Vladislaus I (1065–1125), duke of Bohemia

Bohemia

Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...

 from 1109 to 1117 and from 1120 to April 12, 1125.

Vladislav I was a son of Duke, later King, Vratislav 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...

 of Bohemia by his second wife Swatawa, a daughter of Casimir I of Poland

Casimir I of Poland

Casimir I the Restorer , was a Duke of Poland of the Piast dynasty and the de facto monarch of the entire country from 1034 until his death....

. Together with his cousin Svatopluk

Svatopluk of Bohemia

Svatopluk the Lion was the duke of Bohemia from 1107 to his assassination. He was a son of Otto I of Olomouc and Euphemia of Hungary and grandson of Bretislaus I of Bohemia....

, Vladislav expelled his brother Bořivoj II

Borivoj II of Bohemia

Borivoj II was the duke of Bohemia from 25 December 1100 until May 1107 and from December 1117 until 16 August 1120. He was the younger half-brother and successor of Bretislaus II....

 from Bohemia in 1107. In 1109 Svatopluk died, and Vladislav I succeeded as duke of Bohemia. Bořivoj II returned from exile with the support of Prince Bolesław III Wrymouth of Poland, but was defeated and imprisoned by Vladislav in 1110, who exiled him into the custody of his ally, Emperor Henry V

Henry 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...

.

In spite of his victory, Vladislav I remained under Polish pressure, and was forced to recognize a younger brother, Soběslav, as subordinate ruler of 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...

 in 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...

 (Znaim) from 1111. In 1117 Vladislav I formally abdicated in favor of Bořivoj II but retained much of the actual power. In 1120 Bořivoj was deposed again and endowed with Znojmo, while Vladislav resumed the throne, which he held until his death in 1125.

Vladislav I ruled in a difficult time with considerable success. Although he continued to acknowledge the suzerainty 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...

, he weathered the interventions of Poland into Bohemian affairs, conflicts with his kinsmen in Moravia, and undertook offensive campaigns against both Poland and Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

. In 1110–1111 Vladislav accompanied Emperor Henry V on his Italian expedition, and he encouraged continued German settlement into Bohemia's border regions.

Family

By his wife 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....

 (died September 27, 1125), daughter of Count Henry I of Berg, Vladislav I had four children:

• Svatava
• Vladislav II of Bohemia (c. 1110 – January 18, 1174), King of Bohemia
• Děpolt (died August 1167)
• Jindřich