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Ottokar II of Bohemia

Areas ruled by Ottokar II

Přemysl Otakar II (also spelled Ottokar or Přemysl Otakar/Ottokar) (c. 1230 – August 26, 1278), The Iron and Golden King, was a king of Bohemia (1253–1278). He was the second son of King Wenceslaus I of the Přemyslid dynasty, and through his mother, Kunigunde, was related to the Hohenstaufen family, being a grandson of the German king, Philip of Swabia.

Ottokar was originally educated for the role of an ecclesiastical administrator. However, after the death in 1247 of Vladislaus, Margrave of Moravia, Ottokar's older brother and the heir of Bohemia, Ottokar became the heir. According to popular oral tradition, Ottokar was profoundly shocked by his brother's death and did not involve himself in politics, becoming focused on hunting and drinking. In 1248 he was enticed by discontented nobles to lead a rebellion against his father, King Wenceslaus. During this rebellion he received the nickname "the younger King" (mladší král). The rebellion was defeated and Ottokar was imprisoned by his father.

Father and son were eventually reconciled to assist the King's aim of acquiring the neighbouring Duchy of Austria. The Duchy had been without a ruler since the death of Duke Frederick II in 1246. Wenceslaus initially attempted to acquire the duchy by marrying his heir, Vladislav, to the last Duke's niece Gertrude. That match had been cut short by Vladislav's death and Gertrude's re-marriage to the Margrave of Baden. The latter was rejected by the Austrian estates and could not establish his rule in Austria. Wenceslaus used this as pretext to invade Austria in 1250 - according to some sources, the estates called upon him in to restore order.

Wenceslaus released Ottokar and in 1251 made him Margrave of Moravia and installed him, with the approval of the Austria nobles, as governor of Austria. Ottokar entered Austria, where the estates acclaimed him as Duke. To legitimize his position, Ottokar married the late Duke's sister Margaret, who was his senior by thirty years and was the widow of Henry of Hohenstaufen (who, ironically, had been engaged to Ottokar's aunt Saint Agnes of Bohemia prior to marrying Margaret).

In 1253, King Wenceslaus died and Ottokar succeeded his father as King of Bohemia. After the death of the German King Konrad IV, Ottokar also hoped at obtaining the Imperial dignity for himself, but his election bid was unsuccessful.

Feeling threatened by Ottokar's growing regional power, Béla IV of Hungary, King of Hungary challenged the young King. Bela formed a loose alliance with the Duke of Bavaria and claimed the Duchy of Styria, which had been a component of Austria since 1192. The conflict was quelled through the Pope's mediation. It was agreed that Ottokar was to yield large parts of Styria to Bela in exchange for recognition of his right to the remainder of Austria. However, after a few years the conflict resumed and Ottokar defeated the Hungarians in July 1260 at the Battle of Kressenbrunn. Bela now ceded Styria back to Ottokar, and his claim to those territories was formally recognized by the Emperor, Richard, Earl of Cornwall. This peace agreement was also sealed by a royal marriage. Ottokar ended his marriage to Margaret and married Bela's young granddaughter Kunigunde. Kunigunde became the mother of his children, the youngest of them became his only legitimate son Wenceslaus.

Ottokar II also led two expeditions against the pagan Old Prussians and founded Königsberg, which was named in his honour and later became the capital of Prussia.

In 1269 he inherited Carinthia and part of Carniola. His claim was once again contested by the Hungarians on the field of battle. After another victory he became the most powerful prince within the Empire. A new election for the Imperial German throne took place in 1273. But Ottokar was again not the successful candidate. He refused to recognize his victorious rival, Rudolph of Habsburg, and urged the Pope to adopt a similar policy. At a convention of the Reichstag at Frankfurt in 1274, Rudolph decreed that all imperial lands that had changed hands since the death of Emperor Frederick II must be returned to the crown. This would have deprived Ottokar of Styria, Austria, and Carinthia. In 1276 Rudolph placed Ottokar under the ban of the empire and besieged Vienna. This compelled Otakar 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. Ottokar's son Wenceslaus was also betrothed to Rudolph's daughter Judith. It was an uneasy peace. Two years later, the Bohemian king tried to recover his lost lands by force. He found allies and collected a large army, but he was defeated by Rudolph and killed at the Battle of Dürnkrut and Jedenspeigen on the March on August 26, 1278. His son was Wenceslaus II succeeded him as King of Bohemia and Margrave of Moravia.

Ottokar is meant to the biggest Czech ruler (together with Charles IV). He was a founder of many new towns (circ. 30 – not only in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia but also in Austria and Styria) and encorporated many existing settlements through civic charters. He was a strong proponent of trade, law and order. Furthermore, he instituted open immigration policies though which skilled German-speaking immigrants settled in major cities throughout his domains.

He is a famous figure both in Czech history and in folkloric legend. In the Divine Comedy by Dante, Ottokar is seen outside the gates of Purgatory, in amiable companionship with his imperial rival Rudolph. He is also the protagonist of a tragedy by the 19th century Austrian playwright Franz Grillparzer.

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.