Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Abt 0935, Böhmen, Tsjekkia; Hertug.

Notes:

Occupation:
Boleslav was the ruler (knize, literally prince, but usually translated as duke) of Bohemia from 935 to his death. He was the son of Vratislaus 1 and the younger brother of his predecessor, Wenceslaus 1.

Boleslav is notorious for the murder of his brother Wenceslaus, through which he became Duke of Bohemia. Wenceslaus was murdered during a feast; at precisely that time Boleslav's son was allegedly born. He received a strange name: Strachkvas, which means a dreadful feast. Being remorseful for what he had done, Boleslav promised to devote his son to religion and educate him as a clergyman.

Despite the fratricide, Boleslav is generally respected by Czech historians as an energetic ruler who significantly strengthened the Bohemian state and expanded its territory. The pro-Christian religious policies pursued by Wenceslaus do not appear to have been a cause for Boleslav's fratricide, since Boleslav in no way impeded the growth of Christianity in Bohemia, and in fact actually sent his daughter Mlada, a nun, to the Pope in Rome to ask permission to make Prague a bishopric.
One of Boleslav's major concerns was the tribute paid yearly to the East Frankish kings. He stopped the payment shortly after he ascended the throne, which led to the prolonged war with King Otto the Great. This conflict, presumably consisting of border raids (the general pattern of warfare in this region at the time), reached its conclusion in 950 when Boleslav signed a peace treaty with Otto. Despite being undefeated, he promised to resume the payment of the tribute. Five years later, the armies of Czechs and Germans allied against the Magyars in the victorious Battle of Lechfeld on 10 August 955. Boleslav had also helped Otto to crush an uprising of Slavs on the Lower Elbe in 953.

After the Battle of Lech, the rest of the huge Magyar army turned to Bohemia, where it was crushed by Boleslav. Because of this victory, Boleslav freed Moravia from Magyar raids and expanded his territory to Upper Silesia and Malopolska. To strengthen the Bohemian-Polish alliance, Boleslav's daughter Dobrawa married the pagan Piast prince Mieszko I in 965, and helped bring Christianity to Poland. Boleslav's wife may have been Biagota. He was succeeded by his oldest son Boleslaus the Pious.

Anerkjente keiseren som lensherre 946. Utvidet riket med Mähren og deler av Galitsja og Schlesien.

Family/Spouse: Biagota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
It is not even sure that Biagota was the mother of all four adult children of Boleslaus 1 (Dobrawa, Boleslaus 2 of Bohemia, Strachkvas and Mlada of Bohemia).

Her origins are unclear. She could have originated from one of the German states of the Holy Roman Empire or from a Slavic country (Blahota or Bjegota was an old Bulgarian name).

1. Boleslav av Böhmen, "Boleslav 2" was born about 0932; died on 7 Feb 999.
2. Dobrawa (Doubravka) av Böhmen was born between 0940 and 0945 in Böhmen, Tsjekkia; died about 0977.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Abt 0915, Böhmen, Tsjekkia; Hertug.

Notes:

Occupation:
Upon the death of his elder brother Spytihnev in 915, Vratislaus became Bohemian duke at a time when his duchy had already distanced itself from the political and cultural influence of Great Moravia and fallen under East Frankish, especially Bavarian influence. The Annales Fuldenses report that in the year 900 the Bavarians had attacked Moravia in alliance with the Bohemians. On the other hand, Vratislaus supported the Magyars in their 915 campaign against the Duchy of Saxony under Duke Henry the Fowler.

Vratislaus is credited with the establishment of St. George's Basilica at Prague Castle and also with the foundation of the Silesian city of Wroclaw (Vratislavia). He died in battle against the Magyars, possibly in 919, although 921 is more often conjectured.

Vratislav married Drahomira av Hevelli before 0907. Drahomira was born between 0877 and 0890; died after 0935. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Birth:
Drahomira's homeland was around Brandenburg, a castle near present-day Berlin. She was a princess of the Havolans.

Notes:

Married:
Drahomira married Vratislav 1 of Bohemia and gave birth to at least three children: Saint Wenceslas, Boleslaus 1 and Strezislava. She led her husband to cooperation with her vernaculars, which waged war against Saxony. After her husband's untimely death in 921, she and her mother-in-law, Saint Ludmila, divided the government of Bohemia. She was the regent of Bohemia in 921-924 during the minority of her son.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Abt 0870, Böhmen, Tsjekkia; Hertug.

Notes:

Occupation:
Borivoj 1 was the first historically-documented Duke of Bohemia (c.870 – c.889) and founder of the Premyslid dynasty.

As the head of the Premyslids who dominated the environs of present-day Prague, Borivoj declared himself kníže - in Latin dux, which means sovereign prince - around the year 870 A.D. His title was later translated by German scholars as "duke" of the Bohemians (Czechs). Although the German dukes of the era held the same title, the meaning of his title was in fact completely different. In contrast to the German dukes, the Czech dux denoted a sovereign ruler. Borivoj was recognised as such around 872 by his overlord Svatopluk I of Great Moravia, who dispatched Bishop Methodius to begin the conversion of the Bohemian Slavs to Christianity. Borivoj and his wife Ludmila were baptised by Methodius (probably in 883), and the latter became an enthusiastic evangelist, although the religion failed to take root among Borivoj's subjects.

In the years 883-884 Borivoj was deposed by a revolt in support of his kinsman Strojmír. He was restored in 885 only with the support of his suzerain Svatopluk of Moravia. When Borivoj died about 4 years later, his sons still minors, Svatopluk took over the rule of Bohemia himself.

As with most of the early Bohemian rulers, Borivoj is a shadowy figure; exact dates for his reign and vital statistics cannot be established. Nonetheless, several major fortifications and religious foundations are said to have dated from this time. In old Czech legends he is said to have been son of a Bohemian prince named Hostivít.

Borivoj married Ludmila before 0871. Ludmila was born about 0860 in Melnik, Böhmen, Tsjekkia; died on 15 Sep 0921. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Drept av sin svigerdatter Drahomira.

Wenceslaus' wife Drahomíra became jealous of Ludmila's influence over Wenceslaus. She had two noblemen murder Ludmila at Tetín, and part of Ludmila's story says that she was strangled with her veil. Initially Saint Ludmila was buried at St. Michael's at Tetín. Sometime before the year 1100 her remains were removed to the St. George's Basilica, Prague.

Saint Ludmila is venerated as a patroness of Bohemia. Her feast day is celebrated on 16 September. She is considered to be a patron saint of Bohemia, converts, Czech Republic, duchesses, problems with in-laws, and widows. She was canonized shortly after her death.

Notes:

Married:
Ludmila was married to Borivoj 1 of Bohemia, who was the first Christian Duke of Bohemia. The couple was converted to Christianity around 871, probably through the efforts of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Their efforts to convert Bohemia to Christianity were initially not well received, and they were driven from their country for a time by the pagans. Eventually the couple returned, and ruled for several years before retiring to Tetin, near Beroun.