Date of Birth: circa 907
House: Premyslid
Predecessor: Vratislav I
Reign: 921 – 935
Brief: Good King Wenceslas, a man who became a Christmas carol, was raised a Christian by his grandmother who served as his regent during the first decade of his reign. As duke, he accomplished little in his reign. Duke Arnulf of Bavaria and German King Henry I attacked Prague in 929 and forced the duchy to resume tribute payments to Germany. Raids of Magyars in Hungary drained the Bohemian coffers empty. In 935, nobles allied with Wenceslaus' brother, Boleslav, attacked and killed the young duke while on his way to church. A martyr cult developed within days of his death and he was proclaimed a saint by popular acclaimation. He was posthumously granted the title "king" by Emperor Otto I a few decades later, hence the name of the carol.
Brief: Good King Wenceslas, a man who became a Christmas carol, was raised a Christian by his grandmother who served as his regent during the first decade of his reign. As duke, he accomplished little in his reign. Duke Arnulf of Bavaria and German King Henry I attacked Prague in 929 and forced the duchy to resume tribute payments to Germany. Raids of Magyars in Hungary drained the Bohemian coffers empty. In 935, nobles allied with Wenceslaus' brother, Boleslav, attacked and killed the young duke while on his way to church. A martyr cult developed within days of his death and he was proclaimed a saint by popular acclaimation. He was posthumously granted the title "king" by Emperor Otto I a few decades later, hence the name of the carol.
Date of Death: 28 September 935
Successor: Boleslav IOther Monarchs Who Died Today:
- Louis II, king of East Francia (876)
- Pedro I, king of Aragon & Navarre (1104)
- Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor (1197)
- John Paul I, pope of Rome (1978)
No comments:
Post a Comment