Spytihněv II, Duke of Bohemia

Spytihněv II (* 1031, † on January 28, 1061 ) was from 1055 to 1061 Duke of Bohemia. About his short reign are partly contradictory. Is emphasized, particularly its relationship to the Germans in Bohemia and intervention in the relations of domination in Moravia.

Life

Spytihněv was the eldest son of Břetislavova I and his wife Judith. As a child, he spent some time as a hostage at the court of Henry III. , First from 1039 to 1040, a second time from 1041 for an unknown period of time. After his return he was given the rule over a part of Moravia to Olomouc and later awarded the Castle District Saaz. In 1054 he was married to Hidda, a daughter of Wettiners and Lusatian margrave Dietrich I.

1055 he joined the successor of his father. It is not quite certain whether the specification of the Chronica Boemorum that he has had expel all Germans from Bohemia on the day of its commencement Government, is really true. Anyway, had his mother and the Abbess of St. George's Monastery, both of German descent, left the country. On the other hand, he later drove the Slavic monks of the monastery Sázava and put instead a a German abbot and a Latin Convention. Although xenophobia is not ruled out at that time, seems to be an " anti-German " attitude of the Duke in this case to be an interpretation of his later chroniclers and the expulsion actions personally or makes politically motivated.

At the beginning of his reign, it seems to have been discussions about the just in Bohemia came into force Senioratsprinzip. So sales Spytihněv his brother Vratislav to Hungary, the two youngest brothers Conrad and Otto he brought to the court in Prague and gave them insignificant court offices. The Břetislav I. the objective of administrative Moravia by the non- ruling family members was overridden. In order to secure his power in the eastern part of the country, was also Spytihněv 300 Great Moravian call together in the castle Chrudim. When that did not follow the summons, he had them arrested and lodged in Czech castles. Under pressure from the Hungarian King Andrew I, he had his brother, however, return to Moravia in 1058.

Around 1060 Spytihněv be turned with a request to the royal dignity to Pope Nicholas II This confessed to him against payment of an annual percentage rate of 100 pounds of silver, but only the right to wear the bishop's miter. Status of the Bohemian duke was thus indeed upgraded, the royal crown won but it was his brother and successor Vratislav II Spytihněv died at the age of thirty. His son Frederick was Swatobor from August 1084 until February 23, 1085 Patriarch of Aquileia.