The Revolt of Ottokar in 1248-1249
In the Continuators of Cosmas, there is a reference to the year 1245: “King Wenceslaus, having given in to the will of his flesh, began to love a life of solitude, and to dwell alone with a few people in castles or houses built for that purpose, although good peace and tranquillity still reigned throughout his kingdom.” Such may have been the situation at the beginning of 1247; King Wenceslaus, crushed by the loss of his first-born son Wladislaus, Duke of Austria, and disappointed by the failure of his foreign policy, was increasingly able to evade his duties as ruler, and in seclusion, in the hunting-grounds, to pursue his passion, hunting. His passivity would explain his failure to participate in the election,the failure to elect a new imperial anti-king, as well as the interruption of his efforts to control the duchies of Austria and Styria after the death of Frederick of Babenberg.
This may also be the reason why Wenceslaus is transferring s part of his rule to his other son Přemysl, in 1247 he is becomes the Margrave of Moravia, in the first half of 1248 the younger King of Bohemia - so Wenceslaus had to accept some form of co-rule with his son. Firstly, it is in the charter of the former bishop of Olomouc, Conrad, from February, and secondly, when the bishops of Reims and Meissen are to excommunicate by order of the pope the Bohemian nobles who had promised a crusade against Frederick II but were unwilling to carry it out. This is an evidence that in May 1248 there was a certain group of nobles in the Bohemian kingdom that was who were reluctant to implement carry out the policy of King Wenceslaus I, perhaps Přemysl’s future party men partisans.
Přemysl Otakar II as Margrave of Moravia (Gelnhausen Codex, 14th Century)
This may also be the reason why Wenceslaus is transferring part of his rule to his other son Přemysl, in 1247 he is the Margrave of Moravia, in the first half of 1248 the younger King of Bohemia - so Wenceslaus had to accept some form of co-rule with his son. Firstly, it is in the charter of the former bishop of Olomouc, Conrad, from February, and secondly, when the bishops of Reims and Meissen are to excommunicate by order of the pope the Bohemian nobles who had promised a crusade against Frederick II but were unwilling to carry it out. This is an evidence that in May 1248 there was a certain group of nobles in the Bohemian kingdom that was reluctant to implement out the policy of King Wenceslaus I, perhaps Přemysl’s future party men.
In July 1248, as already mentioned, a coup occurs, which is perhaps initiated by a group of nobles around Přemysl (probably Vítek of Hradec, Bavor of Strakonice, the Prague purgrave Boruta and others). It is quite likely that the coup took place on the background of the emperor’s rivalry with the pope and some of Přemysl’s supporters tended to the camp of the Staufen. Přemysl’s appointment as margrave and junior king clearly did not dampen the tensions within the nobility, but it did allow some of the ambitious nobility to gain a prop in their efforts to gain a more powerful position in the kingdom. They were able to persuade the Ottokar to make the coup.
Wenceslas is told the news of his removal by Nicholas, the bishop of Prague at Zvíkov, where he is at that time indulging in hunting pleasures, e, perhaps also at this moment a supporter of the young king. For this he is thrown into prison, but Wenceslas, out of an inherent caution, accepts the changed condition. However, he could not let the July rebellion against his majesty go unpunished. He apparently came to an agreement with Přemysl, concluding a peace treaty. Perhaps it was in connection with the death of Queen Kunigunde of Staufen (13 September 1248). In November, both of them, both with the titles of Bohemian kings, issued charters to the East Bohemian officials.
