Bohemia – the Land of the Premyslids
The
Premyslid grew from the land known as Bohemia in Central Europe filled with
legends, myths, and migration. According
to the Chronica Boemorum written in
the 12th century, Bohemia traced its origin from the Slav leader Bohemus who
arrived at the foot of Mt. Rip between the 2 rivers of Ohre and Vitava. In
those lands, he said to have declared:
A land subject to no one, filled with wild animals and fowl, wet with nectar, honey, and milk, and, as you yourselves see, air delightful for living.
From this
Slavic leader, the name Bohemia said to have originated. Another legend, well
known about Bohemia and the Czech people, connected with the famous legends of
the 3 Slavic brothers: Lech, Cech, and Rus. According to legend, Cech led his
tribe and like Bohemus settled in the lands near Mt. Rip planting the roots of
the future Czech people.
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| Lech, Czech, Rus and the White Eagle by Walery Eljasz-Radzikowski |
Historically,
the land of Bohemia saw different ethnicity come and go. The Celtic people
called the Boii once settled in the region before the Germanic Marcomanni and
Qadi supplanted them. Then in the 6th century, Slavs arrived and began to live
off the lands. In the 7th century, the Avars conquered the lands until a
Frankish merchant name Samo led the fight for the liberation from the Eurasian
marauders. By the 8th century, Frankish chroniclers called the lands Beehaimi or Boemani, meaning the “Land of the Boii,” thus the name Bohemia.
From the 8th
century until 906, the Great Moravian Kingdom rose to prominence in Bohemia.
During the time of the Great Moravian Kingdom, Christianity spread in the
region. Then came the exploits of the revered siblings St. Constantine (later
took the name of Cyril) and St. Methodius who brought Christianity to the
Slavic people by using native Slavonic language in liturgies and the early
Slavonic alphabet Glagolitic. Eventually, as Bohemia went closer to
western tradition represented by the Holy Roman Empire and the Pope, Slavonic
liturgy gave way to Latin Liturgy. Amidst the growth of Christianity and closer
ties to the west, the Premyslid dynasty grew in strength.
Early Premyslid Rulers
Borivoj came
to be known as the earliest Premyslid ruler. He said to have descended from a farmer named Premysl who married a seer named Libuse. Borivoj also became a
Christian being baptized by St. Methodius himself. In honor of his new faith,
he ordered the construction of the Church of St. Clement in Levý Hradec, just
north of present-day Prague. In 885, he moved his seat of power to a new
stronghold in a nearby hill from Levý Hradec which came to be known as Praha or
Prague.
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| Christening of Duke Borivoj |
Borivoj’s
Premyslid line produced for centuries Dukes for Bohemia. Spytithnev, son of
Borivoj declared his independence from Moravia. Slowly, Premyslid Dukes incorporated lands of the former Great Moravian Kingdom. During also this period,
the Premyslid maintained good relations with the Kingdom of East Francia – a
splinter kingdom of the former Holy Roman Empire after 843. 929, King Wenceslaus swore fealty to King
Henry I of East Francia. The good relations, however, turned sour with the
assassination of Duke Wenceslaus (r.
921 – 935). His brother and successor Boleslav I (r. 935 – 967) said to have orchestrated the assassination earning him
the epithet Boleslav the Cruel while Wenceslaus became St. Wenceslaus the good.
Under Boleslav’s reign, Bohemia resisted Frankish influence and successfully defeated
Otto I in 950. Despite his tainted rise to power, he proved to be a good ruler
that contributed to the strengthening of the Premyslid Dynasty.
During the
reign of Duke Boleslav II (r. 967 – 999), Bohemia furthered its religious
autonomy along with continuing growth of Christianity. By 993, St. Adalbert
(Vojtech) founded Bohemia’s first monastery. Latin Liturgy continued to grow in
strength while Slavonic Liturgy retreated. By 1030, the Sazava Monaster founded
by Procop, served as the last bastion of Slavonic Liturgy until 1097. Bohemia’s
standing within the Christian world strengthened with the creation of the
Bishopric of Prague in 973 and in 974 with Bishop Thietmar as the first head. The Catholic Church of Bohemia broke away from the Bishopric of Bavaria. By 1063, a second
Bishopric established Olmutz that catered to the region of Moravia. Besides the
establishment of an independent Bishopric, the reign of Boleslav II also saw
the establishment of the first convent for Benedictine nuns, which his sister
Mlada oversaw. Christianity went in the forefront of scholasticism demonstrated
with the writing of the Chronica
Bohemorum of Dean Cosmas of Prague in the 12th century, the first Latin
chronicle of the Czech people. With the death of Boleslav II, however, internal
infighting within the House of Premyslid erupted. For more than a decade,
members of the house vied for supremacy until Duke Oldrich (Udalrich) (r. 1012
– 1033) won. With the lack of definite succession law, internal strife continued
to plague the house for several generations that hampered the growth of Bohemia
as a great power.
