Bolesław II the Generous

Who was Bolesław II the Generous?

Bolesław II the Generous, also known as the Bold and the Cruel, was Duke of Poland from 1058 to 1076 and third King of Poland from 1076 to 1079. He was the eldest son of Duke Casimir I the Restorer and Maria Dobroniega of Kiev.

Bolesław II is considered to have been one of the most capable of the Piast rulers. In 1075 he re–established the Archdiocese of Gniezno and founded the Diocese of Płock. He established Benedictine monasteries in Mogilno, Lubin and Wrocław. Bolesław II was also the first Polish monarch to produce his own coinage in quantity great enough to replace the foreign coins prevalent in the country during the reigns of the first Piast kings. He established royal mints in Kraków and Wrocław and reformed the coinage, which brought considerable revenue into the royal coffers. All these efforts had an enormous influence on the economic and cultural development of the country.

According to the chronicler Gallus Anonymus, during his reign he was called largus as he founded many churches and monasteries throughout Poland.