Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Bef 1092, Böhmen, Tsjekkia; Hertug og konge.

Notes:

Occupation:
Vratislaus (or Wratislaus) 2 (Czech: Vratislav 2.) (d. 14 January 1092), the son of Bretislaus 1 and Judith of Schweinfurt, was the first King of Bohemia as of 15 June 1085. The royal title was merely a lifetime grant from Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, however, and was not hereditary. Before being raised to the royal dignity, he had ruled Bohemia as duke since 1061.

On his father's death in 1055, Vratislaus became duke of Olomouc. He fell out with his brother Spytihnev 2 and was exiled to Hungary. Vratislaus regained his Moravian ducal throne with Hungarian assistance and eventually reconciled with his brother and succeeded him as duke of Bohemia.

Vratislaus was an ally of the Emperor Henry 4. He supported Henry in both the Investiture Controversy against the popes and the rebellions in Saxony that dominated his long reign. Pope Gregory 7, having already gained the support of Boleslaw 2 of Poland, was keen on roping in the duke of Bohemia to surround the emperor with adversaries fighting for the church. The pope confirmed Vratislaus in the privilege of wearing the mitre and tunic which his predecessors had. The pope also expressed gratitude for the regular payment of tribute to the Holy See.

Vratislaus was often at odds with his brother Jaromír, the bishop of Prague, and he wore his religious vestments around the bishop to irritate him. Jaromír, for his part, ignored the creation of a new Moravian diocese by Vratislaus in 1063. Jaromir even went so far as to take by arms the relics removed from Prague to Moravia. Despite the pope's support for Vratislaus' new see, the Bohemian duke was unswayed in his loyalty to the emperor.

The Saxons revolted under Duke Magnus of Saxony and Otto of Nordheim, Duke of Bavaria, in 1070 and Boleslaus of Poland attacked Bohemia in 1071. In August 1073, Henry responded with an invasion of Poland, but a new Saxon revolt drew him back in 1075. Vratislaus joined him, and they defeated the rebels on 9 June at the First Battle of Langensalza. The Bohemian troops showed conspicuous bravery. Henry then took Jaromír to Germany to be his chancellor under the name of Gebhard and Vratislaus was greatly relieved.

Vratislaus also took part in the wars against the anti-kings who opposed Henry's rule and were elected by a faction of the nobility to replace him. At the Battle of Flarchheim, only through the aid of Vratislaus' contingent was the imperial army capable of overcoming the rebels of the papally-approved claimant Rudolf of Rheinfelden, Duke of Swabia. Vratislaus even succeeded in seizing Rudolf's golden sword. The golden sword was then carried in front of Vratislaus on state occasions.

Vratislaus raised an army to serve in Henry's Italian campaign of 1081. In 1083, Vratislaus and his Bohemians were with Henry when they entered Rome itself.

Despite his serving an excommunicated emperor, Vratislaus maintained good relations with the papacy. Nonetheless, Gregory refused to grant Vratislaus permission to use the Slavonic liturgy. Never, however, did Vratislaus link his fate with that of Henry's antipope, Clement 3.

Vratislaus coveted the largely Slavic marches of Meissen and Lusatia, but, in spite of Henry's promises and Bohemian successes against the rebellious margraves, he never received them. He held Lower Lusatia between 1075 and 1086, but in 1088, with the insurrection of Egbert 2 of Meissen, Henry granted the region to Henry of Ostmark. Vratislaus was thereafter cool to Henry's military adventures. He never wavered in his loyalty, but he abstained from giving the emperor martial aid.

It was a Premyslid tradition that Moravia would be entrusted to the younger brothers of the ruling prince. In Vratislaus' case, his 2 younger brothers Conrad and Otto inherited Brno and Olomouc and the youngest, Jaromír, entered the church. However, enmity grew between the brothers. It was then that Vratislaus founded the diocese of Olmütz (diocese of Olomouc), under the Archbishopric of Mainz, to counter Otto's authority within his province. Both pope and emperor took a hand in mediating the conflict, which was partially fixed with Henry's appointment of Jaromír as chancellor in 1077. In April 1085, a reichstag convened in Mainz suppressed the Moravian see, but Vratislaus later re-founded see. Jaromír protested in Rome to Pope Urban 2, but died in 1090 before a pope ruled on the matter.

