Konrad I of Oleśnica was a Duke of Żagań, Ścinawa, etc., during 1309–1312 , Duke of Oleśnica, Namysłów, Gniezno and Kalisz during 1312–1313 , Duke of Kalisz during 1313–1314 , Duke of Namysłów since 1313 and Duke of Oleśnica since 1321 until his death .He was the second son...

 in 1321.

Konrad sought protection from the claims of his Piast cousin King Władysław I the Elbow-high of Poland at the Bohemian crown

Kingdom of Bohemia

The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...

 and in 1328 swore allegiance to King John the Blind of Bohemia. Thus after the local branch of the Silesian Piasts

Silesian Piasts

The Silesian Piasts were the oldest line of the Piast dynasty beginning with Władysław II the Exile, son of Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland...

 had died out with the death of Duke Konrad X in 1492, Henry of Poděbrady, the son of the predeceased Bohemian King George of Poděbrady

George of Podebrady

George of Kunštát and Poděbrady , also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad , was King of Bohemia...

 claimed the duchy as a ceased fief for him and his descendants, finally acknowledged by George's successor King Vladislav II Jagellonský in 1495.

When the Poděbrad dynasty

Podiebrad family

The Bohemian Poděbrady family was a noble family in Bohemia, arising from the Lords of Kunštát. After Boček of Kunštát had acquired the Lordship of Poděbrady by marriage, he called himself "Boček of Kunštát and Poděbrady". The best known member of the family was George of Poděbrady, who was...

 became extinct in 1647, Emperor Ferdinand III of Habsburg

Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor

Ferdinand III was Holy Roman Emperor from 15 February 1637 until his death, as well as King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria.-Life:...

 enfeoffed Duke Silvius I Nimrod of Württemberg

Württemberg

Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....

 with Oleśnica, who had married the daughter of the last Poděbrad duke. The duchy remained under the Crown of Bohemia until in 1742 it was conquered by the Kingdom of Prussia

Kingdom of Prussia

The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...

 in the course of the Silesian Wars

Silesian Wars

The Silesian Wars were a series of wars between Prussia and Austria for control of Silesia. They formed parts of the larger War of the Austrian Succession and Seven Years' War. They eventually ended with Silesia being incorporated into Prussia, and Austrian recognition of this...

. The Württemberg dukes remained landowners and in 1792 the duchy was inherited by Frederick Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Frederick Augustus, Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Oels

Frederick Augustus of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel was a German nobleman and Prussian general...

, son of Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. From 1815 Oleśnica was ruled in personal union with the Duchy of Brunswick

Duchy of Brunswick

Brunswick was a historical state in Germany. Originally the territory of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in the Holy Roman Empire, it was established as an independent duchy by the Congress of Vienna in 1815...

 until its dissolution after Duke William had died without issue in 1884.