List of Polish monarchs

Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, kings were elected by the nobility (16th to 18th centuries).

Duke Mieszko I adopted Christianity under the authority of Rome in the year 966. He was succeeded by his son, BolesÃÂaw I the Brave, who greatly expanded the boundaries of the Polish state and ruled as the first king in 1025. The following centuries gave rise to the mighty Piast dynasty, consisting of both kings such as Mieszko II Lambert, PrzemysÃÂ II or WÃÂadysÃÂaw I the Elbow-high and dukes like BolesÃÂaw III Wrymouth. The dynasty's rule over Poland ceased with the death of Casimir III the Great in 1370. In the same year, the Capetian House of Anjou became the ruling house with Louis I as king of both Poland and Hungary. His daughter, Jadwiga, later married Jogaila, the pagan Grand Duke of Lithuania, who in 1386 was baptized and crowned as WÃÂadysÃÂaw II JagieÃÂÃÂo, thus creating the Jagiellonian dynasty and a personal union between Poland and Lithuania.

During the reign of Casimir IV Jagiellon and Sigismund I the Old, culture flourished and cities developed. This era of progress, also known as the Polish Renaissance, continued until the Union of Lublin under Sigismund II Augustus, which unofficially marked the end of the Polish Golden Age. After the death of the last Jagiellonian king, the united PolishÃ¢ÂÂLithuanian Commonwealth became an elective monarchy with mostly foreigners elected as monarchs such as Henry III of France, who witnessed the introduction of the Golden Liberty system, and Stephen BÃÂ¡thory, a capable military commander who strengthened the nation. The Vasa dynasty initially expanded the Commonwealth as the arts and crafts developed, as well as trade and commerce. King Sigismund III Vasa, a talented but somewhat despotic ruler, involved the country in many wars, which subsequently resulted in the successful capture of Moscow and the loss of Livonia to Sweden. His son, WÃÂadysÃÂaw IV Vasa, fiercely defended the Commonwealth's borders and continued the policy of his father until his death, unlike John II Casimir whose tragic rule resulted in his abdication.

The election of John III Sobieski to the Polish throne proved to be beneficial for the Commonwealth. A brilliant military tactician, John III led the coalition forces to victory at Vienna in 1683 and he partially recaptured land from the Ottoman Empire. However, in the following years, the contested rule of the Wettin dynasty (Augustus II the Strong and Augustus III) placed the Commonwealth under the influence of Saxony and the Russian Empire. Additional feuds with rebel nobility (szlachta) and most notably Stanislaus I LeszczyÃÂski and France diminished the influence of PolandÃ¢ÂÂLithuania in the region, which led to the partitions that occurred under King Stanislaus II Augustus, yet another enlightened but ineffective monarch.

During the Napoleonic Wars, Frederick Augustus I, King of Saxony, ruled as Duke of Warsaw and attempted to rehabilitate the Polish state. After the Congress of Vienna, the territory of Poland was again divided by the Prussia (with the Prussian King as Grand Duke of Posen), Russia (Congress Poland was founded in 1815 with the Emperor of Russia as King of Poland) and Austria (with the Austrian Emperors as Kings of Galicia and Lodomeria). A new Kingdom of Poland was proclaimed as an independent state in 1916 with a Regency Council but the monarchy was abolished and a parliamentary republican authority was established when Poland was re-constituted as a sovereign state in 1918.

Legendary

Most of the legendary Polish rulers appear for the first time in chronicles from the 13th century and their existence has not been determined.

House of Piast

The three direct predecessors of Mieszko I are known only from the account of Gallus Anonymus, who wrote the oldest Polish chronicle, at the beginning of the 12th century. Though their historicity was once debatable, now historians tend to consider them actually existing rulers.