Sadly for Vratislaus, his last years were occupied by dynastic quarrelling. When his brother Otto died in 1086, he gave Olomouc to his son Boleslaus, which was seen to be an act against the interests of Conrad. Vratislaus raised an army against Conrad and sent it out under his other son Bretislaus. This son turned on him. Vratislaus, in keeping with Bohemian custom, designated an heir: Conrad. Thus reconciled, the two attacked Bretislaus, who fled to Hungary.

Vratislaus died of a hunting wound on 14 January 1092 after a reign of thirty years. He was buried in St. Peter and Paul's Church, Vyšehrad.

By (re)creation of the Bishopric of Olomouc (1063) and creation of the Vyšehrad Chapter (1070 - richly endowed, independent from the Prague bishop, subjected directly to the Holy See) and also by his obstinacy in conflict with the Prague bishop Jaromír, Vratislaus ultimately little depressed importance of bishop of Prague in domestic Bohemian politics, enabling thus more unified rule over the country for all following dukes and kings. Vratislaus's policy towards the Holy Roman Empire set an example to follow for the next (12th) century, leading ultimately to permanent elevation of Bohemia to kingdom in the beginning of 13th century. His marriage policy not only shows the rising position of Premyslids among European dynasties (Vratislaus's father Bretislaus had to abduct his wife Judith of Schweinfurt in 1019), but also set direction for his followers (as to dynastic bonds to pursue towards Poland and Hungary).

Vratislaus was married 3 times.

His first wife Maria died during premature childbirth.

He married the second time in 1057 to Adelaide, daughter of Andrew 1 of Hungary, who died in 1061. They had 4 children:

1. Vratislaus (-1061).

2. Judith (1056/58-1086), married to Ladislaus I Herman, son of Casimir 1 of Poland.

3. Ludmila (-after 1100).

4. Bretislaus 2 of Bohemia (c. 1060–December 22, 1100), Duke of Bohemia.

In 1062, Vratislaus married a third time to Swatawa of Poland, a daughter of Casimir 1 of Poland. They had 5 children:

1. Boleslaus (-1091).

2. Borivoj 2 of Bohemia (c. 1064-February 2, 1124), Duke of Bohemia.

3. Vladislaus 1 of Bohemia (-April 12, 1125), Duke of Bohemia.

4. Sobeslav 1 of Bohemia (-February 14, 1140), Duke of Bohemia.

5. Judith (c. 1066-9 December 1108), married to Wiprecht 2 of Groitzsch.

Vratislav married Adelheide av Ungarn about 1055. Adelheide (daughter of Andreas av Ungarn, "Andreas 1" and Anastasia av Kiev) was born about 1038; died about 1062. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Judith av Böhmen was born about 1055; died about 1086.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Bef 1055, Böhmen, Tsjekkia; Hertug.

Notes:

Occupation:
Bretislaus 1 (Czech: Bretislav 1.) (1002/1005 – 10 January 1055), known as the Bohemian Achilles, of the house of the Premyslids, was Duke of Bohemia from 1035 until his death.

Bretislaus was the son of Duke Oldrich and his low-born concubine Bozena. As an illegitimate son could not obtain a desirable wife by conventional means, he chose to kidnap his future wife Judith of Schweinfurt (Czech: Jitka), a daughter of the Bavarian noble Henry of Schweinfurt, Margrave of Nordgau, in 1019 at Schweinfurt.

During his father’s reign, in 1019 or 1029, Bretislaus took back Moravia from Poland. About 1031 he invaded Hungary in order to prevent its expansion under king Stephen. The partition of Bohemia between Old?ich and his brother Jaromír in 1034 was probably the reason why Bretislaus fled beyond the Bohemian border, only to come back to take the throne after Jaromír’s abdication.

In 1035 Bretislaus helped Emperor Conrad 2 in his war against the Lusatians. In 1039 he invaded Little and Great Poland, captured Poznan and sacked Gniezno, bringing the relics of St. Adalbert, Radim Gaudentius and the Five Brothers back with him. On the way back he conquered part of Silesia including Wroclaw (Czech: Vratislav). His main goal was to set up an archbishopric in Prague and create a large state subject only to the Holy Roman Empire. His raid had an unintended enduring influence on Polish history, as the plundering and destruction of Gniezno pushed the next Polish rulers to move their capital to Kraków, which would retain this role for many centuries ahead.

In 1040 the German King Henry 3 invaded Bohemia, but was forced to retreat after he lost the battle at Brudek (a pass in the Bohemian Forest). The following year Henry 3 invaded again, skirted the border defences and laid siege to Bretislaus in Prague. Forced by a mutiny among his nobles and betrayed by his bishop, Bretislaus had to renounce all of his conquests save for Moravia and recognize Henry 3 as his sovereign.

