Sobeslav I of Bohemia
Encyclopedia
Sobeslaus I was Duke of Bohemia from 1125 until his death. He was a member of the Přemyslid dynasty
, the youngest son of Vratislaus II
(d. 1092), the first Bohemian duke to also rule as king, with his third wife Svatava of Poland.
. Later the brothers reconciled and Soběslav was vested with rule at Brno
and Znojmo
in Moravia
from 1115 until 1123, when the tensions between the brothers had risen again and Soběslav was once more expelled.
Nevertheless as the last surviving son of King Vratislaus II he succeeded to the ducal throne after Duke Vladislaus' death in 1125. From the beginning his rule was contested by Otto II of Olomouc, the younger brother of Svatopluk, who gained the support not only by Vladislaus' widow Richeza of Berg
but also by King Lothair III of Germany
. Soběslav therefore was an adversary of the German monarchy throughout his reign and began by using the divisiveness of the 1025 election
of King Lothair against rivaling Duke Frederick II of Swabia
to further Bohemian independence.
When Soběslav decided to remove Otto II from Olomouc
, the despoiled prince recoursed to the German king. Lothair III declared that no one could succeed to the Bohemian throne without Imperial investiture and proceeded to invade on behalf of Otto II. Such, however, was dangerous to the interests of the local nobility and they rallied around Soběslav. On 18 February 1126, the German and Moravian troops under Lothair met with the Bohemian forces at the Battle of Chlumec
, a frontier fortress at the border with the March of Meissen. Soběslav routed and captured King Lothair, while Otto II was killed in battle. However, the relationship between the two countries returned to the former vassal
-suzerain relation, as King Lothair was released on condition of Soběslav investiture with Bohemia.
Throughout his reign, he continued to possess the Olomouc duchy. Meanwhile however, the duke's rule in Bohemia was again undermined by his nephew, Bretislaus, son of Soběslav's eldest brother Duke Bretislaus II (d. 1100). Young Bretislaus referred to the principle of agnatic seniority
and had the support of the Moravian dukes, Conrad II of Znojmo and Vratislaus II of Brno, as well as of the church party under Bishop Meinhard of Prague. In June 1130, the conspiracy was discovered and thwarted with much bloodshed. The dukes survived and continued to rule, but Bretislaus was blinded. Upon the accession of his brother-in-law King Bela II of Hungary
in 1131 he was entangled into an armed conflict with Duke Bolesław III of Poland, who supported Bela's rival Boris Kalamanos
.
Conrad III of Hohenstaufen
, elected King of the Romans
in 1138, tried to amend relations between the two thrones of Bohemia and Germany. At the Reichstag
of Bamberg
in the same year, he gave Soběslav the hereditary dignity of the archcupbearer
of the Holy Roman Empire
and the promise to vest his eldest son Vladislaus with Bohemia upon his death. The duke's reign saw the foundation of many new German
colonies in Czech lands in the course of the Ostsiedlung
.
Soběslav died on 14 February 1140 at Hostinné
Castle. The succession by his son failed, as the Bohemian estates called for his nephew Vladislaus II, the son of his elder brother and predecessor Duke Vladislaus I, who became duke with the approval by King Conrad.
of Hungary
. The marriage produced at least five children:
Premyslid dynasty
The Přemyslids , were a Czech royal dynasty which reigned in Bohemia and Moravia , and partly also in Hungary, Silesia, Austria and Poland.-Legendary rulers:...
, the youngest son of Vratislaus II
Vratislaus II of Bohemia
-Literature:*Vratislav Vaníček: Vratislav II. . První český král. Vyšehrad 2004, ISBN 80-7021-655-7*Hans Patze: Die Pegauer Annalen, die Königserhebung Wratislaws v. Böhmen und die Anfänge der Stadt Pegau. JGMODtl 12, 1963, 1-62...
(d. 1092), the first Bohemian duke to also rule as king, with his third wife Svatava of Poland.
Life
Soběslav is first documented about 1107, when he and his elder brother Duke Bořivoj II of Bohemia were expelled by their Přemyslid relative Svatopluk of Olomouc and fled to the court of their maternal cousin Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth of Poland. After Svatopluk had been assassinated during the Battle of Głogów in 1109, Bořivoj's attempts to regain the Bohemian throne failed, as in the following fratricidal war his younger brother Vladislaus I prevailed, backed by King Henry V of GermanyHenry V, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor...
. Later the brothers reconciled and Soběslav was vested with rule at Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
and Znojmo
Znojmo
Znojmo is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic, near the border with Lower Austria, connected to Vienna by railway and road . The royal city of Znojmo was founded shortly before 1226 by King Ottokar I on the plains in front of Znojmo Castle...
in Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
from 1115 until 1123, when the tensions between the brothers had risen again and Soběslav was once more expelled.
Nevertheless as the last surviving son of King Vratislaus II he succeeded to the ducal throne after Duke Vladislaus' death in 1125. From the beginning his rule was contested by Otto II of Olomouc, the younger brother of Svatopluk, who gained the support not only by Vladislaus' widow Richeza of Berg
Richeza of Berg
Richenza of Berg was the wife of Vladislav I of Bohemia and the Duchess of Bohemia. She was the daughter of count Henry I of Berg and his wife Adelheid of Mochental....
but also by King Lothair III of Germany
Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor
Lothair III of Supplinburg , was Duke of Saxony , King of Germany , and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. The son of Count Gebhard of Supplinburg, his reign was troubled by the constant intriguing of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia and Duke Conrad of Franconia...