Mieszko I started his reign as leader of the Polans, while other parts of future Poland were settled by other tribes, such as Masovians, Vistulans, Lendians, Silesians or Pomeranians. During his reign Mieszko united polish lands and adopted Christianity connecting Poland with western Europe. His descendents ruled the state as natural lords and Poland was seen as their hereditary property. Because of that, the state was often divided between sons of deceased ruler and eventually united by one of them. Early polish rulers were not considered equal to western European kings, so their title is translated as a duke. Some of them managed to prepare a coronation and adopted title of king, but effects of those efforts were short lived.

|- | King <big>BolesÃÂaw I the Brave</big> also Boleslaus I the Great 9921025 (as duke)<hr />18 April 102517 June 1025 (as king) ( years) | | PoznaÃÂ<hr />Son of Mieszko I and Doubravka of Bohemia | Hunilda, daughter of Rikdag <hr /> Judith of Hungary <hr /> Emnilda of Lusatia<hr /> Oda of Meissen | 17 June 1025 KrakÃÂ³w Aged about 58 | First crowned king<hr />Succession | Piast

|- | King <big>BolesÃÂaw II the Generous</big> 10581076 (as duke) 26 December 10761079 (as king) ( years) | | 1042<hr />Son of Casimir I the Restorer and Maria Dobroniega | WyszesÃÂawa, 1 son | 2/3 April 1081 Hungary or Ossiach Aged about 39 | Crowned king in 1076<hr />Deposed and exiled in 1079 after slaying Saint Stanislaus | Piast

|- | Duke <big>BolesÃÂaw III Wrymouth</big> also Boleslaus III 11021138 ( years) | | 20 August 1086 PÃÂock<hr />Son of WÃÂadysÃÂaw I Herman and Judith of Bohemia | Zbyslava of Kiev<hr /> Salomea of Berg | 28 October 1138 Sochaczew Aged 52 | Country divided until 1107 <hr />Succession<hr />His death led to the fragmentation of Poland | Piast

Fragmentation of Poland (1138Ã¢ÂÂ1320)

After period of fights between brothers and unstable inheritance BolesÃÂaw III Wrymouth decided to formalize succession. According to his testament the state was divided into provinces - one for every son and a Senioral Province with the capital city KrakÃÂ³w. The testament established two principles on which new order in Poland was based: principate and seniorate. One duke, the princeps (also called in English high duke), had supreme authority over other dukes and ruled the senioral province. This princeps should be the oldest member of the dynasty, not necessarily son of the predecessor. During time of fragmentation, both principles were abolished. Seniorate was formally abolished in 1180 during assembly of dukes and bishops in ÃÂÃÂczyca, when Casimir II the Just was made hereditary high duke. The Principate was de facto ended in 1227 with the assassination of Leszek the White, after which local dukes no longer respected suzereinity of the high duke.

|- | <big>Mieszko III</big> 11911191 | | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Usurped | Piast

|- | <big>Casimir II the Just</big> 11911194 | | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Restoration | Piast

|- | <big>Mieszko III</big> 11981199 | | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Agreement with Leszek and his regents | Piast

|- | <big>Leszek I the White</big> 11991199 | | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Restored | Piast

|- | <big>Mieszko III</big> 11991202 | | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Restored | Piast

|- | <big>Leszek I the White</big> 12061210 | | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Restored | Piast

|- | <big>Leszek I the White</big> 12111227 ( years) | | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Restored<hr />Murdered in 1227 | Piast

|- | <big>WÃÂadysÃÂaw III Spindleshanks</big> 12281231 | | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Ã¢ÂÂ | Succession agreement with predecessor | Piast

Attempt at restoration (1295Ã¢ÂÂ1296)

In the 13th century the idea of reunification of Poland under single ruler started to gain popularity. It was often connected with coronation and establishment of hereditary kingdom. First attempts were made by Henry II the Pious and Henry Probus but both of them died before they manage to achieve their goals. The first duke, who became king in this period was PrzemysÃÂ II. He ruled briefly as high duke but didn't manage to unite all Polish lands. He crowned himself when ruling in his hereditary province, Greater Poland, and in the province of Eastern Pomerania. His assassination in 1296 delayed the unification of Poland by 20 years.

