Ottokar II of Bohemia
| Ottokar II | |
|---|---|
| King of Bohemia, Duke of Austria, Styria and Carinthia, Margrave of Carniola |
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Ottokar's royal seal
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| King of Bohemia | |
| Reign | 1253–1278 |
| Coronation | 1261, Prague |
| Predecessor | Wenceslaus I |
| Successor | Wenceslaus II |
| Born | c. 1233 Městec Králové, Bohemia |
| Died | 26 August 1278 (aged c. 44–45) Dürnkrut, Austria |
| Burial | Saint Vitus Cathedral |
| Wives | |
| Issue |
Kunigunde of Bohemia Agnes of Bohemia Wenceslaus II of Bohemia |
| House | Přemyslid dynasty |
| Father | Wenceslaus I of Bohemia |
| Mother | Kunigunde of Hohenstaufen |
Ottokar II (Czech: Přemysl Otakar II; c. 1233 – 26 August 1278), the Iron and Golden King, was a member of the Přemyslid dynasty who reigned as King of Bohemia from 1253 until 1278. He also held the titles of a Margrave of Moravia from 1247, Duke of Austria from 1251, Duke of Styria from 1260, as well as Duke of Carinthia and Margrave of Carniola from 1269.
With Ottokar's rule, the Přemyslids reached the peak of their power in the Holy Roman Empire. His expectations of imperial crown, however, were never fulfilled.
Ottokar was the second son of King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia. Through his mother, Kunigunde, daughter of Philip of Swabia, he was related to the Hohenstaufen dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors, which became extinct in the male line upon the execution of King Conradin of Sicily in 1268.
Named after his grandfather King Přemysl Ottokar I, he was originally educated for the role of an ecclesiastical administrator, while his elder brother Vladislaus was designated heir of the Bohemian kingdom. He was possibly educated by the Bohemian chancellor Philip of Spanheim, who would later become a rival for the rule in the Duchy of Carinthia.
When his brother Vladislaus died in 1247, Ottokar suddenly became the heir to the Bohemian throne. According to popular oral tradition, he was profoundly shocked by his brother's death and did not involve himself in politics, becoming focused on hunting and drinking. As new heir, his father appointed him Margrave of Moravia and Ottokar took his residence in Brno, where he was occupied with the reconstruction of the Moravian lands devastated by Mongol raids.
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