Vratislaus I Premyslid (Duke) of BOHEMIA

Vratislaus (or Wratislaus) I (Czech: Vratislav I) (c.888 - c.?921), a scion of the Czech Premyslid dynasty, was Duke of Bohemia from 915 until his death. He was a son of Duke Borivoj I of Bohemia by his wife Ludmila and the younger brother of Duke Spytihnev I. By his wife Drahomíra, a Hevellian princess, Vratislaus had at least two sons, Wenceslaus and Boleslaus, both of whom succeeded him as Bohemian dukes. Strezislava, the wife of the Bohemian nobleman Slavník, founder of the Slavník dynasty, is also held to be a daughter of Vratislaus by some historians. 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. Historical records of the early Premyslid 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 Winceslaus, or Vaclav, whose zeal for spreading Christianity in his dominions prompted his murder by his pagan brother Boleslav I (reigned 929-967). Vaclav 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 Premyslid 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 Premyslid 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. http://en.wikipedia.org

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