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Home > Ottokar II of Bohemia


Ottokar II (or Premysl Ottokar II, Czech: Premysl Otakar II) (c. 1230August 26, 1278) was a king of Bohemia ( 12531278). He was a son of King Wenceslaus I of the Premysl dynasty, and through his mother, Kunigunde, was related to the Hohenstaufen family, being a grandson of the German king, Philip of Swabia.

During his father's lifetime he ruled Moravia, but when in 1248 some discontented Bohemian nobles acknowledged him as their sovereign, trouble arose between him and his father, and for a short time Ottokar was imprisoned. However, in 1251 the young prince secured his election as duke of Austria, where he strengthened his position by marrying Margaret († 1267Events Roger Bacon's Opus Majus Mongol built its Grand Capital in Beijing Births Emperor Go-Uda of Japan Deaths Monarchs/Presidents Aragon James I King of Aragon and count of Barcelona (reigned from 1213 to 1276) 1267.), sister of Duke Frederick IIFrederick II known as the Quarrelsome ( 1219 June 15, 1246), from the dynasty of Babenberg, was the duke of Austria and Styria from 1230 to 1246. He was the only son of Duke Leopold VI and Theodora Angela, a Byzantine princess. His first spouse was anothe, the last of the BabenbergOriginally from Bamberg in Franconia, now northern Bavaria, the Babenbergs or Babenberger ruled Austria as counts of the march and dukes from 976 1248, before the rise of the house of Habsburg. The earliest known ancestor of the Babenbergs was one Poppo, rulers of the duchy and widow of the German king, Henry VII. Some years later he repudiated this lady and married a HungarianThe Republic of Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. It is known locally as the Country of the Magyars or Magyarorszag''. Magyar Koztarsasag ( In Detail) ( Full s princess.

Both before and after he became king of Bohemia in succession to his father in September 1253 Ottokar was involved in a dispute with Bela IV, king of Hungary, over the possession of StyriaStyria was a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, and a crownland of Austria-Hungary until it dissolved in 1918. Called Steiermark in German, for it formed the Marches of Carantania, this mountainous and scenic region, which becam, which duchy had formerly been united with Austria. By an arrangement made in 1254Events December 2 Manfred of Sicily defeats army of Pope Innocent IV at Foggia. Theodore II Lascaris succeeds John III Ducas Vatatzes as Byzantine emperor. Byzantines defeat Bulgarians at Adrianople. Alkmaar granted city rights. Births Marco Polo, Venetia he surrendered part of it to Bela, but when the dispute was renewed he defeated the Hungarians in July 1260 near Kressenbrunn and secured the whole of Styria for himself, owing his formal investiture with Austria and Styria to the German king, Richard, Earl of Cornwall.

The Czech king also led two expeditions against the Prussians and founded Königsberg (Czech: Královec) later capital of Prussia, named upon him.

In 1269 he inherited Carinthia and part of Carniola, and having made good his claim, contested by the Hungarians, on the field of battle, he was the most powerful prince within empire when an election for the German throne took place in 1273. But Ottokar was not the successful candidate. He refused to acknowledge his victorious rival, Rudolph of Habsburg, and urged the pope to adopt a similar attitude, while the new king claimed the Austrian duchies. Matters reached a climax in 1276. Placing Ottokar under the ban of the empire, Rudolph besieged Vienna and compelled Ottakar in November 1276 to sign a treaty by which he gave up Austria and the neighbouring duchies, retaining for himself only Bohemia and Moravia. Two years later the Czech king tried to recover his lost lands, he found allies and collected a large army, but he was defeated by Rudolph and killed at the Battle of Dürnkrut and Jedenspeigen on the March on August 26, 1278.

Ottokar was a founder of towns and a friend of law and order, while he assisted trade and welcomed German immigrants. He is a famous figure both in history and in legend. He was called the "Iron and Gold King" throughout Europe and Dante described him in the Divine Comedy as one of the greatest contemporaries. He is also the protagonist of a tragedy by the 19th century playwright Franz Grillparzer. His son and successor was Wenceslaus II.


Preceded by:
Wenceslaus I
List of Czech rulers Succeeded by:
Wenceslaus II
Preceded by:
Frederick I of Baden
Duke of Austria Succeeded by:
Rudolph I


Originally based on an article from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica ( public domain).



Rulers of Austria



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