St. Vaclav (Wenceslas) and Boleslav the Cruel

A story to the likes of Cain and Abel, the brothers St. Vaclav and Boleslav the Cruel created a legend combining fratricide, foreign invasion, and polarizing opinion on religion that established the power of the Premyslid Dynasty over Bohemia.

Who was King Premsyl Ottokar II?

“Rolls to the ocean: Ottokar his name:

Who in his swaddling clothes was of more worth

Than Wenceslaus his son, a bearded man,

Pampered with rank luxuriousness and ease.”

- Canto VII in Dante's Purgatorio

In 1278, a King laid dying on the battlefield with him passed away the hopes of a Bohemian Empire covering much of central Europe and all the way down to the Adriatic Sea. King Premysl Ottokar II built an empire by seizing opportunities from deaths and marriages. Nevertheless, his luck finally ran out in face of a growing ambitious house that came to dominate the region – the Habsburgs.

Who was Vaclav II (Wenceslas II) of Bohemia?

In 1278, the dreams of a Bohemian Empire crumbled, what followed came a son who sought to revive this dream amidst the rise of another prominent House – the Habsburgs. King Vaclav II (Wenceslas II) ruled Bohemia from 1278 until his passing in 1305.

Who was King Wladyslaw I of Poland?

Between chaos and greatness in Polish history, the reign of Wladyslaw I Łokietek (Ladislaus I) the Short of the Elbow-High as he came to be known laid in the middle. As a father of Casimir III the Great, he reunified the country ending about 200 years of the divide. His reign set the stage for a new chapter in Polish history.

Who was Casimir the Great?

"Casimir found Poland built of wood, and he left if constructed of bricks.”

The Premyslid Dynasty of Bohemia

A story of a dynasty overshadowed by another. They shaped Bohemia and built the foundation of the modern Czech people. The Premyslid dynasty ruled Bohemia from around 9th century to the 1306 and contented for greatness, but fell short against the rising prominent house – the Habsburgs – ultimately ending with their extinction.

6 Projects of the Self-Strengthening Movement

In the 1860s with the country facing imminent collapse, the Tongzhi Restoration gave a sigh of relief for the ailing Qing Dynasty. After the Second Opium War and gains against numerous rebellions, prominent officials started the Self-Strengthening Movement aimed at developing the economy and modernizing the military. The Movement established several projects aimed to contribute to the country’s modernization.