Vratislaus I, Duke of Bohemia

Vratislav I (c. 888; † February 13 921 ) was a Bohemian duke of from the Přemyslovci and father of Saint Wenceslas.

Life

Vratislav was the son of Duke Bořivoj I. and his wife Ludmilla. For about 906 he was married to Drahomíra from the West Slavic tribe of the Hevelli. From this marriage came from, among others, by St. Wenceslas Boleslav I and probably another son named Spytihněv and four daughters.

915 he took over after the death of his brother Spytihněv I. dominion over the zentralbömische region around Prague, which he held until his death in 921. In foreign policy, Bohemia was during his reign in the influence area of ​​the Bavarian Duke Arnulf I. To protect themselves against the growing threat of the Saxon dukes, Bohemia joined other alliances. The Marriage Vratislav with Drahomíra linked the country with the then most powerful elbslawischen tribe. The Magyar warriors who invaded in the West since the early 10th century, he granted free passage through Bohemia, and 915 to Bohemian warriors involved in a Hungarian attack in Saxony.

Inside the sons of the first Christian Duke of Bohemia Bořivoj strengthened the dominant role of the Přemyslids Dynasty. They built new castles on the borders of their sphere of power and urged the influence of other Bohemian princes back. The few written and archaeological sources do not allow, or more precisely delineate the significance of the two brothers in the process of state formation from each other. It is certain that 897 occurred last several princes in Regensburg as a representative of Bohemia. Vratislav son Wenzel is 929, however, already undisputed ruler of the whole country, even if the local principalities continued to exist. During the 20- year reign and the subsequent Spytihněvs about 6 - year reign Vratislav Thus the dynasty of Přemyslids sat through final.

Vratislav died at the age of 33 years. His grave is located in the St. George's Basilica in the Prague Castle.

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