Břetislav (Přemyslovci) z Čechy (bef. 1005 - 1055)

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 10 Jan 1055 after age 50 in Chrudim, České knížectví, Svatá říše římská

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Břetislav I Přemyslovci was a member of the aristocracy in Europe.

Biography

Břetislav is the son of Oldřich of Bohemia and his mistress or possibly later wife Božena.^[1] He was born sometime between 1002 and 1005. His birthplace is not known as the timeframe for his birth falls into a period of turmoil in Bohemia.

He first became duke of Moravia until 1034 when he had to flee Bohemia as a result of the conflict between his father and his uncle Jaromír in which he apparently sided with his uncle. After his father’s death Jaromír relinquished his claim to the ducal title in favor of Břetislav and he became duke of Bohemia in 1035.^[2]

In 1021 he apparently abducted Judith von Schweinfurt from the monastery dedicated to Sts. Peter and Paul in Schweinfurt, supposedly because his illegitimacy prevented a normal courtship.^[3] This may very well just have been a pro forma abduction as there were no repercussions and Judith "brought castle and dominion Kronach as dowry into the marriage."^[4]

He was responsible for Břetislav’s decrees concerning the Christianization of Bohemia, outlawing polygamy among other things,^[5] and established the principle of agnatic seniority in Bohemia.

He died at Chrudim in 1055.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Cosmae Pragensis Chronica Boemorum, Monumenta Germaniae Historica, p. 65
2. ↑ Cosmae Pragensis Chronica Boemorum, Monumenta Germaniae Historica, p. 77
3. ↑ Annalista Saxo, Monumenta Germaniae Historica
4. ↑ Stolberg-Wernigerode, Otto zu: Neue deutsche Biographie, Bd.: 24, Schwarz - Stader, Berlin, 2010
5. ↑ Cosmae Pragensis Chronica Boemorum, Monumenta Germaniae Historica, p. 87
6. ↑ Necrologium Monasterii S Emmerammi Ratisbonensis, in Monumenta Germaniae historica: Dioeceses Brixinensis, Frisingensis, Ratisbonensis, Franz Ludwig Baumann, Sigismund Herzberg-Fränkel (1857-1913.), Max Fastlinger, Adalbert Franz Fuchs, Paul Hermann Edward Piper (1857-1913.) Monumenta Germaniae Historica, 1905 – Austria