Zvíkov (Klingenberg), palace
Přemysl is now heading to northern Bohemia in mid-November to plunder the estates of Boreš of Rýzmburk, Wenceslaus’ marshal. Boreš, together with Havel of Lemberg and King Wenceslas’ allies from Meissen, attack Přemysl’s camp at night and scatter it. This finally begins the father-son war that Wenceslas expected and prepared for. This finally marks the beginning of the war between father and son that Wenceslas has been anticipating and preparing for. By this time, Wenceslas is gathering an army in Brno (at the core of Přemysl’s Moravian margraviate), with the help of Bishop of Olomouc Bruno of Schauenburg. A charter issued there reveals some of his followers - Erkenbert of Starkenberg, mentioned above Boreš, Jaroš of Slivno, Jaroš and Hugo of Waldenberg, and Hirz, the master of the kitchen. From there, Wenceslas headed with a large army to Bohemia, occupying Žatec at the beginning of February. From there, Wenceslas headed to Bohemia with a large army, capturing Žatec in early February 1249. Already during the campaign from Brno, he commands a large army of Bohemians, Austrians and Hungarians; in northern Bohemia he is probably joined by reinforcements from Meissen and the northern parts of the Empire. He then proceeds to Prague, occupies Vyšehrad, fords the Vltava at Bubny village (now part of Prague), stays a few days at Strahov monastery and returns to Žatec.
Wenceslaus’ intention was apparently to occupy the whole of Prague: Vyšehrad Castle, Prague Castle and the Old Town. Here Přemysl Ottokar had strong support - Prague’s burgrave Boruta was one of the rebels, bishop Mikuláš (who was already free) is referred to by the Pope as a partisan of the Emperor. Wenceslaus thus occupies only Vyšehrad, waits and returns to fight back in northern Bohemia.The older king divides his army in Žatec. He sends Bishop Bruno with Havel from Lemberg to Havel’s estate, Jablonné. He himself heads to Bautzen to fight against his son’s forces.
Acropolis of Vyšehrad in the Middle Ages. Black Romanesque masonry, red Gothic masonry. Source Praha archeologická
Sometime at the beginning of the summer a truce is arranged, King Wenceslas heads to Litoměřice, where he orders the Czech prelates to come to him. Those who were reluctant to obey were to be subjected to an ecclesiastical curse by the Pope, to be executed by the Bishop of Meissen. In the same context, the letter of the new German anti-king (William of Holland) on penalties for disobeying the order of King Wenceslaus I. was made known. In the same context, a letter of the new German anti-king William of Holland was made known concerning the penalties for disobeying the order of King Wenceslaus I.
Wenceslas reconciled with Bishop Nicholas of Prague in July, confirming to the Czech Church the great privilege of King Přemysl I of 1221. Přemysl, believing that peace was final, moved to Prague, reinforced the city and the castle with a strong garrison, and then toured the towns and castles that were still loyal to him.
Wenceslas, meanwhile, was again preparing for war, after previous successes he was planning a decisive strike. A provincial assembly was held in Litoměřice, attended by the clergy and nobility loyal to him. Here, as the rightful and sole ruler, he declared that violence, oppression, and robbery should end in the kingdom.
Then he marched with his army into the field, declaring that he was going to Moravia and then to Hungary. It was, of course, a well-considered trick, and it succeeded. In Central Bohemia he turned towards Prague, and on the 5th of August, with the help of some of the townsmen loyal to him, he unexpectedly took the fortified Prague Old Town. Here, with the bells of all the churches in Prague ringing, Bishop Nicholas came out to meet him, together with the Minorites. Caught off guard by his father’s success, Přemysl allowed the Castle and the bishop’s court to be defended and fled the capital surprised by his father’s success, had the Castle and the Bishop’s Court guarded and fled the capital.
Ottokars men, finding that they could not hold the bishop’s residence, quickly cleared it out, set fire to it and retreated to Prague Castle. The next day, King Wenceslaus’ troops occupied it, as well as the Bridge Tower. Engravings of the coats of arms of several noble families are associated with the capture of the Bridge Tower. Nothing prevented the elder king from besieging the heavily defended castle, having siege engines built and sending for miners from Jihlava to begin underground work. Only the nuns from the monastery of St. George in Prague Castle were allowed to leave the place and hide elsewhere. It is recorded that the defenders fought back the onslaught of Wenceslaus’ men with bows and crossbows.
On 15 August a ceasefire was negotiated between the warring parties. On the following day, Wenceslaus solemnly arrived in a royal cloak, with a scepter and an orb, at the Church of St. Francis. Here he was crowned to demonstrate his supremacy and to show that he was the only rightful king of Bohemia. The coronation was performed by both Czech bishops, Nicholas and Bruno. This was followed by a festive feast, where the nobles served according to the duties of their offices. Soon Wenceslaus sent for his son and the lords who still followed him to discuss bringing peace to the country together . negotiate together for the establishment of peace in the country. Premysl did indeed attend with his loyalists, submitting to his father and humbly interceding for the nobles who supported him.
