Ziemomysł of Kuyavia (Polish: Ziemomysł inowrocławski; c. 1245 – October/24 December 1287), was a Polish prince, member of the House of Piast, duke of Inowrocław during 1267–1271 and 1278–1287, and ruler over Bydgoszcz during 1267–1269 and 1278–1287.
Contents
Early years
Ziemomysł was the second son of Casimir I of Kuyavia and his second wife Constance of Wrocław, daughter of Henry II the Pious. In 1257, his mother died, and his father soon married for the third time with Euphrosyne, daughter of Casimir I of Opole. Ziemomysł's stepmother soon caused conflicts in the family with her attempts to obtain territorial benefits for her own children (the eldest of them was the future Polish King Władysław I Łokietek) at the detriment of Ziemomysł and his older full-brother Leszek II the Black; some chronicles even accused Euphrosyne of attempting to poison both stepsons.
Reign
After his father's death in 1267, Ziemomysł inherited the district of Inowrocław. At the beginning of his reign in the small principality, he managed to survive the invasion of the considerable forces of King Ottokar II of Bohemia, who was bound to a Crusade against Lithuania. Was probably at this point that Ziemomysł established close contacts with the Teutonic Order and Sambor II, Duke of Pomerania, alliances which soon brought him serious troubles – the revolt of his own subjects.
The conflict clearly emerged after Sambor II (his father-in-law since 1268) loaned Ziemomysł some German knights. This preference to foreigners disliked the local knighthood, and caused an armed conflict led by the bishop of Kujawy, Wolimir, in 1269. The rebels called the very well-known anti-German Bolesław the Pious to help them. Bolesław took Radziejów, Kruszwica and the castle in Bydgoszcz. Only through rapid action did Ziemomysł and the grant of further privileges to Bishop Wolimir allow him to regain temporary control of his lands.