|- | King <big>PrzemysÃÂ II</big> English: Premislaus II 12901291 (as High Duke)<hr />12951296 (as King) (1 year) | | | 14 October 1257 PoznaÃÂ<hr />Son of PrzemysÃÂ I of Greater Poland and Elisabeth of WrocÃÂaw | Ludgarda of Mecklenburg<hr /> Richeza of Sweden<hr /> Margaret of Brandenburg | 8 February 1296 RogoÃÂºno Aged 38 | Named an heir in predecessor's testament<hr />Crowned king in 1295<hr />Granted Poland its coat of arms<hr />Assassinated | Piast

PÃÂemyslid House

House of PÃÂemyslid were kings of Bohemia and had many family connections with Piast dynasty. In 1291, Wenceslaus II of Bohemia exploited the weakness of an internally divided Poland and conquered KrakÃÂ³w, basing his claim on loose family ties with one of the previous high dukes. He later legitimize his rule by marrying the daughter of PrzemysÃÂ II, which also gave him claims to Polish kingship.

|- | King <big>Wenceslaus II of Bohemia</big> 12911300 (as High Duke)<hr />13001305 (as King) ( years) | | | 27 September 1271 Prague<hr />Son of Ottokar II of Bohemia and Kunigunda of Slavonia | Judith of Habsburg<hr /> Elisabeth Richeza of Poland | 21 June 1305 Prague Aged 33 | Usurped<hr />Crowned himself King of Poland in 1300 | PÃÂemyslid

House of Piast (restored)

Near the end of the reign of Wenceslaus II, his rule over Poland was undermined by the remaining polish dukes - especially by Ladislaus the Short, who had been exiled by Wenceslaus and had a strong claim to inheritance of PrzemysÃÂ II, and by Henry III of GÃÂogÃÂ³w, who also was an heir of PrzemysÃÂ. The assassination of Wenceslaus III of Bohemia, which led to the extinction of the PÃÂemyslid dynasty and a succession crisis in Bohemia, left Poland to Wenceslaus's opponents. His successors in Bohemia called themselves kings of Poland until 1335. Eventually Ladislaus the Short managed to unite two main provinces of Poland - Greater Poland and Lesser Poland - and crowned himself king in 1320 ending the period of feudal fragmentation.

|- | King <big>Ladislaus the Short</big> 13061320 (as High Duke)<hr />20 January 1320 2 March 1333 (as King) () | | | <hr />Son of Casimir I of Kuyavia and Euphrosyne of Opole | Jadwiga of Kalisz, 6 children | 2 March 1333 KrakÃÂ³w Aged about 73 | Rebellion against PÃÂemyslid rule<hr/ >Reunited the Kingdom of Poland after fragmentation<hr />Crowned King in 1320 | Piast

|- | King <big>Casimir III the Great</big> 25 April 1333 5 November 1370 () | | | 30 April 1310 Kowal<hr />Son of WÃÂadysÃÂaw I the Elbow-high and Jadwiga of Kalisz | Aldona of Lithuania, 2 children<hr /> Adelaide of Hesse<hr /> Christina Rokiczana<hr /> Hedwig of Sagan, 3 children | 5 November 1370 KrakÃÂ³w Aged 60 | Succession<hr />Strengthened Poland's position in Europe<hr />Died without a male heir<hr />Last monarch from the Piast Dynasty | Piast

House of Anjou

Casimir III the Great died without male heir. According to previous agreements his successor became his nephew, king of Hungary Louis I, beginning Polish-Hungarian personal union. After Louis death his kingdoms were separated - his younger daughter, Hedwig became king of Poland after brief interregnum (she is called king because in Poland title "queen" is reserved only for the king's wife and older daughter, not for rulers). Mary became queen of Hungary.

