Background
His father died in 1433, leaving five sons.
Duke of Opava Duke of Münsterberg
His father died in 1433, leaving five sons.
He was Duke of Opava from 1433 to 1452 and Duke of Münsterberg from 1443 to 1452. The oldest brother, Wenceslaus II took up the guardianship for his younger half-brothers William, Ernest and Przemko II, while Wenceslaus"s younger brother Nicholas IV styled himself Lord of Zlaté Hory. William and Ernest received shares of Opava.
The Duchy of Głubczyce was split off for Wenceslas.
The youngest brother, Przemko II, was destined for an ecclesiastical career and did not receive a share of the duchy. The duchy was now so fragmented that the revenue did not cover the Duke"s cost of living.
William saw no option but to become a robber baron. Hynek Krušina of Lichtenburg acquired the Duchy of Münsterberg in 1440.
The Estates, however, rejected him as their sovereign.
After length negotiations, they Elected William of Opava as their new Duke. William accepted his election and changed from a robber baron into a defender of the peace. Together with Dukes NIcholas V (d 1452) of Krnov, Przemyslaus II of Cieszyn and Henry IX of Żagań-Głogów he fought as captain of Wrocław against highway robbers and robber barons.
In 1443, he formed an alliance with Archbishop Conrad of Wrocław and the Dukes of Wrocław, Jawor and Legnica against Hynek Krušina of Lichtenburg.
Although Hynek had never given up his claims on Münsterberg, the dispute was resolved in 1444 and the Duchy of Münsterberg was granted to William, except the district of Ząbkowice Śląskie. The citizens of that district had fought on Hynek"s side during the conflict and Hynek was allowed to retain the district.
Since William had received another 1/3 share when his father"s inheritance had been divided in 1435, he now owned 2/3 of Opava. William died in 1452.
As their guardian, he sold William"s 2/3 share of Opava to Duke Bolko V of Opole, in or after 1454.
On 8 March 1456, Ernest sold the Duchy of Münsterberg to George of Poděbrady, who would be elected King of Bohemia in 1458. George purchased the 1/3 share of Opava after Bolko"s death from the latter"s brother Nicholas I and in 1464, he purchased the other 2/3 in Opole in 1464 from John II, thereby considerable increasing his political and economic influence in Silesia. William of Troppau died in 1452.
He was buried in the Holy Spirit Church in Opava.
They had the following children:
Frederick (d 1470)
Wenceslas III (d 1474)
Przemko III (d 1493)
Catherine (1443–1505), married to John II, Duke of Żagań
Anna (d 1515), abbess of the Sanctuary of Saint Jadwiga in Trzebnica.