Boleslaus the Bold (1039-1081), the eldest son of
Casimir the Restorer, obtained the royal title in 1076, after 18 years
of rule as a prince, thanks to his support of the pope in the latter's
dispute with the emperor Henry IV. Papal legates restored the metropolis of
Gniezno and established a new bishopric (next to the old ones
of Poznan, Wroclaw and Cracow) in Plock. Boleslaus conducted many wars and
intervened in dynastic conflicts in Hungary and Rus. His strong-arm rule
provoked opposition among the nobles, including the bishop of Cracow,
Stanislaw of Szczepanow. The bishop was put to death for treason,
which caused a revolt by the nobles. Boleslaus was excommunicated and in
1079 he had to abandon the throne and seek refuge in Hungary, where
he died several years later.
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