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| Bořivoj I | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Baptism of Duke Bořivoj, 19th-century painting | |
| Duke of Bohemia | |
| Reign | c. 867 –c. 889 |
| Predecessor | Unknown |
| Successor | Spytihněv I |
| Born | c. 852 |
| Died | c. 889 (agedc. 35–36) |
| Spouse | Ludmila |
| Issue | Spytihněv Vratislaus |
| Dynasty | Přemyslid |
| Father | Hostivít |
Bořivoj I (Czech pronunciation:[ˈbor̝ɪvoj],Latin:Borzivogius,c. 852 –c. 889) was the first historically documentedDuke of Bohemia andprogenitor of thePřemyslid dynasty.[1] His reign over theDuchy of Bohemia is believed to have started about the year 870, but in this era Bohemia was subordinated toGreat Moravia. One of the most important clues to the approximate time of his accession is the contemporary Frankish chronicleAnnales Fuldenses, which mentions severalWest Slavic princes in the year 872, among them oneGoriwei, who may be identical with Bořivoj.
According to the early 12th-century Cosmas'Chronica Boëmorum, Bořivoj was a son of the legendary Bohemian princeHostivít, thus a descendant of QueenLibuše and her husbandPřemysl the Ploughman. His ancestry has not been conclusively established by historians, however. In view of his dependence on Great Moravia, he might have been related by blood to theMojmir dynasty. DNA testing on the remains of his son, Spytihněv, suggests the family'sY-haplogroup wasR1b, common to Western Europe[2] and Czech Republic.
Bořivoj initially resided atLevý Hradec, agord situated northwest of present-dayPrague. As the head of the Přemyslids who dominated theCentral Bohemian environs, Bořivoj declared himselfkníže ("prince")—inLatindux, which means a sovereignprince—around the year 867 AD. His title was later translated by German scholars as "duke" (Herzog) of theBohemian (Czechs). Although the rulers of the Germanstem duchies emerging in the late 9th century held the same title, the meaning of his title was in fact completely different. In contrast to the German dukes who acted as the representatives of higher rulers (kings or emperors), the Czechdux denoted a sovereign ruler.[citation needed] Bořivoj was recognised as such around 872 by his overlord KingSvatopluk I of Moravia, who dispatched BishopMethodius of Thessalonica to begin theChristianization of Bohemia.
In 872, Bořivoj supported Svatopluk militarily in his dispute with theEast Frankish kingLouis the German, and in south Bohemia, they defeated the Frankish troops. About 874, Bořivoj marriedLudmila (latercanonized as St. Ludmila of Bohemia). The couple had two known sons,Spytihněv andVratislaus, both of whom succeeded him as dukes. Ludmila and Bořivoj were baptised by Methodius (probably in 883), and the latter became an enthusiastic evangelist, although the religion failed to take root among Bořivoj's subjects.
In the years 883/884, Bořivoj was deposed by a revolt in support of his Přemyslid kinsman Strojmír. He was restored in 885 only with the support of hissuzerain Svatopluk of Moravia. The duke or (more probably) his son Spytihněv moved his residence to theHradčany mountain and laid the foundations forPrague Castle. When Bořivoj died about 889, his sons still minors, King Svatopluk concluded an agreement with the East Frankish rulerArnulf of Carinthia and took over the rule of the Bohemian duchy himself.
As with most of the early Bohemian rulers, Bořivoj is a shadowy figure; exact dates for his reign and vital statistics cannot be established. Nonetheless, several major fortifications and religious foundations are said to have dated from this time.
Bořivoj I, Duke of Bohemia Born: c. 852 Died: c. 889 | ||
| Preceded by Unknown | Duke of Bohemia c. 867 – c. 889 | Succeeded by |
| Přemyslid |  | ||
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| Luxembourg |
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| Habsburg |
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| Jagiellonian |
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| Habsburg |
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| Habsburg-Lorraine |
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| International | |
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| National | |
