Kingdom of Bohemia

The Kingdom of Bohemia was a major monarchy located in Central Europe. It existed during the medieval and early modern periods. This kingdom served as the predecessor state to the modern Czech Republic. Bohemia was an Imperial State within the Holy Roman Empire. This meant the Bohemian king held a special role as a prince-elector. He helped choose the Holy Roman Emperor. The king ruled the Bohemian Crown lands. These lands included Moravia, Silesia, and Lusatia. At different times, the crown included parts of Saxony, Brandenburg, and Bavaria.

The kingdom began in the 12th century. It grew from the Duchy of Bohemia under the Přemyslid dynasty. In 1198, Přemysl Ottokar I was formally established as king. He gained this status by supporting Philip of Swabia. In 1212, the Golden Bull of Sicily officially recognized the kingdom. This document was issued by Emperor Frederick II. It proclaimed the independence of Bohemia. The Golden Bull also changed how the empire worked. The Czech king was now exempt from most imperial obligations. He only had to participate in imperial councils. The empire could no longer appoint the bishop of Prague.

The 13th century was a time of great expansion. King Přemysl Ottokar II was a very powerful ruler. He earned the nickname "the king of iron and gold." He was called "iron" because of his many military conquests. He was called "gold" because of his immense wealth. He ruled a massive area from Austria to the Adriatic Sea. In 1260, he fought the Battle of Kressenbrunn. This battle involved more than 200,000 men. During this era, many Germans immigrated to the region. They settled in mining districts and towns. They brought a legal code known as the Magdeburg Law. This code became the basis for commercial law in Bohemia and Moravia.

The 14th century is known as the Golden Age. This era was defined by the reign of Charles IV. He was a member of the House of Luxembourg. Charles IV was a very cosmopolitan leader. He made Prague an international center of learning. He founded Charles University in 1348. The university was divided into four "nations." These were the Czech, Polish, Saxon, and Bavarian nations. Charles also rebuilt the royal castle, Hradčany. He made Prague an imperial capital. In 1356, he issued another Golden Bull. This document codified how the Imperial throne was elected. The Bohemian king was one of the seven electors.

In the 15th century, a religious movement changed the kingdom. This movement was called Hussitism. It began with a preacher named Jan Hus. He became the rector of Charles University in 1403. Hus challenged the authority of the Catholic Church. He spoke against church wealth and corruption. He believed in clerical poverty. He also wanted the laity to receive communion using both bread and wine. His followers were called Hussites. Some were moderate Utraquists. Others were radical Taborites. The Taborites used a town called Tábor as their stronghold. The Hussites fought four crusades sent by the Holy Roman Empire.

Language played a major role in Bohemian society. The Czech language was used by the nobility and the Diet. This lasted until 1627. After the Bohemian Revolt was suppressed, German became equal to Czech. Eventually, German became the main language of the Diet. German was also used for administration in many towns. This was due to the German immigration in the 13th century. The royal court was multilingual. It used Czech, Latin, and German depending on the period. The 19th century brought the Czech National Revival. This movement helped restore the importance of the Czech language.

The kingdom's political structure changed many times. After the Přemyslids, the House of Luxembourg ruled. Then came the Jagiellonian dynasty. From 1526, the House of Habsburg took control. Later, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine ruled. Bohemia became part of the Habsburg Austrian Empire in 1806. It later became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867. In that empire, Bohemia was a crown land. Prague was one of the leading cities. The kingdom finally dissolved after World War I ended. In 1918, Bohemia became the core of the Czechoslovak Republic.