In 1047, Emperor Henry 3 negotiated a peace treaty between Bretislaus and the Poles. This pact worked in Bretislaus' favour, as the Polish ruler swore never again to attack Bohemia in return for an annual subsidy to Gniezno.

Bretislaus was the author of decrees concerning the rules of Christianization, which included a ban on polygamy and trade on holidays.

It was in 1030 that Bretislaus married the afore-mentioned Judith.

Before his death, Bretislaus organised the succession (in 1054) and issued the famous Seniority Law, introducing agnatic seniority for order of succession. Younger members of the dynasty were supposed to govern fiefs (technically, parts of Moravia), but only at the Duke's discretion. Result of this institution was relative indivisibility of the Czech lands, but also alternation of rules of stronger (or perhaps more political) dukes with periods of bitter fraction wars of members of the dynasty. It was effectively ended by elevation of Bohemia to kingdom under Ottokar 1 of Bohemia, when primogeniture became the ruling principle.

His eldest son Spytihnev was to succeed him as Duke of Bohemia with control over that territory. Moravia was incorporated into the Bohemian duchy, but divided between three of his younger sons. The Olomouc Appanage went to Vratislaus; the Znojmo Appanage went to Konrad; and the Brno Appanage went to Otto. The youngest son, Jaromír, entered the church and became Bishop of Prague.

Bretislaus died at Chrudim in 1055 during his preparation for another invasion of Hungary and was succeeded by his son Spytihnev 2 as Duke of Bohemia. His younger children were left the region of Moravia. Otto and Vratislav were shut out of the government by Spytihnev, but after his death both gained control of Moravia and Bohemia, respectively.

Bretislav married Judith av Böhmen. Judith died about 1058. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Bef 1034, Böhmen, Tsjekkia; Hertug.

Notes:

Occupation:
Oldrich (Latin: Odalricus, Udalrichus, German: Odalric, Udalrich; c.?975 – 9 November 1034), a member of the Premyslid dynasty, was Duke of Bohemia from 1012 to 1033 and briefly again in 1034. His accession to the Bohemian throne marked the start of a phase of stability during internal dynastic struggles. Under his rule, the Moravian lands were reconquered from Polish occupation.

Oldrich was the third son of Duke Boleslaus 2 of Bohemia (d. 999) and his consort Emma of Melník. Upon the death of his father, his eldest brother Boleslaus 3 succeeded him as duke, however, he soon entered into a fierce conflict with his younger brothers Oldrich and Jaromír.

In 1001 both had to flee to the Bavarian court at Regensburg. When Boleslaus 3 was deposed by the rivaling Vršovci dynasty the next year and the Polish ruler Boles?aw 1 the Brave invaded Bohemia, King Henry 2 of Germany intervened. Upon his expedition to Prague, Boleslaus' brothers were able to return and Jaromír was installed as Bohemian duke in 1004.

In the German–Polish War, Duke Jaromír remained a loyal supporter of the German king. Nevertheless, Henry did not take action when he was deposed and blinded by his brother Oldrich on 12 April 1012. While Jaromír fled to Poland, Oldrich too recognised the suzerainty of the King of the Romans. He secured his rule by suppressing the Vršovci insurgents.

Oldrich and his son Bretislaus sought to win back Moravia, once conquered by Oldrich's grandfather Duke Boleslaus 1, from the Poles. Bretislaus and his wife Judith of Schweinfurt took their residence in Olomouc.

In 1029 the Bohemian forces, backed by Emperor Conrad 2, finally drove the Poles out of the eastern lands. However, Bretislaus' efforts to occupy adjacent territories in what is today Slovakia by marching against the Kingdom of Hungary failed in 1030 due to the jealousy of the emepror, who reached an agreement with King Stephen 1. In the following year, Bohemian forces refused to take the field for the emperor.

In 1032, Duke Oldrich was invited to the Hoftag diet at Merseburg, but did not appear. His absence raised the ire of the emperor and Conrad, busy with events in Burgundy, charged his son Henry 3 with punishing the recalcitrant Bohemian. Oldrich was arrested, deposed and sent to Bavaria. He was again replaced by his brother Jaromír. However, when Oldrich was pardoned the next year, he returned to Bohemia and had Jaromír captured, blinded, and deposed. He seized power again and drove out Jaromír's son from Moravia.

