Ladislaus I (
Czech: Vladislav;
1065–1125), duke of
Bohemia from
1109 to
1117 and from
1120–April 12, 1125.
Vladislav I was a son of Duke, later King,
Vratislav II of Bohemia by his second wife Swatawa, a daughter of
Casimir I of Poland. Together with his cousin
Svatopluk, Vladislav expelled his brother
Bořivoj II from Bohemia in
1107. In
1109 Svatopluk died, and Vladislav I succeeded as duke of Bohemia. Bořivoj II returned from exile with the support of Prince
Bolesław III Wrymouth of Poland, but was defeated and imprisoned by Vladislav in
1110, who exiled him into the custody of his ally, Emperor
Henry V.
In spite of his victory, Vladislav I remained under Polish pressure, and was forced to recognize a younger brother, Soběslav, as subordinate ruler of
Moravia in
Znojmo (Znaim) from
1111. In
1117 Vladislav I formally abdicated in favor of Bořivoj II but retained much of the actual power. In
1120 Bořivoj was deposed again and endowed with Znojmo, while Vladislav resumed the throne, which he held until his death in
1125.
Vladislav I ruled in a difficult time with considerable success. Although he continued to acknowledge the suzerainty of the
Holy Roman Empire, he weathered the interventions of Poland into Bohemian affairs, conflicts with his kinsmen in Moravia, and undertook offensive campaigns against both Poland and
Austria. In
1110–1111 Vladislav accompanied Emperor Henry V on his Italian expedition, and he encouraged continued German settlement into Bohemia's border regions.
rss feed