• Born: Abt 967, Poznon, Poland
• Married (1): Abt 984
• Married (2): Between Oct 985 and Dec 985
• Married (3): 987
• Married (4): Before 992
• Married (5): 3 Feb 1018, Burg Cziczani
• Died: 17 Jun 1025

  Research Notes:

The Chronicæ Polanorum names "Boleslavum" as son of "Meschonem [et] Dubrovcam". The Annales Kamenzenses name "Bolezlaum Magnum" as son of "Mesco…rex Polanorum" and his wife "Danbrovcam filiam ducis Boemie", born in 967. The Annales Polanorum date the birth of "Boleslaus Chabri" in 967. His father left him as a hostage at the German court after the Quedlinburg mediation of 973 following Prince Mieszko's defeat of Hodo Markgraf der Ostmark.

He succeeded his father in 992 as BOLESŁAW I "Chrobry/the Brave" Prince of Poland. On his accession, he expelled his stepmother and half-brothers from Poland. He offered safe passage through Poland for St Adalbert, expelled as Bishop of Prague, who entered Prussia to convert the pagans. After Adalbert's martyrdom in Apr 997, Bolesław ransomed his body for its weight in gold and buried it in Gniezno cathedral. In 1000, Emperor Otto III visited Gniezno, recognised Polish independence, and established the archbishopric of Gniezno as an independent church metropolis covering the whole of Poland, on the authority of a special bull issued by Pope Sylvester II. After the election in 1002 of Heinrich II as King of Germany, a group of German nobles tried to assassinate Prince Bolesław, triggering the Polish-German war which lasted until 1016. During the course of this, Bolesław occupied Meissen, was invited into Prague by the population, deposed Boleslav III Duke of Bohemia, and installed his brother as duke in his place. After his brother died, Bolesław assumed the position of duke of Bohemia himself until 1004 when he was driven out of Bohemia by Heinrich II King of Germany. He captured Lausitz in 1007, confirmed in peace meetings at Merseburg in 1013 and Bautzen in 1018. After the Polish-Russian war of 1013, peace was confirmed by the marriage of Duke Bolesław's daughter to the Grand Prince of Kiev, and in [1017] Prince Bolesław asked for the hand in marriage of the daughter of Grand Prince Vladimir, wishing to strengthen the bond between Poland and Russia, but this was refused. He helped restore his son-in-law in Kiev in Jul/Aug 1018, forcing the temporary retreat of Iaroslav Vladimirovich to Novgorod. After the death in 1024 of Emperor Heinrich II, with whom Prince Bolesław had always had poor relations, Pope John XIX agreed to grant Boleslaw a royal crown and he was crowned King of Poland in 1024.

The necrology of Lüneburg records the death "17 Jun" of "Bolizlauus dux". The Breve chronicon Silesiæ records the death in 1025 of "Bolezlaus magnus". ¹