Under Duke
Oldrich, the Premyslid controlled Moravia and a few bits of Poland. However,
his son Duke Bratislav I (r. 1033 – 1055) decided to break the status quo of
Bohemia ending the Duchy's status as a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire and its ruler Henry III. He
suffered a defeat and swore his fealty in 1041 ending his attempt to gain
Bohemian independence. From then on, Premyslid Dukes build up their power
within the structure of the Holy Roman Empire. The Empire then exercised
influence in providing legitimacy and support during volatile successions
within Bohemia.
From Dukes to Kings – Premyslid and the
Holy Roman Empire
As vassals
of the Holy Roman Empire, Dukes displayed their loyalty to the Holy Roman
Emperors in hope of gaining concessions and privileges. Eventually, their
support won the elevation of Premyslids and Bohemia from a Duchy to a Kingdom.
Nevertheless, old problems of successions remained a threat to all gains of the
Premyslid Dukes.
Duke
Vratislav II (r. 1061 – 1092) showed loyalty to Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV.
300 Bohemians fought for Henry in 1081. As a reward for his loyalty, Vrastislav
received a reward from Emperor Henry IV in 1085 during the Imperial Diet of
Mayence. His status elevated from Duke of Bohemia to King of Bohemia. An honor
and tremendous political development. Though a great achievement, the honor,
title, and status only lasted during the lifetime of Vratislav and not yet
hereditary. The Kingdom reverted back to a Duchy with the passing of Vratislav
II in 1092.
Despite
failure to attain a hereditary kingdom, the Premyslid Dukes attained in 1114
the hereditary post of Official Cupbearer (Summus
pincerna). Initially a ceremonial post, it later became an influential one
as it gave its bearer a position of an elector of King of Germany or Holy Roman
Emperor.
Premyslid
Dukes strove to attain the post of hereditary King of Bohemia. And the efforts
went not in vain. During the reign of Duke Vladislav II (r. 1140 – 1173), for
his military support to Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in Northern Italy, during
the 1158 Diet of Ratisbon, the Premyslids finally obtained the hereditary title
of King of Bohemia. The title further intensified infighting arousing from the
continuous lack of succession law. Some Dukes attempted to set up a clear line
of successions such as the case of Duke Bratislav I in 1055 with his Seniority
Basis which relied on the oldest member of the House. But until such rule
settled, the Premyslid Dynasty continued to fall to infighting which happened
after the death of Vladislav II.
The
succession crisis descended the Kingdom into division. The lack of a central
authority encouraged the local nobility to muster their strength and to assert
their autonomy. In 1182, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa divided Bohemia severing
the Margravate of Moravia, and the Bishopric of Prague. For more than a decade,
Bohemia ceased to be united.
In 1197, 2
sons of Vladislav II, the 1st King of Bohemia, Premysl Ottokar I and Vladislav
Henry (Vladislav II) decided that the former hold the position of Duke of
Bohemia while the latter as Margrave of Moravia. Ottokar I (r. 1197 – 1230) delved
with imperial politics after the death of Henry VI. He supported the candidacy
of Philip of Swabia who won and became King of Germany (failed to received
Papal approval and thus not a Holy Roman Emperor). As a reward, Ottokar
successfully regained the status of King. Fighting for the title of King of Germany
and the Papacy won the Premyslid numerous privileges. In exchange for
supporting the candidacy of Otto of Brunswick against Philip of Swabia, the
position of King became hereditary and affirmed by Pope Innocent III.
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| Depiction of Ottokar I (Left) |
In 1212, the
Golden Bull of Sicily by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II gave right for the
Bohemians to elect their King, and the King the right to appoint officials of
the Bishopric of Prague and Olomutz. Lastly, it freed the Bohemian Kings from
the obligation of attending court. Finally, Ottokar I put an end to the
succession crises that plagued the Premyslid Dynasty on every death of a ruler,
in 1216 he adopted the practice of primogeniture. In 1231, the practice
successfully implemented as Ottokar I passed away and allowed the peaceful
succession of his son and heir Wenceslaus I.
Premyslid Beyond Bohemia
With the
elevation of Bohemia as a hereditary Kingdom, it became a prominent player in
the international stage. Premyslid rulers then began to expand their influence
beyond Bohemia towards neighboring states setting the stage for the creation of
an Empire in all but name.
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| Wenceslaus in the Codex Gelnhausen (early 15th century) |
The most well-known international venture of the Premyslid Kings aimed towards Austria.
In 1237, war erupted between Wenceslas I and Babenberg Duke Frederick II of
Austria. The animosity between the 2 rulers began when the Austrian Duke married
off his Margaret of Austria to Henry, son of King of Germany Frederick II,
instead of a Premyslid Princess. A papal-brokered peace deal signed in 1239 led
to the engagement of Austrian Princess Gertrude to Bohemian Prince Vladislav.
Despite the engagement and peace, Bohemia and Austria's relation remained
strenuous. Only a Mongol invasion averted a full-scale war. When Frederick II
of Austria passed away in 1246, the marriage between Gertrude and Vladislav
took place giving the Premyslid a stake in the Duchy of Austria.
