# Battle of Legnica (1241)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1241-battle-of-legnica
Location: Legnica
Categories: battle, main-event

A Mongol army destroyed the Polish and allied host near Legnica; Duke Henry II the Pious was killed and his head displayed by the victors. His death ended the Silesian bid to reunite Poland. Within the broader Fragmentation period: After 1138 Poland split into duchies ruled by rival Piast princes. Mongol invasions, German settlement, the growth of towns and the arrival of the Teutonic Knights reshaped the land before it was reunited. At this point in the timeline (9 April 1241), the governing authority was Bolesław II the Horned (High Duke of Poland). Eldest son of Henry II who briefly held Kraków after his father's death before losing it to Konrad of Masovia. Battle of Legnica mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Battle of Legnica mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Bolesław II the Horned](https://poland-history.com/rulers/boleslaw-ii-the-horned)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Legnica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Legnica)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Legnica](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Legnica)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland during the Piast dynasty (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_during_the_Piast_dynasty#Fragmentation_of_the_realm_(1138%E2%80%931320))