The name Bohemia is derived from the Boii who may also be related to the Bavarians. Princes recognizing the suzerainty of Great Moravia at the end of the 9th century ruled the Slavic Czechs with whom the historical development of this country is associated. Great Moravia itself had emerged as the increasingly independent client of the East Frankish kingdom. Under Rastislav it had wavered between Constantinopolitan and Roman influences, but the usurpation of Svátopluk I decided the issue in favor of the West. Nevertheless, Svátopluk sought independence from his German overlord and was successful in resisting the latter’s attacks. On the death of Svátopluk I, his sons quarreled over the succession. The destruction of Great Moravia by the Magyars left the Czechs independent, but in the first half of the 10th century they were forced to recognize German suzerainty. The Dukes of Princes of Bohemia received the honorary hereditary post of serving as ceremonial cupbearers for the German kings and emperors. For his support, Heinrich IV granted Vratislav II the title of king in 1085. This title was also granted to Vladislav II in 1158 and to his son Otakar I in 1198, when it finally became hereditary. Nevertheless, the Czech monarch continued to be a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire and the German king. In the 13th century, the King of Bohemia became one of the electors of the Holy Roman Empire. Otakar II and his successors pursued an expansionist policy, first directed at Austria and Carinthia, then at Poland. On the extinction of the Přemyslid line in 1306, the Duke of Carinthia claimed the throne but it finally fell into the hands of the Luxemburg dynasty. King Jan was generally an absentee king who finally fell fighting for the French at Crécy in 1346, but his son Karel I (Karl IV as German king) fostered the development of his Bohemian kingdom. The national/religious Husite movement challenged the right of Zikmund to succeed his brother Václav IV in 1419 but was eventually overcome in 1436. By a combination of heredity and election, Zikmund was succeeded in all his realms (Bohemia, Hungary, and Germany) by his son-in-law Albrecht V of Austria. Albrecht was succeeded by his posthumous son Ladislav (who also claimed Hungary), but the true power rested in the hands of the regent Jiři of Poděbrad since 1451. On Ladislav’s untimely death, Jiři became Bohemia’s last “national” king. As a moderate Hussite, Jiři was declared deposed by the Pope, and the Catholic nobility elected Mátyás I of Hungary king. Jiři weathered the attack, but lost Moravia to Mátyás. Vladislav II, a son of the king of Poland by a sister of Ladislav, was elected to succeed Jiři, and later also to succeed Mátyás I in Hungary. The death of his son Ludvík (Lajos II of Hungary) in battle against the Ottomans in 1526 brought the crown to his brother-in-law Ferdinand I of Habsburg. The crown of Bohemia remained in Habsburg hands until the end of the First World War, with the exception of a short interruption in 1619–1620 when the Protestant Friedrich V of Pfalz was brought in as a replacement. In 1054–1247 and 1355–1411 Moravia was ruled over by its own margrave, although it remained under the suzerainty of the kingdom of Bohemia.
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Princes of Great Moravia, Kings of Great Moravia from 890 |
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820–846 |
Mojmír I |
Son of Vojnomir prince of Slavonia; deposed |
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846–870 |
Rastislav |
Son of Vladimir prince of Slavonia, brother of Mojmír
I; deposed |
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870–871 |
Slavomír |
Son of Ratimir prince of Slavonia, brother of
Rastislav; deposed |
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871–894 |
Svátopluk I |
Son of Svetimir prince of Slavonia, son of Mojmír I
(King 890) |
|
894–907 |
Mojmír II |
Son of Svátopluk I; killed against the Magyars |
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895–899 |
Svátopluk II |
Son of Svátopluk I; deposed, died 910 |
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NOTE: The genealogical information in this list reflects suggestions made by M. Eggers (partly on the basis of the Chronicle of the Priest of Dioclea) about the relations between the rulers of Great Moravia and other South Slavic Dynasties. L. Havlík, Svatopluk Veliký král Moravanů a Slovanů, has a Mojmír—son Mojmír I—brother Boso/Hos(dius)—son Rastislav—brother Bogislav—son Svatopluk I—son Mojmír II—brother Predslav—brother Svatobog—brother Svatopluk II, based on the evidence of equally questionable later chronicles. The links Boso/Hos(dius) and Bogislav are no more convincing than those suggested by Eggers. |
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Princes or Dukes of Bohemia |
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870–895 |
BOŘIVOJ I |
Prince of Bohemia |
|
895–912 |
SPYTIHNĚV I |
Son of Bořivoj I |
|
912–921 |
VRATISLAV I |
Son of Bořivoj I |
|
921–929 |
VÁCLAV I (Saint) |
Son of Vratislav I; murdered |
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929–972 |
BOLESLAV I the Cruel |
Son of Vratislav I |
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972–999 |
BOLESLAV II the Pious |
