Vratislaus I, Duke of Bohemia

Vratislaus I
Duke of Bohemia
Depiction in the liber depictus, Český Krumlov, c. 1360
Reign	915–921
Spouse(s)	Drahomíra
Issue Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia Boleslaus I, Duke of Bohemia Střezislava (?)
Noble family	Přemyslid dynasty
Father	Bořivoj I, Duke of Bohemia
Mother	Ludmila of Bohemia
Born	c. 888
Died	13 February 921
Buried	St. George's Basilica, Prague

Vratislaus (or Wratislaus) I (Czech: Vratislav I.; c. 888 – 13 February 921), a member of the Přemyslid dynasty, was Duke of Bohemia from 915 until his death.

Life

He was a son of Duke Bořivoj I of Bohemia by his wife Ludmila and the younger brother of Duke Spytihněv I. Around 906 he married Drahomíra, a Hevellian princess, establishing close ties with the Polabian Slavs. Vratislaus had at least two sons, Wenceslaus and Boleslaus, both of whom succeeded him as Bohemian dukes. Some historians considered that Střezislava, the wife of the Bohemian nobleman Slavník, founder of the Slavník dynasty, was also the daughter of Vratislaus.^[1]

Upon the death of his elder brother Spytihněv in 915, Vratislaus became duke at a time when the Bohemian lands around Prague Castle had already distanced itself from the political and cultural sphere of Great Moravia and fallen under East Frankish influence, especially of Duke Arnulf of Bavaria. The contemporary Annales Fuldenses report that already in 900 the Bavarian forces had attacked Prince Mojmir II of Moravia in alliance with the Bohemians. On the other hand, Duke Vratislaus offered the Hungarian invaders free passage and supported their 915 campaign against the Saxon 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 Wrocław (Vratislavia). He died in battle against the Hungarians, possibly in 919, although 921 is more often conjectured.

References

1. Loserth, Johann (2008). "Propast hrvatske kneževske obitelji Slavnikovića" [The collapse of Croatian princely family Slavniković]. In Nosić, Milan. Bijeli Hrvati II [White Croats II] (in Croatian). Maveda. pp. 168–169. ISBN 978-953-7029-12-8.

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