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At the end of the ninth century in Bohemia, the Przemyslid family succeeded in laying the foundations of a Czech state. They did this by ridding themselves of all of the things that were standing in their way, like the Slavnik clan - which the Przemyslids murdered in a particularly bloody manner. You needn't feel too bad for the Slavnik clan, though, as they'd gotten rid of their rivals in the Vrsovec clan using very similar methods just a little while before. That's the real story of how the Przemyslids came to power - the legend of Libuse and Przemysl Plowman tells it differently, of course.

The Przemyslid rulers were a mixed bag, at least at the start of their reign in Bohemia. Wenceslas I, the fourth Przemyslid Czech ruler, was made a saint soon after his murder in 929 or 935. This Wenceslas (in Czech, Vaclav) is the Good King Wenceslas of the Christmas carol, and it was during his reign that the Czech lands entered into an alliance with Saxony, thereby laying the foundations for closer relations with the restored Roman Empire. He was killed by his brother, who wasn't very good - in fact he is known as "Boleslav the Cruel." Boleslav was a pagan, and he felt that Wenceslas was frittering away too much time with this new Christian fashion he'd picked up and also didn't like the alliance his brother had entered into with Saxony. Boleslav and Wenceslas' Grandmother (on their father's side) was also murdered, and also made a saint. It is said that she was either smothered to death with a pillow or choked to death by her daughter-in-law, Boleslav and Wenceslas' mother. Things didn't get much better within the Przemyslid family, and the last Przemyslid ruler, Wenceslas III, was also (probably) murdered. The Przemyslids are remembered well in the Czech Republic today, though, as most people are not aware of the family's murderous streak.

Well, the power of Bohemia under the Przemyslid dynasty increased, prompting expansionist ambitions typical of the early feudal empires. The Przemyslids gained possession of Moravia and Silesia, as well as the upper reaches of the river Vistula and parts of western Slovakia. In Moravia, they set up a system of dukedoms, and Bohemia and Moravia were regarded as hereditary lands of the Przemyslid dynasty. The expansion of the Przemyslid Dynasty's power went hand in hand with the spread of Christianity in the region.

The Przemyslid state maintained its sovereignty, though it formally recognized the feudal supremacy of the Roman-German Empire. The Czech lands ranked among the most advanced of the European feudal states, and weilded considerable influence over the surrounding territory. Evidence of its growing importance was the granting of a royal crown in the eleventh century (made hereditary in 1212 by the Golden Sicilian Bull) and the granting of the title of 'emperor' for Czech rulers.

The 1100s and 1200s were a busy time in this part of Europe, and colonization, trade and cultural activity were steadily on the increase. Prague, which lay smack dab in the middle of several continental trade routes, flourished. Prague's Old Town was founded in 1234 as the first of Prague's five towns, and the Lesser Side was founded in 1257. Border forests were settled and towns and fortresses were founded and fortified. These sweeping changes literally transformed the country. In keeping with these physical changes, the social structure of the territory also necessarily evolved - and aristocrats, burghers, and serfs were to be spotted in the Czech lands starting from about this time. It was at this time, too, that German settlers were invited to colonize previously uninhabited Czech and Moravian regions. The German settlers, whether burghers or peasants, did not form a homogeneous or politically separate group, and they soon became part of the local community, identifying with Czech statehood and sharing in the development of the Czech and Moravian lands as fully enfranchised members of the population, but mostly but keeping their native language (in addition to learning Czech.)

From the thirteenth century, the Czech kingdom was one of the most robust states in all of Europe, with a growing population and a vigorous economy. This, in turn, made the Czech nobility and rulers all the more powerful, and enabled king Przemysl Otakar II to expand his territory. Otakar II was quite well-known in his time, and he even makes an appearance in Dante's Divine Comedy. Otokar II, also known as the "King of Gold and Iron" (because of his considerable wealth and his considerable military might) defeated the armies of the Hungarian king in 1256 and again in 1260. This military victory allowed him to annex the Alpine countries - extending his territories all the way to the Adriatic Sea. Some people claim that this brief period - in which Bohemia controlled territory bordering on the sea - is the basis for Shakespeare's infamous 'Bohemian seacoast' from The Tempest. But we here at Radio Prague think that this claim is rather unlikely, and that the Bard was probably just a little mixed up when he wrote that bit in.

Well, while the Czech lands were gaining power, prestige, territory near the sea and other things, a powerful rival appeared in Germany in the person of the newly-elected ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, Rudolf Habsburg - a member of a previously unimportant family from the Rhineland. This Rudolf formed an alliance of German princes and - after the Czech King Przemysl Otakar II was killed in battle in Moravia against the combined Roman and Hungarian forces on August 26, 1278 - Rudolf took possession of the abovementioned Alpine lands, which later became the basis of the Habsburgs' power - ie Austria.

The late Czech King Przemysl Otakar II was succeeded by his son, Wenceslas II (1278-1305). Under his reign, the mining of Czech silver at Kutna Hora and the minting of the Czech silver groschen - one of the hardest European currencies of the time - flourished. Wenceslas II also created a confederation between Bohemia and Poland. For a short time, Hungary - under the rule of Matthias Czak Trenciansky, who held absolute rule over most of Slovakia as well - also joined this confederation.

The Polish-Czech union was strengthened under the brief rule of Wenceslas III. Had it survived, it might have contributed to the creation of a more advanced region in Europe as the earlier Czech- Austrian union had. However, this was precluded by the death of young Wenceslas III (in 1306, when he was just 17 years old). It is said that Wenceslas III was poisoned, but to this day it is not known who the alleged murderer might have been. It's also possible that he died of plague. Wenceslas III was the last male member of the Przemyslids line, and after his death the Czech-Polish union fell apart.

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