Son of Boleslav I |
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999–1002 |
BOLESLAV III the Red |
Son of Boleslav II; deposed |
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1002–1003 |
VLADIVOJ |
Son of Mieszko I king of Poland by Dobravy daughter of
Boleslav I |
|
1003–1003 |
JAROMÍR |
Son of Boleslav II; deposed |
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1003–1003 |
BOLESLAV III the Red |
Restored; deposed, died 1037 |
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1003–1004 |
BOLESLAV IV the Brave of Poland |
Brother of Vladivoj; expelled, died 1025 |
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1004–1012 |
JAROMÍR |
Restored; deposed |
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1012–1033 |
OLDŘICH |
Son of Boleslav II; deposed, died 1034 |
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1033–1034 |
JAROMÍR |
Restored; deposed, died 1035 |
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1034–1055 |
BŘETISLAV I |
Son of Oldřich |
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1055–1061 |
SPYTIHNĚV II |
Son of Břetislav I |
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1061–1092 |
VRATISLAV II |
Son of Břetislav I; (King 1085–1092) |
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1092–1092 |
KONRÁD |
Son of Břetislav I |
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1092–1100 |
BŘETISLAV II |
Son of Vratislav II |
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1100–1107 |
BOŘIVOJ II |
Son of Vratislav II; deposed |
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1107–1109 |
SVATOPLUK |
Son of Ota I prince of Moravia son of Břetislav I |
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1109–1117 |
VLADISLAV I |
Son of Vratislav II; abdicated |
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1117–1120 |
BOŘIVOJ II |
Restored; abdicated, died 1124 |
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1120–1125 |
VLADISLAV I |
Restored |
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1125–1140 |
SOBĚSLAV I |
Son of Vratislav II |
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1140–1173 |
VLADISLAV II |
Son of Vladislav I; (King 1158–1173) abdicated, died
1174 |
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1173–1173 |
BEDŘICH |
Son of Vladislav II; deposed |
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1173–1178 |
SOBĚSLAV II |
Son of Soběslav I; deposed, died 1180 |
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1178–1189 |
BEDŘICH |
Restored |
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1189–1191 |
KONRÁD OTA |
Son of Konrád II Prince of Moravia son of Luitold son
of Konrád |
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1191–1192 |
VÁCLAV II |
Son of Soběslav I; deposed, died 1192 |
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1192–1193 |
PŘEMYSL OTAKAR I |
Son of Vladislav II; deposed |
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1193–1197 |
JINDŘICH BŘETISLAV |
Son of Jindřich son of Vladislav I; Archbishop of
Prague |
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1197–1197 |
VLADISLAV JINDŘICH |
Son of Vladislav II; abdicated, died 1222 |
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1197–1198 |
PŘEMYSL OTAKAR I |
Restored; King from 1198 |
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Kings of Bohemia (hereditary from 1198) |
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1085–1092 |
VRATISLAV |
= Prince Vratislav II of Bohemia |
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1158–1173 |
VLADISLAV I |
= Prince Vladislav II of Bohemia |
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1198–1230 |
PŘEMYSL OTAKAR I |
= Prince Přemysl Otakar I |
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1230–1253 |
VÁCLAV I |
Son of Přemysl Otakar I |
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1253–1278 |
PŘEMYSL OTAKAR II the Great |
Son of Václav I; co-ruler 1248; killed in battle
against Rudolf I of Germany |
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1278–1305 |
VÁCLAV II |
Son of Přemysl Otakar II |
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1305–1306 |
VÁCLAV III |
Son of Václav II; murdered |
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1306–1307 |
RUDOLF I of Austria |
Son of Albrecht I of Germany; married Elżbieta of
Poland widow of Václav II |
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1307–1310 |
JINDŘICH of Carinthia |
Son of Meinhard of Carinthia; husband of Anna daughter of Václav II; deposed, died 1335 |
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1310–1346 |
JAN the Blind of Luxemburg |
Son of Heinrich VII of Germany; husband of Alžběta
daughter of Václav II; killed in battle |
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1346–1378 |
KAREL I |
Václav, son of Jan |
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1378–1419 |
VÁCLAV IV |
Son of Karel I; co-ruler 1363 |
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1419–1437 |
ZIKMUND |
Son of Karel I; in exile 1420–1436 |
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1437–1439 |
ALBRECHT of Austria |
Son of Albrecht IV of Austria; husband of Alžběta
daughter of Zikmund |
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1440–1457 |
LADISLAV the Posthumous |
Son of Albrecht |