Oldrich died abruptly on 9 November 1034 and later examination of his skeleton reveal his skull to have suffered a fatal blow. Jaromír then renounced the throne in favour of his nephew Bretislaus.

Udalrik married Bozena av Böhmen about 1002. Bozena (daughter of Kresina) died about 1052. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
According to legend rendered by the medieval chronicler Cosmas of Prague, Duke Oldrich about 1002 married a peasant girl known as Bozena, daughter of Kresina, after discarding his first wife on the grounds that they were childless.

Together they had a son:

Bretislaus 1 (1002/1005–1055), Duke of Bohemia from 1035 until his death.
Though his parents were married, Bretislaus remained an illegitimate heir. He nevertheless was able to succeed to the Bohemian throne as sole descendant of his grandfather Duke Boleslaus 2.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Bef 0999, Böhmen, Tsjekkia; Hertug.

Notes:

Occupation:
Boleslaus 2 the Pious (Czech: Boleslav 2. Pobožný) (c.?932 - 7 February 999) was a Bohemian nobleman, a member of the P?emyslid dynasty and was the ruling Duke of Bohemia from 972 until his death.

Boleslaus was the son of Boleslaus 1 and brother of Strachkvas, Dobrawa - wife of Mieszko 1 and Mlada Maria. According to some historians his mother was Biagota. Biagota is only known from her coins and according some historians (V. Katz, J. Slama, J. Paukert) was wife of Boleslaus 1.

Boleslaus 2 became Duke (or Prince) on his father's death. Boleslaus maintained good relations with the Ottonian German kings, and in 975 supported Otto 2 during the civil war against Henry 2, Duke of Bavaria. In 977, Boleslaus again attacked Bavaria, but on this occasion was barred from annexing any lands by Otto 2.

Boleslaus' reign is most notable for the foundation of the Diocese of Prague in 973, placed at that time within the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Mainz.

In 982, Adalbert of Prague (later known as Saint Adalbert) was appointed to head the bishopric until he abandoned his primacy to lead a mission to the Old Prussians in 994. The alliance between Poland and Bohemia was overturned between 977 and 985, and Poland participated in invasions led by the German Emperor against Bohemia. However, in 985 or 990 Poland acquired Silesia at the expense of Bohemia.

On 28 September 995, Boleslaus and his confederate Vršovci stormed Libice in southern Bohemia and massacred the members of the Slavník dynasty. This clan had been the main rival of P?emyslid power in Bohemia. Boleslaus' brutal triumph ensured the unity of Bohemia under a single ruler.

Boleslaus' first wife Adiva, was perhaps the daughter of Edward the Elder, King of England, who married a prince near the Jupiter mountains, meaning the Alps.

His second wife was Emma of M?lník.

His sons were:

1. Boleslaus 3, his eldest son and successor.

2. Wenceslaus, died as an infant.

3. Jaromír, later became Duke of Bohemia.

4. Old?ich, also became Duke of Bohemia.

Boleslav married Hemma (Emma) av Sachsen. Hemma was born before 0950; died about 1006. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Birth:
Emma (Hemma) (b. before 950, d. 1005/06) was a Bohemian duchess consort as the second wife of Boleslaus 2 of Bohemia.

Her origins are uncertain. Historian Gelasius Dobner (1719–1790) thought she was a princess of Burgundy, and this theory has been recently respected. However the latest research of historians and numismatics indicate that she was of Italian-Burgundian origin and identified with Queen Emma of France (Emma of Italy), widow of King Lothair of France (d. 986).

Notes:

Married:
Emma (Hemma) became the second or wife of Boleslaus 2 about the year 989 and died either in 1005 or 1006. It was traditionally supposed by Czech historians that Emma was the mother of Boleslaus' younger sons Old?ich and Jaromír and that the mother of the oldest son, Boleslaus 3 of Bohemia, was Adiva, the first wife of Boleslaus 2.

Afraid of Boleslaus 3, Emma chose to go into exile at the court of Bavaria in 1001 together with Old?ich and Jaromír. The brothers sought military backing from the German King Henry 2. This action definitively placed Bohemia within the jurisdiction of the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1004, Jaromír occupied Prague with a German army and made himself Duke. Emma came back to Bohemia, maybe living in town M?lník, where she died.

The proof of the existence of Duchess Emma are denars (coins) with the inscription ENMA REGINA (Queen Emma, not duchess).