|- | King <big>Louis</big> 17 November 1370 10 September 1382 () | | | 5 March 1326 VisegrÃÂ¡d<hr />Son of Charles I of Hungary and Elizabeth of Poland | Margaret of Bohemia<hr /> Elizabeth of Bosnia, 4 children | 10 September 1382 Nagyszombat (Trnava) Aged 56 | Succeeded his uncle, Casimir III, to the Polish throne | Anjou

|- | King <big>Hedwig</big> 16 October 1384 17 July 1399 () | | | 3 October 137318 February 1374 Buda<hr />Daughter of Louis I of Hungary and Elizabeth of Bosnia | William, Duke of Austria (disputed), no children<hr /> WÃÂadysÃÂaw II JagieÃÂÃÂo (Jogaila), 1 child | 17 July 1399 KrakÃÂ³w Aged 25 | Succeeded her father in Poland. The last hereditary ruler of Poland.<hr />Her husband was crowned jure uxoris on 4 March 1386. | Anjou

House of Jagiellon

Female king Hedwig started her reign young and unmarried, which gave Poland a huge opportunity. She eventually married the pagan Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila, who adopted the name WÃÂadysÃÂaw after baptism. This event led to the creation of the PolishÃ¢ÂÂLithuanian personal union. After Hedwigs death, WÃÂadysÃÂaw remained king of Poland, but he and his successors were no longer considered natural lords of Poland and often had to give privileges to nobility in exchange for support of succession of their children.

|- | King <big>WÃÂadysÃÂaw II JagieÃÂÃÂo</big> 4 March 1386 1 June 1434 () | | | /1362 Vilnius<hr />Son of Algirdas and Uliana of Tver | Hedwig of Poland (Jadwiga), 1 child<hr /> Anna of Cilli, 1 child<hr /> Elisabeth of Pilica<hr /> Sophia of Halshany, 3 children | 1 June 1434 GrÃÂ³dek Aged 72Ã¢ÂÂ82 | Born a pagan<hr />Previously Grand Duke of Lithuania<hr />Crowned co-ruler with wife Hedwig<hr />Longest-reigning Polish monarch | Jagiellon

|- | King <big>WÃÂadysÃÂaw III</big> English: Ladislaus III of Varna 25 July 1434 10 November 1444 () | | | 31 October 1424 KrakÃÂ³w<hr />Son of Jogaila and Sophia of Halshany | Unmarried and childless | 10 November 1444 Varna Aged 20 (presumed) | Elected as his father's successor in Poland<hr />Presumed to be killed at the Battle of Varna<hr />Interregnum until 1447 | Jagiellon

|- | King <big>Casimir IV</big> 25 June 1447 7 June 1492 () | | | 30 November 1427 KrakÃÂ³w<hr />Son of Jogaila and Sophia of Halshany | Elizabeth of Habsburg, 13 children | 7 June 1492 Grodno Aged 64 | Election<hr />Previously Grand Duke of Lithuania<hr />Divided the PolishÃ¢ÂÂLithuanian realm between John and Alexander | Jagiellon

|- | King <big>John I Albert</big> 23 September 1492 17 June 1501 () | | | 27 December 1459 KrakÃÂ³w<hr />Son of Casimir IV and Elizabeth of Habsburg | Unmarried and childless | 17 June 1501 ToruÃÂ Aged 41 | Elected as his father's successor in Poland<hr />Laid foundation for the Sejm and Senate (Polish Parliament) | Jagiellon

|- | King <big>Alexander</big> 12 December 1501 19 August 1506 () | | | 5 August 1461 KrakÃÂ³w<hr />Son of Casimir IV and Elizabeth of Habsburg | Helena of Moscow | 19 August 1506 Vilnius Aged 45 | Succeeded his brother in Poland as elective monarch<hr />Previously Grand Duke of Lithuania<hr />Buried in Lithuania | Jagiellon

|- | King <big>Sigismund I the Old</big> 8 December 1506 1 April 1548 () | | | 1 January 1467 Kozienice<hr />Son of Casimir IV and Elizabeth of Habsburg | Barbara ZÃÂ¡polya, 2 children<hr /> Bona Sforza, 6 children | 1 April 1548 KrakÃÂ³w Aged 81 | Succeeded his brother in Lithuania, elected as his successor in Poland. | Jagiellon