Přemysl surrendered the Castle, where his father had solemnly entered. Otherwise, the government of the kingdom reverted to the conditions of 1247 - Wenceslaus I remained the only king, and his son’s Moravian margraviate was restored, except for half of the profits from the coinage in Jihlava. The rebellious nobility was pardoned. The final convention was to be preceded by extensive negotiations. The terms of the peace and the new division of the country should have been written in a document designed for this, which unfortunately has not been preserved.
Přemysl now leaves to Moravia, knowing that his rebellion is over. In September Přemysl is documented in Olomouc and Brno. In Bohemia, by this time, the culprits are already being punished (Wenceslaus strips them of their offices) and the faithful rewarded. Boreš of Riesenburg becomes a chamberlain, Boruta (Bořita) ceases to be Prague’s burgrave, instead he is replaced by Ronovec Smil, and the place of judge goes to the otherwise unknown Pomněn. Jaroš of Slivno is now a cupbearer, Hirzo a burgrave in Zvíkov.
The estates and influence of the leading noble families after the middle of the 13th century according to Josef Žemlička
Supposedly, after four Sundays, at the call of his father, Přemysl arrives with his retinue at Týřov castle, but there they are captured and the king is taken to another strong castle, where he is held for several days. The rebels are deliberately to be interned for much longer.
In November, Přemysl appears free back in Moravia, but in his circle are loyalists of Wenceslas - Havel of Lemberk (Lemberg), Jaroš of Slivno, Zdeslav of Šternberk (Sternberg), among the Moravian nobility especially Boček, Jenek of Deblin, Austrian nobility (Orphanes, Wichard of Tyrna). Here, too, the culprits are punished and the faithful are rewarded - Boček, the burgrave of Znojmo occupies the leading place in the list , at the expense of Vítek of Hradec, who disappears from the lists and loses his castellanship in Olomouc.
The former judge Ctibor flees the country together with his son Jaroš. They are later brought back from Germany in chains. Nor does the punishment for inciting a rebellion pass them by. Ctibor is beheaded at Petřín Hill and his son Jaroš is broken in a wheel outside the city walls. This is the end of the rebellion itself - December 29, 1250.
Ottokar II. as king (Liber fundationum monasterii Zwettlensis, 13th Century)
Přemysl ascends the throne in 1253, after the death of his father, who had ruled quite energetically until it. The change on the throne, which was originally to take place five years earlier, also changes the composition of the Prague court, partly to the benefit of the loyal rebels. Hirzo loses the office of burgrave at Zvíkov, and Bavor of Strakonice takes his place; Bavor’s advance does not end there; in 1254 he replaces one of the exponents of Wenceslaus’ power, Boreš of Rýzmburk (Riesenburg), as chamberlain.
Primary sources
Codex diplomaticus et epistolaris regni Bohemiae, Tomus IV
Fontes rerum Bohemicarum, Tomus II, III.
Secondary sources
Bárta, Stanislav (2008). Smíření otce se synem. Uzavření sporu krále Václava I. s markrabětem Přemyslem roku 1249.
Jan, Libor (2008). Domácí šlechtická opozice a přemyslovští králové 13. věku.
Ochab, Jeremi K.; Škvrňák, Jan; Škvrňák, Michael (2022). “Detecting Ottokar II’s 1248–1249 uprising and its instigators in co-witnessing networks”. Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History.
Vaníček, Vratislav (2020). Velké dějiny zemí Koruny české. Paseka.
Velímský, Tomáš (2002). Hrabišici. Páni z Rýzmburka. Nakladatelství Lidové noviny.
Žemlička, Josef (2002). Počátky Čech královských 1198–1253: Proměna státu a společnosti. Nakladatelství lidové noviny.
Žemlička, Josef (2011). Přemysl Otakar II. Nakladatelství Lidové noviny.