Saint Adalbert of Prague

St. Adalbert of Prague
Bishop and Martyr
Born	c. 956 Libice nad Cidlinou, Bohemia
Died	23 April 997 Truso (Elbląg, Poland), Prussia or Kaliningrad Oblast
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church
Canonized	999, Rome by Pope Sylvester II
Major shrine	Gniezno, Prague
Feast	23 April
Patronage	Poland, Bohemia, Hungary

Adalbert of Prague (Latin: Adalbertus; c. 956 – 23 April 997), known in Czech by his birth name Vojtěch (Latin: Voitecus), was a Bohemian missionary and Christian saint. He was the Bishop of Prague and a missionary to the Hungarians, Poles, and Prussians, who was martyred in his efforts to convert the Baltic Prussians to Christianity. He was said to be the composer of Bogurodzica, the oldest known Polish hymn, but this is now thought unlikely, as he did not know the language. St. Adalbert (or St. Vojtěch; Czech: Svatý Vojtěch , Polish: Święty Wojciech) was later declared the patron saint of Bohemia, Poland, Hungary and the former polity of Prussia.

Born as Vojtěch in 952 or ca. 956 in Libice, he belonged to the Slavnik clan, one of the two most powerful families in Bohemia. Bohemian priest Cosmas of Prague (1045–1125) recorded events from his life. His father was Slavník (d. 978–981), a duke ruling a province centred at Libice. His mother was Střezislava (d. 985–987), according to some belonging to the Přemyslid dynasty. He had five brothers: Soběslav, Spytimír, Dobroslav, Pořej, and Čáslav. Cosmas also refers to Radim (later Gaudentius) as a brother; he is believed to have been a half-brother of his father's liaison with another woman, or a near friend. Having survived a grave illness in childhood, his parents decided to dedicate him to the service of God. Adalbert was well educated, having studied for approximately ten years (970-80) in Magdeburg under the tutelage of St. Adalbert of Magdeburg. The young Vojtěch took his tutor's name "Adalbert" at his Confirmation.

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