List of rulers of Bohemia

Monarchy of Bohemia
Former Monarchy
Coat of arms of Bohemia
First monarch Bořivoj I
(as Duke of Bohemia)
Last monarch Charles I
(as King of Bohemia)
Monarchy started c. 870
Monarchy ended November 14, 1918
Current pretender Karl von Habsburg
(House of Habsburg-Lorraine)

This is a list of rulers of Bohemia who ruled the country first as dukes and later as kings from the 9th century until 1918. Bohemia, from the 14th century the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, became part of the Republic of Czechoslovakia in 1918 and since 1993 is known as the Czech Republic.

Contents

Princes of Great Moravia

Legendary rulers of Bohemia

Dukes

Dukes of Bohemia
Přemyslid dynasty
Image Name       Date       Notes
Bořivoj I c.870–888/9
Spytihněv I 894–915 Son of Bořivoj I.
Vratislaus I
(Vratislav)
915–921 Brother of Spytihněv I.
Wenceslaus I
(Václav)
921–935 Son of Vratislaus I; known as St. Wenceslaus ("Good King Wenceslas" for English speaking people), the patron saint of the Czech lands.
Boleslaus I the Cruel
(Boleslav I. Ukrutný)
935–972 Brother of Wenceslaus I.
Boleslaus II the Pious
(Boleslav II. Pobožný)
972–999 Son of Boleslaus I.
Boleslaus III the Redhead
(Boleslav III. Ryšavý)
999–1002 Son of Boleslaus II.
Vladivoj 1002–1003 Of the Piast dynasty (?). Said to be first cousin of Boleslav III. Polish name Władywoj.
Boleslaus III 1003 Second time.
Boleslaus the Brave
(Boleslav Chrabrý)
1003–1004 Of the Piast dynasty; brother of Vladivoj (?), grandson of Boleslaus I. Duke and later king of Poland.
Jaromír 1004–1012 Brother of Boleslaus III.
Oldřich 1012–1033 Brother of Jaromír.
Jaromír 1033–1034 Second time.
Oldřich 1034 Second time.
Bretislaus I (Břetislav I.) 1034–1055 Son of Oldrich
Spytihněv II 1055–1061 Son of Bretislaus I.
Vratislaus II
(Vratislav II.)
1061–1092 Brother of Spytihněv II. King 1085–1092 as Vratislaus I.
Conrad I
(Konrád I. Brněnský)
1092 Brother of Vratislavus II.
Bretislaus II
(Břetislav II.)
1092–1100 Nephew of Conrad I, son of Vratislav II.
Bořivoj II 1101–1107 Brother of Bretislaus II.
Svatopluk
(Sventopluk Olomoucký)
1107–1109 First cousin of Bořivoj II.
Vladislaus I (Vladislaus) 1109–1117 Brother of Bořivoj II.
Bořivoj II 1117–1120 Second time
Vladislaus I 1120–1125 Second time
Sobeslaus I (Soběslav I.) 1125–1140 Brother of Vladislaus I.
Vladislaus II
(Vladislav II.)
1140–1172 Nephew of Sobeslaus I, son of Duke Vladislaus I. King 1158–1172 as Vladislaus I.
Frederick (Bedřich) 1172–1173 Son of Vladislaus II.
Sobeslaus II
(Soběslav II.)
1173–1178 First cousin once removed of Frederick, Son of Sobeslaus I.
Frederick 1178–1189 Second time.
Conrad II Otto
(Konrád II. Ota)
1189–1191 Descendant of Conrad I.
Wenceslaus II
(Václav II.)
1191–1192 Brother of Sobeslaus II.
Ottokar I (Přemysl I. Otakar) 1192–1193 Son of Vladislaus II.
Henry Bretislaus
(Jindřich Břetislav)
1193–1197 First cousin of Ottokar I.
Vladislaus Henry
(Vladislav Jindřich)
1197 Brother of Ottokar I.
Ottokar I 1197–1198 Second time. Became king in 1198, and his descendants retained the title.

