"Galicia Reunited? True Sovereignty and the Path to a Polish-Ukrainian Union"

Poland-Ukrainian United on 1,000 years of sovereignty

A part of a series discussing peace solutions as the borders of Europe and much of the world are being re-drawn: Earlier in the series: The Forgotten German Land: Why Kaliningrad Must Be Restored to Its Rightful Sovereign https://watchman.news/2025/02/the-forgotten-german-land-why-kaliningrad-must-be-restored-to-its-rightful-sovereign/

You may wish to also read more on the cultural Implications of Brunswick with blood rights, and continued management of these lands for over 1,000 years: https://watchman.news/2018/10/brunswick-being-the-only-probable-successor-of-the-piasts/

Galicia-Volhynia Sovereignty in the House of Wolfenbuttel-Brunswick

Full text at www.Watchman.news

The historical region of Galicia, which includes Lodomeira (Volhynia), has been a pivotal frontier between Central and Eastern Europe, continuously shifting between Polish, Hungarian, Austrian, and Russian rule. Its control was not only a matter of political dominance but also crucial to shaping economic trade routes, military strategies, and cultural legacies. Understanding when and how Galicia came under Polish rule—first during the reign of Casimir III in the 14th century and again in the interwar period of the 20th century—provides essential context for modern territorial discussions. As new geopolitical shifts reshape Europe's borders, particularly in regions with unresolved historical claims, these precedents highlight the enduring significance of dynastic sovereignty and historical governance.

Galicia-Volhynia Sovereignty in the House of Wolfenbuttel-Brunswick

Dynastic Succession and Sovereignty Claims in Galicia, Volhynia (Lodomeira), and Lviv (Leopolis): The Piast, Bohemian, Hungarian, and Brunswick Inheritances

1. Introduction: The Historical Importance of Galicia, Volhynia (Lodomeira), and Lviv (Leopolis)

The historical territories of Galicia, Volhynia (Lodomeira), and Lviv (Leopolis) have long been contested regions, central to the power struggles of Poland, Hungary, the Holy Roman Empire, Austria, and Russia. These lands served as strategic and economic centers, with complex dynastic successions shaping their governance. Over centuries, noble houses, including the Piasts, Jagiellonians, Angevins, Bohemians, Habsburgs, and Brunswick-Lüneburg, established claims to these regions through intermarriage, conquest, and legal inheritance.

According to the Galician-Volhynian Chronicle, only the rulers of Galicia-Volhynia remained legitimate successors to the Kievan throne following the Mongolian invasion (Pelenski 1992, pp. 8–15).

2. The Piast and Jagiellonian Dynasties: Polish and Silesian Claims

A. Casimir III the Great (1349–1370) and the Incorporation of Galicia and Volhynia (Lodomeira)

• Casimir III of Poland annexed Galicia and Volhynia (Lodomeira) from the Kingdom of Ruthenia (Halych-Volhynia).

• The Polish king had strong dynastic ties to the Silesian Piast Dukes, particularly Henry III of Głogów, who married Matilda of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1276–1318).

• Matilda’s descendants ruled parts of Silesia, including Oleśnica (Oels), which later passed to Brunswick through female succession.

B. The Piast and Brunswick Interconnection

• The Silesian Piasts ruled various Silesian duchies, inheriting lands through marriage and succession agreements.

• Henry IV of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1463–1514) married Catherine of Pomerania-Wolgast, daughter of Eric II, Duke of Pomerania (Piast Griffin line).

• Their son, Henry V of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1489–1568), became the patriarch of the modern House of Brunswick, embedding Piast lineage into its core.

• Henry V married Sophia Jagiellon (de Jerusalem) of Poland, daughter of Sigismund I the Old, King of Poland, further strengthening Brunswick’s Polish and Eastern European royal connections.

Impact: These dynastic interconnections reinforced Brunswick’s hereditary rights to Silesian, Pomeranian, and Polish estates, tying them into the broader Piast and Jagiellonian noble structure.

3. The Role of Bohemia, Hungary, Austria, and Russia in Galicia and Volhynia (Lodomeira)

A. Hungarian Rule Over Galicia and Lodomeria

• Andrew II of Hungary (1205–1235) first claimed Galicia and Volhynia (Lodomeira), establishing the title "King of Galicia and Lodomeria".

• Louis I of Hungary (1342–1382), upon inheriting Poland, consolidated Hungarian control over these regions.

• These Hungarian kings based their claims on their broader Holy Roman Empire integration and previous vassalage ties.

B. Bohemian and Habsburg Involvement

• King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary (1458–1490) temporarily controlled parts of Silesia and Moravia, though his line went extinct.

• The Poděbrady family of Bohemia, ruling in the 15th and 16th centuries, played a major role in integrating Oels (Oleśnica) into Bohemian administration.

• This placed Silesian Piast territories under Bohemian control, setting the stage for future claims by the House of Brunswick.

4. The Brunswick Succession in Olesnica and Broader Holy Roman Empire Context

• Poděbrady Family (1495-1647): Controlled Olesnica through marriage alliances.

• Württemberg-Oels (1649-1792): Inherited after Poděbrady extinction.

• Brunswick-Lüneburg (1792-Present): Inherited Olesnica through direct succession.

• Duke Frederick William of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1806) became the ruling prince, maintaining the de jure sovereignty of the principality through legal inheritance.