|- | King <big>Sigismund II Augustus</big> 18 December 1529 7 July 1572 () | | | 1 August 1520 KrakÃÂ³w<hr />Son of Sigismund I and Bona Sforza | Elizabeth of Austria<hr /> Barbara RadziwiÃÂÃÂ<hr /> Catherine of Austria | 7 July 1572 Knyszyn Aged 51 | Election vivente rege<hr />Formation of the PolishÃ¢ÂÂLithuanian Commonwealth with an elective monarchy<hr />Last male member of the Jagiellonian Dynasty, died heirless | Jagiellon

PolishÃ¢ÂÂLithuanian Commonwealth, 1569Ã¢ÂÂ1795

In 1569, king Sigismund II Augustus, knowing that he had no heir, united Poland and Lithuania into single entityÃ¢ÂÂthe PolishÃ¢ÂÂLithuanian CommonwealthÃ¢ÂÂto ensure that after his death both nations will remain under the same monarch. He also declared that after his death, the nobility would elect his successor, beginning the elective monarchy not constricted to members of one dynasty, like during Jagiellons. He also ensured, that all nobles would decide the next king, not only the richest and most powerful ones. The first post-Jagiellonic elective king, Henry of Valois, signed the Henrician Articles, which guaranteed free elections and the rule of the nobility over the state. He, and every ruler after him, had to sign a 'pacta conventa'Ã¢ÂÂa document of policies that the king promised to implement. After death of every king, the primate of Poland became an interrex; a temporary head of state, until a new king was elected.

|- | King <big>Henry</big> 16 May 1573 12 May 1575 () | | | 19 September 1551 Fontainebleau<hr />Son of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici | Louise of Lorraine, no children | 2 August 1589 Saint-Cloud Aged 37 | Elected<hr />Left Poland in June 1574 to succeed his brother in France<hr />Interregnum until 1575 | Valois

|- | Queen <big>Anna</big> 15 December 1575 19 August 1587 (de facto) () 9 September 1596 (de jure) () | | | 18 October 1523 KrakÃÂ³w<hr />Daughter of Sigismund I and Bona Sforza | Stephen BÃÂ¡thory, no children | 9 September 1596 Warsaw Aged 72 | Elected co-monarch with Stephen BÃÂ¡thory<hr />Ruled only formally<hr />Sole ruler until BÃÂ¡thory's arrival and coronation in May 1576<hr />Ruled after husband's death until her nephew was elected | Jagiellon

|- | King <big>Stephen BÃÂ¡thory</big> 1 May 1576 12 December 1586 () | | | 27 September 1533 SzilÃÂ¡gysomlyÃÂ³<hr />Son of Stephen BÃÂ¡thory of SomlyÃÂ³ and Catherine Telegdi | Anna Jagiellon, no children | 12 December 1586 Grodno Aged 53 | Elected as co-monarch with Anna Jagiellon<hr />Prince of Transylvania | BÃÂ¡thory

|- | King <big>Sigismund III</big> 19 August 1587 30 April 1632 () | | | 20 June 1566 Gripsholm<hr />Son of John III of Sweden and Catherine Jagiellon | Anne of Austria, 5 children<hr /> Constance of Austria, 7 children | 30 April 1632 Warsaw Aged 65 | Elected, nephew of Anna Jagiellon<hr />Transferred capital from KrakÃÂ³w to Warsaw<hr />Hereditary King of Sweden until deposition in 1599 | Vasa

|- | King <big>WÃÂadysÃÂaw IV</big> also Ladislaus IV 8 November 1632 20 May 1648 () | | | 9 June 1595 ÃÂobzÃÂ³w<hr />Son of Sigismund III and Anne of Austria | Cecilia Renata of Austria, 3 children<hr /> Marie Louise Gonzaga | 20 May 1648 MerkinÃÂ Aged 52 | Elective succession<hr />Also titular King of Sweden and elected Tsar of Russia (1610Ã¢ÂÂ1613) when the Polish army captured Moscow | Vasa