. Soběslav therefore was an adversary of the German monarchy throughout his reign and began by using the divisiveness of the 1025 election
Imperial election
The election of a Holy Roman Emperor or King of Germany was, from at least the 13th century, accomplished by a small body of the greatest princes of the Empire, the Prince-electors. Appointment as Emperor was normally for life...
of King Lothair against rivaling Duke Frederick II of Swabia
Frederick II, Duke of Swabia
Frederick II , called the One-Eyed, was the second Hohenstaufen duke of Swabia from 1105. He was the eldest son of Frederick I and Agnes....
to further Bohemian independence.
When Soběslav decided to remove Otto II from Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
, the despoiled prince recoursed to the German king. Lothair III declared that no one could succeed to the Bohemian throne without Imperial investiture and proceeded to invade on behalf of Otto II. Such, however, was dangerous to the interests of the local nobility and they rallied around Soběslav. On 18 February 1126, the German and Moravian troops under Lothair met with the Bohemian forces at the Battle of Chlumec
Battle of Chlumec (1126)
The Second Battle of Chlumec was the culmination of the war of succession to the Duchy of Bohemia. It occurred on 18 February 1126 in the vicinity of the village of Chlumec near Chabařovice on the southern side of the Erzgebirge....
, a frontier fortress at the border with the March of Meissen. Soběslav routed and captured King Lothair, while Otto II was killed in battle. However, the relationship between the two countries returned to the former vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
-suzerain relation, as King Lothair was released on condition of Soběslav investiture with Bohemia.
Throughout his reign, he continued to possess the Olomouc duchy. Meanwhile however, the duke's rule in Bohemia was again undermined by his nephew, Bretislaus, son of Soběslav's eldest brother Duke Bretislaus II (d. 1100). Young Bretislaus referred to the principle of agnatic seniority
Agnatic seniority
Agnatic seniority is a patrilineal principle of inheritance where the order of succession to the throne prefers the monarch's younger brother over the monarch's own sons. A monarch's children succeed only after the males of the elder generation have all been exhausted...
and had the support of the Moravian dukes, Conrad II of Znojmo and Vratislaus II of Brno, as well as of the church party under Bishop Meinhard of Prague. In June 1130, the conspiracy was discovered and thwarted with much bloodshed. The dukes survived and continued to rule, but Bretislaus was blinded. Upon the accession of his brother-in-law King Bela II of Hungary
Béla II of Hungary
Béla II the Blind , King of Hungary and Croatia . Still as a child, Béla was blinded by his uncle, King Coloman who wanted to ensure the succession of his own son, the future King Stephen II...
in 1131 he was entangled into an armed conflict with Duke Bolesław III of Poland, who supported Bela's rival Boris Kalamanos
Boris Kalamanos
Boris Kalamanos was a pretender who claimed the Hungarian throne. He desperately tried to assert his claims with the assistance of Poland, the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, but he failed and died in exile.-His descent:...
.
Conrad III of Hohenstaufen
Conrad III of Germany
Conrad III was the first King of Germany of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. He was the son of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia, and Agnes, a daughter of the Salian Emperor Henry IV.-Life and reign:...
, elected King of the Romans
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
in 1138, tried to amend relations between the two thrones of Bohemia and Germany. At the Reichstag
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
of Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
in the same year, he gave Soběslav the hereditary dignity of the archcupbearer
Cup-bearer
A cup-bearer was an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty it was to serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues, a person must be regarded as thoroughly trustworthy to hold this position. He must guard against poison in the king's cup, and...
of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
and the promise to vest his eldest son Vladislaus with Bohemia upon his death. The duke's reign saw the foundation of many new German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
colonies in Czech lands in the course of the Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung , also called German eastward expansion, was the medieval eastward migration and settlement of Germans from modern day western and central Germany into less-populated regions and countries of eastern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The affected area roughly stretched from Slovenia...
.
Soběslav died on 14 February 1140 at Hostinné
Hostinné
Hostinné is a town in the Czech Republic.-External links:*...
Castle. The succession by his son failed, as the Bohemian estates called for his nephew Vladislaus II, the son of his elder brother and predecessor Duke Vladislaus I, who became duke with the approval by King Conrad.
Marriage and issue
About 1123 Soběslav married Adelaide, daughter of Prince ÁlmosPrince Álmos
Álmos was a Hungarian prince, the son of King Géza I of Hungary, brother of King Kálmán. He held several governmental posts in the Kingdom of Hungary....
of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
. The marriage produced at least five children:
- Vladislaus (d. 1165), Duke at Olomouc
- MariaMaria of Bohemia (d. aft. 1172)Maria of Bohemia was the only daughter of Duke Sobeslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, and his wife Adelaide of Hungary, the granddaughter of Géza I of Hungary...
(1124/25-1172), married firstly to Margrave Leopold IV of AustriaLeopold IV, Duke of BavariaLeopold IV, the Generous was Margrave of Austria from 1137 and Duke of Bavaria from 1139 until his death....
, secondly to Margrave Herman III of Baden - Sobeslaus II (~1128-1180), Duke of Bohemia 1173-1178
- Oldrich II (1134–1170), Duke at Olomouc
- Wenceslaus IIWenceslaus II, Duke of BohemiaWenceslaus II was the son of Sobeslav I and brother of Sobeslav II. He was the duke of Bohemia following Conrad II in 1191.He was the duke of Olomouc and Brno, but was deposed by Duke Frederick in 1179 and exiled. He returned from exile after thirteen years on Conrad's death.Wenceslaus was...
(1137–1192), Duke of Bohemia 1191-1192