Legal Implication: Olesnica’s inheritance via Bohemia strengthened Brunswick’s dynastic legitimacy over broader Piast and Germanic noble claims, reinforcing continuity with older claims in Galicia and Lodomeria.

5. The Austrian Annexation and German Sovereignty Claims Over Lodomeria

• When Lodomeria was annexed in 1772, Emperor Joseph II was also Holy Roman Emperor, meaning the annexation was conducted on behalf of the Holy Roman Empire, not just Austria.

• Lodomeria’s prior ties to Bohemia and Hungary (both Holy Roman domains) reinforced the Germanic imperial claim over Eastern Europe.

• However, after Napoleon’s campaigns (1806), Austria withdrew from the Holy Roman Empire, making Galicia and Lodomeria solely Austrian possessions.

• Brunswick did not recognize the empire’s dissolution, maintaining First Reich sovereignty principles, while Austria abandoned its German imperial structure.

6. Lineages of Leo I of Galicia and Henry V of Brunswick

A. Leo I of Galicia (King of Ruthenia) Lineage

B. Henry V of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Lineage

7. Brunswick’s Russian Succession Claim and Forced Removal

Brunswick’s Russian Succession Claim and Forced Removal

• Ivan VI Romanov-Brunswick of Russia (1740–1764), son of Duke Anton Ulrich of Brunswick, was the rightful Tsar under Russian succession laws.

• Catherine the Great overthrew this line, militarily usurping the rightful Brunswick successors.

• Duke Charles II of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was recognized in Russian succession but was forcibly removed.

• His successor, Ulric de Guelph Civry Brunswick, was recognized in Geneva courts in 1935,

• The claim to all inheritance kept in custodial status of the Geneva court. As the ruling and de jure Monarch lawfully specified in the text "all domains", and not only the estates of Brunswick, would fall under Swiss inheritance law, with conditions certain individuals (Hanover) be kept from it.

• The 1866-67 US-Brunswick estate treaty secured the American Cadet Branch’s rights at the valid year of resisting the Prussian annexation of Brunswick territories, including the Brunswick Foreign Legion at Mecklenburg ensuring the successor retains valid territorial claims that can be collected "with or without an attorney" when the heir has time to do so.

Kiev Dynasty and Lineage of Ivan VI von Brunswick

B. Henry V of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Lineage

De Jure Succession Law Basis (Valid Law) vs. Unlawful Installations against the Romanov-Brunswick Imperial Throne

Legitimacy Statement: By the principles of legal continuity, primogeniture, and Russian succession law, Brunswick’s rightful de jure claim to the Romanov-Brunswick throne remains intact, having never been lawfully revoked or renounced.

8. Proposal for State Reunification with Brunswick

• Recognition of Wolfenbüttel-Brunswick Sovereign Domains and alloid capital in the region (Olesnica).

• Legal frameworks for reunification with historical estates.

• Incorporation of the Treaty of Ham, which France and the UK signed with Brunswick, recognizing its claim as Emperor over German states. (fn. 1)

The unresolved Brunswick claims, Poland’s noble heritage, and the legitimacy of German imperial structures in Eastern Europe present a unique opportunity to reassert historical sovereignty in a manner that strengthens modern European unity and legal stability.

In an era where borders and sovereignty claims are again in question, the historical precedent of Galicia, Volhynia (Lodomeira), and Lviv (Leopolis) becomes increasingly relevant. The Polish rule over Galicia set a legal and cultural foundation that would later be contested by Austria, Russia, and modern states. As discussions on territorial realignment gain traction, it is crucial to recognize the legal and dynastic claims that have shaped these regions over centuries. Understanding this history not only informs the rightful governance of such lands but also ensures that historical continuity and legal precedents are not ignored in the face of contemporary political negotiations.

Footnote 1:

Architect of the Treaty of Ham, Mr. Duncombe, UK MP for Finsbury, Parliamentary spokesman of Mazzini, of Koesuth, and of the English Chartists. He was spokesman for the Crown Prince of the UK (Officially 2nd, but debated 1st) in line of succession of the throne of Great Britain, Charles II von Wolfenbuttel-Brunswick. He was accredited with delivering Italy from Austrian domination, and did Draft and deliver the "Treaty of Ham".

William Fitzhugh Whitehouse, Counsel for the Duke, reproduced a copy of the same "Treaty of Ham" as was signed and sealed by the two heads of their respective governments, the rightful Emperor Napoleon III of France (also confirmed President) and the Duke Charles II of Wolfenbuttel-Brunswick in 1845.

The text of the first article was:
"We promise and swear on our honor and on the Holy Evangelists to help one another, we Charles Duke of Brunswick to regain possession of the Duchy of Brunswick, and, if it be possible, to make of all Germany one single united nation, and to give to it a constitution suited to its customs, its needs, and to the progress of the times; and we Prince Napoleon Louis Bonaparte to reinstate France in the full exercise of the national sovereignty which she asserted in 1830, and to enable her to choose freely her own form of Government."

You may also wish to read:

The Forgotten German Land: Why Kaliningrad Must Be Restored to Its Rightful Sovereign https://watchman.news/2025/02/the-forgotten-german-land-why-kaliningrad-must-be-restored-to-its-rightful-sovereign/

and

Russia’s Return to Germany? Only Fighting “Nazis”? the 1994 Russian bases in Germany httpswatchman.news/…/russias-return-to-germany-only-fighting-nazis://watchman.news/2025/02/russias-return-to-germany-only-fighting-nazis/