|- | King <big>John II Casimir</big> 20 November 1648 16 September 1668 () | | | 22 March 1609 KrakÃÂ³w<hr />Son of Sigismund III and Constance of Austria | Marie Louise Gonzaga, 2 children<hr /> Claudine FranÃÂ§oise Mignot (morganatic marriage) | 16 December 1672 Nevers Aged 63 | Elective succession, succeeded half-brother<hr />Previously a cardinal<hr />Titular King of Sweden<hr />Abdicated | Vasa

|- | King <big>Michael I</big> 19 June 1669 10 November 1673 () | | | 31 May 1640 BiaÃÂy KamieÃÂ<hr />Son of Jeremi WiÃÂniowiecki and Gryzelda Konstancja Zamoyska | Eleonora Maria of Austria, 1 child | 10 November 1673 LwÃÂ³w Aged 33 | Elected<hr />Born into nobility of mixed heritage, the son of a military commander and governor | WiÃÂniowiecki

|- | King <big>Augustus II</big> 15 September 1697 1706 (1st reign, 9 years) | | | 12 May 1670 Dresden<hr />Son of John George III and Princess Anna Sophie of Denmark | Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, 1 son by wife | 1 February 1733 Warsaw Aged 62 | Elected<hr />Previously Elector and ruler of Saxony<hr />Dethroned by Stanislaus I in 1706 during the Great Northern War | Wettin

|- | King <big>Stanislaus I</big> 12 July 1704 8 July 1709 (1st reign, ) | | | 20 October 1677 LwÃÂ³w<hr />Son of RafaÃÂ LeszczyÃÂski and Anna JabÃÂonowska | Catherine OpaliÃÂska, 2 children | 23 February 1766 LunÃÂ©ville Aged 88 | Usurped<hr />Nominated as ruler in 1704, crowned in 1705 and deposed predecessor in 1706<hr />Exiled in 1709 | LeszczyÃÂski

|- | King <big>Stanislaus I</big> 12 September 1733 26 January 1736 (2nd reign, ) | | | 20 October 1677 LwÃÂ³w<hr />Son of RafaÃÂ LeszczyÃÂski and Anna JabÃÂonowska | Catherine OpaliÃÂska, 2 children, including Marie, Queen of France | 23 February 1766 LunÃÂ©ville Aged 88 | Elected<hr />His election sparked the War of the Polish Succession<hr />Deposed by Augustus III in 1736 | LeszczyÃÂski

|- | King <big>Augustus III</big> 5 October 1733 5 October 1763 (30 years) | | | 17 October 1696 Dresden<hr />Son of Augustus II the Strong and Christiane Eberhardine | Maria Josepha of Austria, 16 children, including Maria Josepha, Dauphine of France | 5 October 1763 Dresden Aged 66 | Usurped<hr />Proclaimed King of Poland in 1733, crowned in 1734<hr />Dethroned elected predecessor in 1736 | Wettin

|- | King <big>Stanislaus II Augustus</big> 7 September 1764 25 November 1795 () | | | 17 January 1732 WoÃÂczyn<hr />Son of StanisÃÂaw Poniatowski and Konstancja Czartoryska | Unmarried, had illegitimate children including with Empress Catherine II of Russia | 1 February 1798 Saint Petersburg Aged 66 | Elected<hr />Born into nobility<hr />Last King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, his reign ended in the Partitions of Poland | Poniatowski

Duchy of Warsaw, 1807Ã¢ÂÂ1815

After long period of instability and anarchy, the PolishÃ¢ÂÂLithuanian Commonwealth was divided among its neighboursÃ¢ÂÂRussia, Prussia and Austria. During the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon created the Duchy of Warsaw from the lands of the Prussian partition. Some parts of Austrian partition were later added to the Duchy. The Duchy had its own duke and government, but was fully dependent on France. After the fall of Napoleon, the duchy was divided between Russia and Prussia.

