Wenceslaus I of Bohemia

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Wenceslaus I Premyslid (Czech Václav) (c. 1205 – September 23, 1253) was King of Bohemia from 1230 to 1253.

Wenceslaus was the son of Ottokar I of Bohemia and Konstancia of Hungary. His maternal grandparents were Béla III of Hungary and his second wife Agnes of Antioch (Agnes de Châtillon), a daughter of Raynald of Chatillon and Constance of Antioch (joint princes of Antioch).

He married Kunigunde of Hohenstaufen, daughter of Philip of Swabia, King of Germany and Irene Angelina. He encouraged large numbers of Germans to settle in the villages and towns in Bohemia and Moravia. As a sign of increasing development, courtesy of the new settlers, stone buildings began to replace wooden ones in Prague.

In 1241 Wenceslaus successfully repelled a raid on Bohemia by Batu Khan, although Moravia suffered devastation at the hands of the Mongols.

In 1248 Wenceslaus had to deal with a rebellion of the nobility, led by his son Otakar. The rebellion was quelled and Otakar imprisoned.

Wenceslaus' foreign policy was focused on acquiring the neighbouring Duchy of Austria, which had been without a ruler since the death of Duke Frederick II in 1246. To reach that aim, Wenceslaus arranged a marriage of his first born son and heir Vladislaus with the last Duke's niece Gertrud. Vladislaus received the homage of the Austrian nobility, but died shortly afterwards. Gertrude now married Herman VI, Margrave of Baden, who now claimed the Duchy. However, since Hermann was rejected by the Austrian estates and could not establish his rule in Austria, Wenceslaus invaded Austria in 1250 - according to some sources, the estates called him in to restore order.

Wenceslaus now released his second son Otakar and in 1251 made him margrave of Moravia and, installed him, with the approval of the Austria nobles, as governor of Austria. Otakar entered Austria, where the estates acclaimed him as Duke. To legitimize his position, Otakar married the late Duke's sister Margaret, who was his senior by thirty years, in February 1252.

In 1253, King Wenceslaus died and was succeeded by Otakar.

[edit] Children

Wenceslaus was married to Kunigunde of Hohenstaufen, who gave birth to the following children:

• Vladislaus (1227-1247), Margrave of Moravia, claimant to the Duchies of Austria and Styria 1246/47 as husband to Gertrud of Austria
• Přemysl Otakar II (1232-1278), Margrave of Moravia 1251-1278, King of Bohemia 1253-1278, Duke of Austria and Styria 1251/1260-1278.
• Beatrix
• Agnes
• unnamed daughter

Preceded by Premysl Ottokar I

King of Bohemia

Succeeded by Premysl Ottokar II