He was the second son of Henry IX the Older, Duke of Głogów by his wife Hedwig, daughter of Duke Konrad III of Oleśnica. The death of his older brother Sigismund on 24 December 1458 made him the sole heir of his father (another brother, whose name is unknown, died young). With his father, he was excommunicated by the Pope Pius II for not to support the eventual inheritance of Casimir IV"s son over the Bohemia throne.
In 1462, Henry XI participated in the meeting between King Casimir IV of Poland and King George of Bohemia. Henry XI was very indolent and sickly person since his childhood. He settled his main residence in Kożuchów, which was the capital of his Duchy.
After assumed the government, he didn"t show greater political ambitions, because he lived all his adult life under the shadow of his father.
In 1468, Henry XI decided to support King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary and participated in his unsuccessful trip to Silesia and Lusatia against King George of Bohemia. One year later, during King Matthias"s coronation as King of Bohemia at Olomouc, he received the formal restoration of the lands belonged to the Duchy of Głogów who were annexed by the Kingdom of Bohemia since 1360 (including the other half of Głogów), but he only could take formal possession after the death of Margareta of Celje (widow of Duke Władysław, from the Cieszyn branch), who held the cities as her Oprawa wdowia.
Henryk XI remained unmarried for a long time. The wedding took place in Berlin on 11 October 1472.
Henry XI died suddenly on 22 February 1476, probably poisoned by Brandenburg agents.
He was buried in the Church of the Mother"s Day in KożuchóWest After his death, broke a long succession war for the Duchy of GłogóWest Only in 1482 was finally made an arrangement in Kamieniec Ząbkowicki, under which the towns of Krosno Odrzańskie, Sulechów, Lubsko, Bobrowice passed to Brandenburg.
Henryk XI is negatively evaluated by both Polish and German historians.
They accused him of incompetence and weakness. Also, he was a true prince of his time: he enjoyed eat, sleep and drink.
