Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia - Petrovice, Czech Republic
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Baroque sandstone statue of Wenceslas I, the duke of Bohemia, posthumously declared king, elevated to sainthood and declared as the patron saint of the Czech state, located at a crossroad at the east end of village Petrovice (East Bohemia)
Waymark Code: WMNNCR
Location: Královéhradecký kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 04/07/2015
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Wenceslaus I (c. 907 – 935)
was the Duke of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935, purportedly in a plot by his own brother, Boleslav the Cruel.His martyrdom, and the popularity of several biographies, quickly gave rise to a reputation for heroic goodness, resulting in his being elevated to sainthood, posthumously declared king, and seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of "Good King Wenceslas", a Saint Stephen's Day carol written over 900 years later, in 1853, that remains popular to this day.
His Baroque sandstone statue from 1761 is located just at a crossroad at the east end of village Petrovïce near Nový Bydzov (East Bohemia) between two linden trees. There is a nice view of a distant mountain range of Giant mountains from the place.
Biography
Wenceslaus I
Wenceslas was born to the royal Premysl dynasty of Bohemia (current part of the Czech Republic). The dynasty united the warring tribes of Bohemia into one duchy. The first known Premysl ruler was Wenceslas's grandfather, Duke Borivoy I, who made Prague Castle the family seat. He married a Slav princess named Ludmila, and both eventually became Christians. When Borivoy died he was succeeded by his sons, Ratislav and Spythinev. Ratislav was Wenceslas's father.
Wenceslas was born around 907 in the castle of Stochov near Prague. At first Wenceslas was raised by his grandmother, Ludmila. Then, when he was about 13 years old, his father died. Wenceslas succeeded him as duke. But because he was too young to rule, his mother, Drahomira, became regent. Drahomira was opposed to Christianity and used her new power to persecute followers of the religion. She refused to let Wenceslas see Ludmila because she was afraid they would scheme to overthrow her. Not long after Ratislav's death, Ludmila was murdered at Tetin Castle - strangled, it is said, at Drahomira's command. After her death Ludmila was revered as a saint.
But the loss of his grandmother did not stop Wenceslas from seizing power. At the age of 18 he overthrew his mother's regency, just as she had feared, and began to rule for himself. A stern but fair monarch, he stopped the persecution of priests and tamed the rebellious nobility. He was known for his kindness to the poor. Many of the Bohemian nobles resented Wenceslas's attempts to spread Christianity, and were displeased when he swore allegiance to the king of Germany, Henry I.
The duke's most deadly enemy proved to be his own brother, Boleslav, who joined the nobles who were plotting his brother's assassination. He invited Wenceslas in 935 AD to a religious festival and then attacked him on his way to mass. As the two were struggling, Boleslav's supporters jumped in and murdered Wenceslas. Wenceslas became Bohemia's most famous martyr and patron saint.
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