|- | Grand Duke <big>Frederick Augustus I</big> 9 June 1807 22 May 1815 () | | | 23 December 1750 Dresden<hr />Son of Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony and Maria Antonia of Bavaria | Amalie of ZweibrÃÂ¼cken-Birkenfeld, 1 daughter | 5 May 1827 Dresden Aged 76 | Treaties of Tilsit<hr />Designated as a king of Poland by General Confederation of the Kingdom of Poland, 1812. | Wettin

Poland from 1815 to 1918

After fall of the Duchy of Warsaw, the Polish lands were reorganised. Prussia annexed Greater Poland and created the Grand Duchy of Posen, KrakÃÂ³w became a free city and the rest of the former Duchy of Warsaw became part of the Russian Empire, as Congress Poland. In 1846, KrakÃÂ³w was annexed by Austria and in 1848, the Grand Duchy of Posen was dissolved. In 1867, after the failed January Uprising, the remaining autonomy of Congress Poland was abolished. During World War I, in German occupied Congress Poland, the Regency Kingdom was formed and lasted from 1917 to 1918. After Poland regained independence in 1918, a republican system with the president as head of state was established.

See the list of rulers of partitioned Poland.

Family tree of the rulers of Poland

Pretenders to the Polish throne

Vratislaus II of Bohemia (1085Ã¢ÂÂ1092)
Rudolf I of Bohemia (1306Ã¢ÂÂ1307)
Henry of Bohemia (1307Ã¢ÂÂ1310)
John of Bohemia (1310Ã¢ÂÂ1335)
Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria (1916Ã¢ÂÂ1918)
Kiril, Prince of Preslav (1916Ã¢ÂÂ1918)

Modern

Alexander, Margrave of Meissen (2012Ã¢ÂÂ), disputed
RÃÂ¼diger, Margrave of Meissen (2012Ã¢ÂÂ2022), disputed
Daniel, Margrave of Meissen (2022Ã¢ÂÂ), disputed. Son of RÃÂ¼diger

Not recognized royal elections

Maxmilian II Habsburg (1575Ã¢ÂÂ1576), See: 1576 Free election
Maxmilian III Habsburg (1587Ã¢ÂÂ1589), See: 1587 Free election
FranÃÂ§ois Louis de Bourbon (1697), See: 1697 Free election

Notes

References

Bibliography

Borkowska U., Dynastia JagiellonÃÂ³w w Poslce, Warszawa 2012,
Duczmal M., Jagiellonowie. Leksykon biograficzny, KrakÃÂ³w 1996.
Dybkowska A., ÃÂ»aryn J., ÃÂ»aryn M., Polskie dzieje. Od czasÃÂ³w najdawniejszych po wspÃÂ³ÃÂczesnoÃÂÃÂ, wyd. 2, Warszawa 1995.
Gierowski J.A., Rzeczpospolita w dobie zÃÂotej wolnoÃÂci (1648Ã¢ÂÂ1763), KrakÃÂ³w 2001.
Grodziski S., Polska w czasach przeÃÂomu (1764Ã¢ÂÂ1815), KrakÃÂ³w 2001.
Grodziski S., PorÃÂ³wnawcza historia ustrojÃÂ³w paÃÂstwowych, KrakÃÂ³w 1998.
Grzybowski S., Dzieje Polski i Litwy (1506Ã¢ÂÂ1648), KrakÃÂ³w 2000.
Morby J.E., Dynastie ÃÂwiata. Przewodnik chronologiczny i genealogiczny, KrakÃÂ³w 1995, s. 261Ã¢ÂÂ263.
Wyrozumski J., Dzieje Polski piastowskiej (VIII w.-1370), KrakÃÂ³w 1999.
Zientara B., Henryk Brodaty i jego czasy, wyd. 2, Warszawa 1997.

External links

GÃÂ³rczyk, Wojciech. "PÃÂ³ÃÂksiÃÂÃÂ¼yc, orzeÃÂ, lew i smok. Uwagi o godÃÂach napieczÃÂtnych PiastÃÂ³w" . Histmag.org. June 14, 2009.