Nicholas the Small (Mikoà Âaj Maà Ây) (1322/1327 â 23 April 1358) was a Duke of ZiÃÂbice from 1341 until his death.
He was the only son of Duke Bolko II of ZiÃÂbice and his wife Guta. He was born between 1322 and 1327. He had a sister, Maà Âgorzata, but he did not know whether she was older or younger.
Nicholas received a good education in the (Henryków). After his father's death on 11 June 1341, he took control of the government of his domains. He almost immediately went to Prague, where on 24 August he paid homage to King John of Bohemia. The huge debts left by his father forced Nicholas on 14 October 1343 to promise not to sell any of his lands without John's consent. In addition, if he did sell, the King had the first option to buy. He also agreed that, if the male line of the Dukes of ZiÃÂbice became extinct, the duchy would be annexed to the Bohemian Kingdom on condition that appropriate dowries be provided to the late Duke's daughters.
Financial problems as early as 1343 forced Nicholas to sell the district of Zobten (Sobótka) to his cousin Bolko II the Small for 1,000 grzywnas of silver. Three years later, and for the same amount, he sold Frankenstein (Zàbkowice) and the monastery of Kamenz (Kamieniec Zàbkowicki) to the Bohemian magnate Heinrich von Haugwitz. A combination of favorable circumstances enabled him to sell the same land in 1348, this time definitively, to Emperor Charles IV for 6,000 grzywnas. Finally, in 1350 Nicholas sold the town of Wàsów to the Bishop of Breslau, Przecà Âaw of Pogorzela. As a result, of the vast domains he inherited from his father, Nicholas retained only Münsterberg, Strehlen (Strzelin), Kanth (Kàty Wrocà Âawskie) and Patschkau (Paczków).
In 1355, Nicholas took part in the coronation of Charles IV as Holy Roman Emperor in Rome. After a long stay in Prague, he returned to his duchy a year later. The Duke then went on a pilgrimage to Palestine between 1357 and 1358.
Nicholas died in Hungary on 23 April 1358 during his return trip. His body was brought to the duchy and buried in the monastery in Heinrichau.
By 23 October 1343, Nicholas married Agnes (d. 16 July 1370), daughter of Hynek (also named Hermann or Hajman) Kruà ¡ina z Lichtemburka, a Bohemian magnate. In some sources, Agnes is erroneously named the daughter of "Herman, Landgrave of Leuchtenberg", who historically never existed. Elisabeth Kruà ¡ina z Lichtemburk, Agnes' older sister, married BoÃÂek z Kunà ¡tátu, another Bohemian magnate, and they were the paternal great-grandparents of George of PodÃÂbrady, later King of Bohemia. They had six children:
In his will, Nicholas left to his wife the regency of his lands on behalf of their infant sons and effective rule over Strehlen.