Kings

Kings of Bohemia
Přemyslid dynasty
Image Name       Date       Notes
Ottokar I
(Přemysl I. Otakar)
1198–1230 Hereditary royal title approved by King Philip of Germany, confirmed by the 1212 Golden Bull of Sicily
Wenceslaus I
(Václav I.)
1230–1253 Son of Ottokar I.
Ottokar II
(Otakar II.)
1253–1278 Son of Wenceslaus I. Also Duke of Austria, Duke of Styria, Duke of Carinthia and Duke of Carniola.
Wenceslaus II
(Václav II.)
1278–1305 Son of Ottokar II. Also Duke of Kraków (from 1291) and King of Poland (1300–1305).
Wenceslaus III
(Václav III.)
1305–1306 Son of Wenceslaus II. Uncrowned (as Bohemian king). Also King of Hungary and King of Poland.
Non-dynastic
Henry the Carinthian
(Jindřich Korutanský)
1306 Meinhardiner. Son-in-law of Wenceslaus II. Non-crowned.
Rudolph I
(Rudolf I.)
1306–1307 Habsburg. Second husband of Elisabeth Richeza of Poland, widow of Wenceslaus II. Non-crowned.
Henry the Carinthian 1307–1310 Second time
Luxembourg dynasty
John the Blind
(Jan Lucemburský)
1310–1346 Son-in-law of Wenceslaus II.
Charles I
(Karel I.)
1346–1378 Son John. Also Holy Roman Emperor as Charles IV and generally known as such.
Wenceslaus IV
(Václav IV.)
1378–1419 Son of Charles IV. Also King of the Romans until 1400.
Sigismund
(Zikmund)
1419–1437 Brother of Wenceslaus IV. Ruled effective 1436–1437 only (because of the Hussite Revolution). Also Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary.
Habsburg dynasty
Albert
(Albrecht Habsburský)
1437–1439 Son-in-law of Sigismund. Also King of the Romans and of Hungary.
interregnum 1440–1453 The succession of Albert's son was not recognized by the Czech nobility for the most of this era; the land was administered by the landfriedens (provincial & territorial).
Ladislaus the Posthumous
(Ladislav Pohrobek)
1453–1457 Son of Albert born after his father's death. Also King of Hungary.
Non-dynastic
George of Podebrady
(Jiří z Poděbrad)
1457–1471 Elected king from the Czech noble family House of Kunštát. Although he had descendants, the succession devolved to the prince from Polish kingdom.
Matthias I Corvinus
(Matyáš Korvín)
1469–1490 King of Hungary, elected by the insurgent Catholic Czech aristocrats as antiking in 1469, but never crowned. In 1479, he agreed to limit his rule to Moravia, Silesia, and Lusatia, while retaining his title.
Jagiellonian dynasty
Vladislaus II the Jagiellonian
(Vladislav II. Jagellonský)
1471–1516 Nephew of Ladislaus the Posthumous; elected on request of his predecessor George. Also King of Hungary after 1490.
Louis the Jagiellonian
(Ludvík Jagellonský)
1516–1526 Son of Vladislaus II. Also King of Hungary.
Habsburg dynasty
Ferdinand I 1526–1564 Brother-in-law of Louis; elected king. Also King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor-elect from 1558.
Maximilian
(Maximilián)
1564–1576 Son of Ferdinand I, grandson of Vladislaus II. Also King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor.
Rudolph II
(Rudolf II.)
1576–1611 Son of Maximilian I. Also King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor.
Matthias
(Matyáš)
1611–1619 Brother of Rudolph II. Also King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor.
Ferdinand II 1619–1637 Nephew of Matthias. Also King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor.
Frederick 1619–1620 Member of the House of Wittelsbach. Antiking, elected by the Crown's Estates at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War but after the lost Battle of White Mountain he fled the country.
Ferdinand III 1627–1657 Son of Ferdinand II. Also King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor.
Ferdinand IV 1646–1654 Son of Ferdinand III. Junior co-monarch during his father's reign. Also King of Hungary and King of the Romans.
Leopold I 1657–1705 Brother of Ferdinand IV. Also King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor.
Joseph I
(Josef I.)
1705–1711 Son of Leopold I. Also King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor.
Charles II
(Karel II.)
1711–1740 Brother of Joseph I. Also King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor as Charles VI.
Charles Albert
(Karel Albrecht)
1741–1743 Member of the House of Wittelsbach. Son-in-law of Joseph I. Antiking to Maria Theresa during the War of the Austrian Succession. Also Holy Roman Emperor as Charles VII.
Maria Theresa
(Marie Terezie)
1740–1780 Daughter of Charles II. Also Queen of Hungary.
Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty
Joseph II
(Josef II.)
1780–1790 Son of Maria Theresa. Also King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor.
Leopold II 1790–1792 Brother of Joseph II. Also King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor.
Francis
(František)
1792–1835 Son of Leopold II. Also King of Hungary, Holy Roman Emperor to 1806, Austrian Emperor from 1804.
Ferdinand V 1835–1848 Son of Francis. Also Austrian Emperor and King of Hungary. Last crowned King of Bohemia. Lost power in the 1848 Revolution.
Francis Joseph
(František Josef I.)
1848–1916 Nephew of Ferdinand V. Also Austrian Emperor and King of Hungary.
Charles III (Karel III.) 1916–1918 Grandnephew of Francis Joseph. Also Austrian Emperor and King of Hungary. Ruled briefly during First World War and abdicated.

See also