Conrad II Otto (Czech:Konrád II. Ota;c. 1136/1140[1] – 9 September 1191), a member ofPřemyslid dynasty, was the firstmargrave of Moravia from 1182 to 1189 andduke of Bohemia from 1189 until his death.

Conrad II Otto
Seal of Conrad II Otto
Duke of Bohemia
Reign	March 1189 – 9 September 1191
Predecessor	Frederick
Successor	Wenceslaus II
Born	c. 1136/1140
Died	9 September 1191 (agedc. 51–55) nearNaples,Kingdom of Sicily
Spouse	Hellicha of Wittelsbach
Dynasty	Přemyslid
Father	Conrad II of Znojmo
Mother	Maria of Serbia

Conrad was the son of countConrad II of Znojmo andMaria,^[2][3] a daughter of Grand PrinceUroš I of Serbia. Conrad was the grandson ofLuitpold, the first ruler of the Přemyslid appanage ofZnojmo in southern Moravia. Conrad's sisterHelen of Znojmo became aPolish duchess by her marriage to High DukeCasimir II the Just.

After the death of his father in 1161, he assumed the rule over the Znojmo principality. In 1173 he occupied the lands ofBrno, which controlled more than the half of the Moravian territory (except forOlomouc) at that time. When in summer 1176 he also invaded the region north of theDanube that belonged to DukeSoběslav II of Bohemia, he became entangled in the duke's conflict with his nephewFrederick (Bedřich). Conrad attacked churches and monasteries and was excommunicated byPope Alexander III.

After Frederick had again obtained the support of EmperorFrederick Barbarossa, Conrad and DukeLeopold V of Austria joined him on his campaign into Moravia and the occupation ofPrague in 1178. Frederick was re-installed as Bohemian duke and Conrad expected to be rewarded with Olomouc, however, his hopes were dashed.

Conrad took a chance on revenge when he rose against the unpopular Frederick in 1182. The duke fled from Prague and only with the emperor's consent was able to retain the Bohemian throne. At the same time, Frederick Barbarossa aimed at weakening his rule: he summoned the adversaries to theImperial Diet atRegensburg, where he appointed Conrad ruler of the united principalities of Znojmo, Brno and Olomouc, elevated to theMargraviate of Moravia. Deliberately or not, these measures only fuelled the internal Přemyslid quarrels. The conflict between the Bohemian and the Moravian branches culminated in a bloody battle atLoděnice on 10 December 1185, after which both sides chose to enter into peace negotiations. Conrad and Frederick met atKnín, where the margrave recognised Frederick's suzerainty and was acknowledged in turn as ruler of Moravia by the duke and as his successor upon his death.

When Frederick died on 25 March 1189, Conrad was made duke with the unanimous support of the Bohemian nobility. He renounced his margravial title in order to unite the Bohemian and Moravian lands under his rule. In May of that year, he received the formal affirmation of the emperor. Conrad assumed an active role in Imperial politics, arbitrating in the conflict around the disputed succession of MargraveOtto II of Meissen.

During his short reign in Bohemia, Duke Conrad was beholden to the nobles. He was forced to concede them a set of privileges by theiura Conradi (Czech:Statuta Konrádova), the first Bohemiancodex issued atSadská in 1189. Among the concessions were these:

• freemen guaranteed against the abuses of the duke or the provincial courts under hisžupans
• extension of the right of inheritance to the daughters and brothers of deceased lords
• confiscation of property only after a long legal procedure conforming to local custom.

In 1190, Conrad and his mother Maria founded thePremonstratensian Louka Abbey in Znojmo.

Released from the obligation of participating in theThird Crusade, Conrad accompaniedHenry VI, the emperor's son, toSouthern Italy as part of his attempt to conquer theKingdom of Sicily fromTancred in right of Henry's wifeConstance. On the campaign, Conrad died of theplague in an Imperial military camp near besiegedNaples. First buried inMonte Cassino Abbey, his mortal remains were later transferred toPrague.

Conrad's marriage withHellicha of Wittelsbach remained childless. He was succeeded byWenceslaus II, a younger brother of late Duke Soběslav II of Bohemia.