Děpolt II

Siege of Acre where Děpolt in 1190 died.

Děpolt II (1150s^[1] – 21 November 1190^[2]), also known as Diepold II (modern English Theobald), was a Bohemian nobleman from the cadet branch of the Přemyslid dynasty and the leader of the Bohemian troop in the Third Crusade.^[1]

Life

Děpolt II was the only son of Děpolt I (son of Duke Vladislav I of Bohemia) and of his wife Gertrude (daughter of Albert the Bear of Brandenburg).^[1]

He was first mentioned after the death of his father. He had a good relationship with the Duke Frederick of Bohemia (Czech: Bedřich), his cousin. After 1182 he was in dispute with his other cousin^[3] Bishop of Prague Jindřich Břetislav (Henry Bretislaus, later known as Duke Bretislaus III of Bohemia). The bishop imposed an interdict on Děpolt's land (the regions of Čáslav, Chrudim and Vraclav).^[1] In 1187 he emigrated and came back in 1189 when Conrad II became the new duke of Bohemia.^[2]

In 1189 Conrad II appointed Děpolt I to lead the Bohemian troop in the Third Crusade. The Bohemian troop joined the crusaders led by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in Esztergom, Hungary. Many of the Bohemian soldiers were former prisoners who were freed just to participate the crusade (8 of them were executed by Frederick Barbarossa because of their violence and robbery already in Serbia). After the death of Frederick Barbarossa in the Saleph River on 10 June 1190 Děpolt II decided to stay in the Holy Land and to continue under the command of Frederick VI, Duke of Swabia. He took part in the siege of Acre in autumn 1190. There he also died on 21 November 1190, maybe because of a war injury or plague. The surviving rest of his troop then probably became a part of the troop of King Richard I of England.^[2]

Marriage and children

Děpolt II was married to unknown woman. They had at least two children:

• Děpolt III
• Soběslav I

Ancestry

Ancestors of Děpolt II

16. Bretislaus I of Bohemia               8. Vratislaus II of Bohemia                       17. Judith of Schweinfurt               4. Vladislaus I of Bohemia                             18. Casimir I of Poland               9. Świętosława of Poland                       19. Maria Dobroniega of Kiev               2. Děpolt I                                   20. Poppo of Berg-Schelklingen               10. Henry I of Berg-Schelklingen                       21. Sophia of Hungary               5. Richeza of Berg                             22. Diepold II, Margrave of Vohburg               11. Adelheid of Mochental                       23. Luitgard of Carinthia               1. Frederick, Duke of Bohemia                                         24. Adalbert II, Count of Ballenstedt               12. Otto, Count of Ballenstedt                       25. Adelheid of Weimar-Orlamünde               6. Albert the Bear                             26. Magnus, Duke of Saxony               13. Eilika of Saxony                       27. Sophia of Hungary               3. Gertrude of Brandenburg                                   28. Meginhard IV of Formbach               14. Herman I, Count of Winzenburg                       29. Matilda of Reinhausen               7. Sophie of Winzenburg                             30.               15. Countess of Everstein                       31.

References

1. "Děpolt II.". Středověk (in Czech). Retrieved 22 June 2013.
2. "Kalendárium: 21. listopadu 1190 – zemřel Děpold II., konec české účasti na třetí křížové výpravě". Svornost (in Czech). 21 November 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
3. "Family tree of Přemyslid dynasty". Středověk. Retrieved 22 June 2013.