A series of
deaths tipped the balance of power in Central Europe. Vladislav passed away in
1247 leaving Gertrude to marry Herman of Baden to maintain control of Austria.
In 1253, Vladislav’s brother Ottokar ascended to the Bohemian throne as Premysl
Ottokar II (r. 1253 – 1278) and took an expansionist policy staking his claim
to the Duchy of Austria. To cement his claim further, he married Margaret, the
sister of the late Duke Frederick. Through Margaret, Austria became a dominion
of the Premyslid and Ottokar II stood poised to take the neighboring Duchy of
Sytria. A fight for the Duchy with King Bela IV of Hungary ensued, but by 1260,
the Styrian nobles recognized Ottokar II as their overlord. With the addition
of Styria, the Duchies of Carinthia and the adjacent Carniola also bent their
knees to Ottokar. The Bohemian King, thus, effectively ruled over lands from
Poland to the Adriatic Sea – a virtual Bohemian Empire.
In 1273,
however, Rudolf of the House of Habsburg became King of Germany by bypassing
Bohemian electoral rights. A collision between the Habsburgs and the Premyslids
then ensued. In the Imperial Diet in 1274 in Regensberg, Rudolf condemned
Ottokar’s territorial grabs and summoned the Bohemian ruler to show cause. For
2 years, Ottokar refused to face Rudolf who then declared all Premyslids gain
invalid. A war between the Premyslid and the Habsburg began. In 1276, Rudolf
invaded Austria, and with a rebellion in the Duchy, Ottokar decided to sue for
peace and successfully manage to keep Bohemia and Moravia. In 1278, Ottokar
enlisted the support of Hungary and decided to retake Austria. However, during
the Battle of Marchfeld on August 26, 1278, Ottokar II fell in battle and
Bohemia sued for peace.
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| Přemysl Otakar II - The Union of Slavic Dynasties |
Rise Again and Fall of the Premyslid
Dynasty
In 1278,
Ottokar II’s fall made his son King Vaclav II (r. 1278 – 1305) a boy at the
head of a Kingdom. Under his reign, Bohemia bounced back from defeat in
Marchfeld and the Premyslid sowed their rule into 3 kingdoms. However, unexpected
deaths brought the demise of this Bohemian house.
Vaclav II,
only 7 years old, had a regency rule in his stead. However, the regent Otto V
of Brandenburg, Ottokar’s brother-in-law, mismanaged and even abused the
country. A group of nobles successfully negotiated Otto’s departure and an
ambitious noble named Zavis of Falkenstein took the reins of power. Zavis’
ambition, however, alerted King Rudolf pressuring Vaclav to the noble arrested
and executed in 1390. Under Vaclav’s rule, Bohemia made progress culturally, economically, and legally. Funded by the silver mines, which his
father who also came to be known as the King of Iron and Gold, developed.
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| Vaclav II |
Vaclav then
worked to expand his sphere of influence. Blocked by the Habsburgs in Austria,
the Premyslid King looked towards Poland and Hungary. In the 1290s, with wealth
and strategic marriages, he took control of the Duchy of Krakow. Soon more
Polish nobles welcomed Vaclav who in 1300 became King Wenceslaus II of Poland.
In the following year, Hungary too looked for a new monarch. Fearing the ire of
the new King of Germany Albert I, he sent his son Vaclav instead to be the King
of Hungary becoming Ladislaus. His attempts to silently place Hungary in his
dominions failed and the King of Germany with the support of the Pope
challenged the Premysl claim to the Hungarian throne and attacked. By 1305,
Vaclav pulled his son out of Hungary and successfully repulsed an invasion of
Bohemia. But when he planned to launch a counter-invasion, he suddenly fell
ill and passed away.
His son
Vaclav III then ruled Bohemia only for a year as in 1306 he had a date with
assassins leaving Bohemia with no heir. Thus, with an unexpected death, a half
of a millennium rule of Premyslids of Bohemia came to an end. At its place came
the House of Luxembourg in 1310.
Summing Up
The
Premyslid dynasty laid down the early blocks of Czech history. From them
Bohemia witnessed the rise of Christianity and the entanglement of the lands to
western geopolitics. They oversaw the elevation of Bohemia from a mere Duchy,
to an elector in the Holy Roman Empire, and finally to a hereditary kingdom.
For a moment, the Premyslids built a central European Empire. But the balance of
power went against them and they failed to prevent the rise of the House of
Habsburg who survived to rule a part of Europe until 1918.
See also:
Ottokar II
Bibliography:
Abulafia, David (ed.). The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume V, c. 1198 - c. 1300. New York, New York: Cambridge Unviersity Press, 1999.
Cornej, Petr & Jiri Pokorny. A Brief History of the Czech Lands. Prague: Prah Press, 2003.
Mahoney, William. The History of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood Press, 2011.
Tanner, J.R. The Cambridge Medieval History, Volume VI: Victory of the Papacy. London: Cambridge University Press, 1929.
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