Jan I of Żagań (Polish: Jan I żagański) (c. 1385 – 12 April 1439) was a duke of Żagań-Głogów from 1397 (until 1412 with his brothers as co-rulers), from 1403 Duke of Żagań, Krosno Odrzańskie and Świebodzin (again, until 1412 with his brothers as co-rulers) and from 1412 sole ruler of Żagań and Przewóz.
He was the eldest son of Henry VIII the Sparrow, Duke of Głogów by his wife Katharina, daughter of Duke Władysław of Opole.
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Life
At the time of Henry VIII's death (14 March 1397) his sons were minors. Duke Rupert I of Legnica took the regency of Głogów until 1401, when Jan I formally assumed guardianship of his younger brothers Henry IX the Elder, Henry X Rumpold and Wenceslaus and began his personal rule in Szprotawa, Przemków, Sulechów, half of Głogów, and Bytom Odrzański.
In 1403 their aunt Hedwig of Legnica (Henry VI the Elder's widow) renounced her dower lands (Żagań, Krosno Odrzańskie and Świebodzin) to Jan I and his brothers, who ruled all the lands jointly. Thanks to the privilege of Elector Rudolf III of Saxony in 1408 he could maintain the unity of his duchy despite the protest of his brothers, who claimed their own districts. Ultimately, the division was made in 1412: Jan I retained Żagań, and one year later (in 1413) he also took possession over the duchy of Przewóz in the Polish-German border area (obtained as a result of his marriage with Scholastika, a daughter of Elector Rudolph III).
After the extinction of the main branch of the dukes of Legnica in 1419, Jan I played an important role at the request of many of the cities of Lower Silesia: he initiated the creation of an organization to fight the gangs of robbers who regularly attacked the roads, cities and monasteries.