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1458–1471 |
JIŘÍ of Poděbrad |
Son of Viktorín of Poděbrad; regent from 1451;
elected king |
|
1471–1516 |
VLADISLAV II of Poland |
Son of Kazimierz IV of Poland by Alžběta daughter
of Albrecht |
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1516–1526 |
LUDVÍK |
Son of Vladislav II; co-ruler 1509; killed in battle |
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1526–1564 |
FERDINAND I of Austria |
Son of Felipe I of Castile; husband of Anna daughter of
Vladislav II |
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1564–1576 |
MAXIMILIÁN |
Son of Ferdinand I; co-ruler 1562 |
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1576–1611 |
RUDOLF II |
Son of Maximilián; abdicated, died 1612 |
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1611–1619 |
MATYÁŠ |
Son of Maximilián |
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1619–1619 |
FERDINAND II |
Son of Karl II of Austria-Styria son of Ferdinand I;
deposed |
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1619–1620 |
FRIDRICH the Winter-King of Pfalz |
Son of Friedrich IV of Pfalz; elected king; deposed,
died 1632 |
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1620–1637 |
FERDINAND II |
Restored |
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1637–1657 |
FERDINAND III |
Son of Ferdinand II; co-ruler 1636 |
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FERDINAND IV František |
Son of Ferdinand III; co-ruler 1646–1654 |
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1657–1705 |
LEOPOLD I |
Son of Ferdinand III; co-ruler 1654 |
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1705–1711 |
JOSEF I |
Son of Leopold I |
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1711–1740 |
KAREL II |
Son of Leopold I |
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1740–1780 |
MARIE TERESIE |
Daughter of Karel II |
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1780–1790 |
JOSEF II |
Son of Marie Teresie by Franz I of Germany |
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1790–1792 |
LEOPOLD II |
Son of Marie Teresie by Franz I of Germany |
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1792–1835 |
FRANTIŠEK I the Good |
Son of Leopold II |
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1835–1848 |
FERDINAND V the Goodly |
Son of František I; abdicated, died 1875 |
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1848–1916 |
FRANTIŠEK JOSEF I |
Son of František Karel son of František I |
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1916–1918 |
KAREL III |
Son of Ota son of Karel Ludvík brother of František
Josef I; deposed, died 1922 |
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1918– |
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Republic of Czechoslovakia, then Czech Republic |
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Princes and Margraves of Moravia |
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1054–1092 |
KONRAD I |
Son of Břetislav I prince of Bohemia; in Brünn and Znaim |
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1061–1087 |
OTA I |
Brother of Konrad I; in Olmütz |
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1087–1009 |
SVATOPLUK |
Son of Ota I; in Olmütz |
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1087–1126 |
OTA II |
Son of Ota I; in Olmütz |
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1092–1113 |
OLDŘICH |
Son of Konrad I; in Brünn 1101 |
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1092–1112 |
LUTOLD |
Son of Konrad I; in Znaim 1101 |
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1126–1130 |
VÁCLAV JINDŘICH |
Son of Swatopluk; in Olmütz |
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1130–1160 |
OTA DETHLEB |
Son of Otta II; in Olmütz |
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1112–1161/ |
KONRAD II |
Son of Lutold; in Znaim |
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1113–1132/ |
VRATISLAV |
Son of Oldřich; in Brünn |
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1132/–1198 |
SPYTIHNĚV |
Son of Vratislav; in Brünn |
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1161/–1191 |
KONRAD OTA |
Son of Konrad II; in Znaim; (Margrave 1182) |
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1191–1222 |
VLADISLAV JINDŘICH |
Son of Vladislav II duke of Bohemia |
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1222–1228 |
VLADISLAV I |
Son of Přemysl Otakar I king of Bohemia |
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1228–1239 |
PŘEMYSL |
Brother of Vladislav I |
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1239–1247 |
VLADISLAV II |
Son of Václav I king of Bohemia |
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1247–1355 |
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To Bohemia |
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1355–1375 |
JAN JINDŘICH |
Son of Jan king of Bohemia |
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1375–1411 |
JODOK/JOBST |
Son of Jan Jindřich |
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1375–1405 |
PROKOP |
Son of Jan Jindřich |
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1411– |
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To Bohemia, to Czechoslovakia 1918, to Czech Republic
199… |