Přemysl, house of

Přemysl, house of

▪ Czech ruling house
also called  Přemyslid dynasty 

      first Czech ruling house, founded, according to tradition, by the plowman Přemysl, who was married to the princess Libuše. The members of the Přemyslid dynasty ruled Bohemia and the lands associated with it from about 800 to 1306. The head of the Přemyslid house was usually designated a prince, or duke (kníže), until 1198, when Přemysl Otakar I raised Bohemia to the status of a hereditary kingdom within the Holy Roman Empire.

      Historical records of the early Přemyslid rulers are scanty. According to legend, Prince Borivoj is said to have been converted to Christianity by Saint Methodius (fl. mid-9th century). Bohemia was consolidated politically in the 10th century, and the best known of its rulers at this time was Borivoj's grandson Wenceslas I, whose zeal for spreading Christianity in his dominions contributed to his murder, committed according to legend by his pagan brother Boleslav I (reigned from 929/935 to 967). Wenceslas subsequently came to be venerated as the patron saint of Bohemia. During the rule of Boleslav II (967–999), the Christian church in Bohemia was organized and a bishopric was founded in Prague. Boleslav II's death was followed by a period of fratricidal warfare between his sons that terminated in 1012 when the youngest son, Oldrich, established himself as prince of Bohemia. Oldrich died in 1037 and was succeeded by his son Bretislav I (1037–55). For the next century and a half, disputes and feuds among the members of the Přemyslid family hindered Bohemia's political development, the chief source of discord being the absence of any strict law of succession to the Bohemian throne. At some periods the principle of seniority was observed, while at other times the deceased prince's oldest son attained the throne.

      During this period of disarray Bohemia became increasingly dependent on the Holy Roman Empire to the west. The Přemyslid prince Vratislav II (1061–92) obtained from the Holy Roman emperor Henry IV the title of king of Bohemia as a personal (i.e., nonhereditary) privilege, and Prince Vladislav II (1140–73) was awarded the royal crown on the same basis by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. In 1197 Přemysl Otakar I became the undisputed overlord of the Přemyslid domains, and in 1198 he was able to secure the royal title for his descendants as well as himself. Under Přemysl Otakar I, medieval Bohemia reached the height of its economic prosperity and political prominence. Přemysl was succeeded by King Wenceslas I (1230–53) and the latter's son, Přemysl Otakar II (1253–78), who was one of the greatest rulers of Bohemia. Přemysl Otakar II died in battle in 1278 during one of his expansionist military campaigns and was succeeded by his son Wenceslas II. That ruler's diplomatic dexterity and great wealth gained for him the crown of Poland in 1300, but he died prematurely in 1305. His only son, Wenceslas III, inherited Bohemia but was assassinated in 1306 while traveling to Poland. Thus ended the long rule of the Přemyslid dynasty in Bohemia. The Bohemian throne subsequently passed to John of Luxembourg, the founder of the Bohemian branch of the Luxembourg dynasty.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • House of Vojislavljević — Royal house surname = House of Vojislav estate = of Doclea, Dalmatia, Rascia, Bosnia coat of arms = country = Serbia parent house = House of Saint Vladimir titles = Prince/Archon ( Knez ) Grand Prince ( Велики Жупан / Veliki Župan ), King ( Краљ… …   Wikipedia

  • Czechoslovak history — Introduction       history of the region comprising the historical lands of Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia from prehistoric times through their federation, under the name Czechoslovakia, during 1918–92. With the dissolution of the Czechoslovak… …   Universalium

  • Austria — Austrian, adj., n. /aw stree euh/, n. a republic in central Europe. 8,054,078; 32,381 sq. mi. (83,865 sq. km). Cap.: Vienna. German, Österreich. * * * Austria Introduction Austria Background: Once the center of power for the large Austro… …   Universalium

  • Poland — /poh leuhnd/, n. a republic in E central Europe, on the Baltic Sea. 38,700,291; ab. 121,000 sq. mi. (313,400 sq. km). Cap.: Warsaw. Polish, Polska. * * * Poland Introduction Poland Background: Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived around …   Universalium

  • Prague — /prahg/, n. a city in and the capital of the Czech Republic, in the W central part, on the Vltava: formerly capital of Czechoslovakia. 1,211,000. Czech, Praha /prddah hah/. German, Prag. * * * City (pop., 2001 est.: 1,178,576), capital of the… …   Universalium

  • Břetislav I — ▪ Bohemian prince byname  Břetislav the Restorer , Czech  Břetislav Obnovitel  born 1005? died Jan. 10, 1055       prince of Bohemia from 1034 to 1055, who permanently attached the province of Moravia to Bohemia.       Břetislav succeeded his… …   Universalium

  • Germany — /jerr meuh nee/, n. a republic in central Europe: after World War II divided into four zones, British, French, U.S., and Soviet, and in 1949 into East Germany and West Germany; East and West Germany were reunited in 1990. 84,068,216; 137,852 sq.… …   Universalium

  • Béla IV — ▪ king of Hungary born 1206 died May 3, 1270       king of Hungary (1235–70) during whose reign the Mongol invasions left three quarters of Hungary in ruins. He was the son of Andrew II.       Routed on the banks of the Sajó River in 1241 by… …   Universalium

  • List of rulers of Bohemia — Monarchy of Bohemia Former Monarchy Co …   Wikipedia

  • Ottokar II of Bohemia — King of Bohemia Ottokar II (Zbraslavská kronika). Reign 1253–1278 Coronation 1261, Prag …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”