Origins & Early Life

Wenceslaus II of Bohemia (Czech: Václav II.; Polish: Wacław II Czeski; 27 September 1271 – 21 June 1305) was King of Bohemia (1278–1305), Duke of Cracow (1291–1305), and King of Poland (1296–1305). He was the only surviving son of King Ottokar II of Bohemia and Ottokar's second wife Kunigunda. He was born in 1271, ten years after the marriage of his parents. Kunigunda was the daughter of Rostislav Mikhailovich, lord of Slavonia, son of a Grand Prince of Kiev, and Anna of Hungary, daughter of Béla IV of Hungary.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His great-grandfather was the German king Philip of Swabia. Wenceslaus II was the grandfather of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV. He was a member of the Přemyslid dynasty. Weneclaus was one of three sons of Ottokar II and Kunigunda, and the only one to survive to adulthood. In 1276 Rudolf I, King of the Romans, placed Ottokar under the ban of the empire and besieged Vienna.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

This compelled Ottokar in November 1276 to sign a new treaty by which he gave up all claims to Austria and the neighbouring duchies, retaining for himself only Bohemia and Moravia. Wenceslaus was then betrothed to Rudolf's daughter Judith, creating an uneasy peace. Wenceslaus's father...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Wang Zhen (inventor) — Contemporary (Born in 1271) (1271): Yuan Dynasty agronomist, inventor, and pioneer of wooden movable type printing.
• Roger de Flor — Contemporary (Died in 1305) (1305): Italian military adventurer and condottiere, famed for leading the Great Catalan Company.
• Roger of Lauria — Contemporary (Died in 1305) (1305): Renowned Calabrian knight and admiral of the Sicilian navy in the Middle Ages.
• William Wallace — Contemporary (Died in 1305) (1305): Scottish knight and leader in the First War of Scottish Independence.
• Albert Ellis — Shared historical date (09-27 · Born) (1913): Pioneering figure in psychotherapy, founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
• Amir Khusrau — Shared historical date (09-27 · Died) (1325): Iconic Indo-Persian Sufi poet, musician, and scholar of the Delhi Sultanate.
• Aloysius Gonzaga — Shared historical date (06-21 · Died) (1591): Italian Jesuit seminarian and saint, known for his aristocratic background and early death.
• Antonio López de Santa Anna — Shared historical date (06-21 · Died) (1876): Controversial Mexican general and politician, pivotal figure in 19th-century Mexican history.
• Al-Nawawi — Historical peer (Died in 1278) (1278): Influential Syrian Shafi'ite jurist and renowned hadith scholar.
• Ottokar II of Bohemia — Historical peer (Died in 1278) (1278): The Iron and Golden King who peaked the Přemyslid dynasty's power.
• 1271 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1271
• September 27 (09-27) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on September 27
• 1305 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1305
• June 21 (06-21) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on June 21