Frederick of Bohemia

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For the Winter King, see Frederick V, Elector Palatine.

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Frederick (Czech: Bedřich) (died 25 March 1189) was the duke of Olomouc from 1164 and then duke of Bohemia from 1172 to 1173 and again from 1178 to his death. He was the son of King Ladislaus II, who abdicated in 1172 in his favour. However, he could not hold on to his principality, because he was approved of by neither the national diet nor the emperor, and was deposed in September the year following by the emperor at the Diet of Hermsdorf. The Emperor Frederick I, godfather and namesake of Frederick, nominated Oldrich, son of Sobeslav I, but he renounced the throne in favour of Sobeslav II, friend of peasants, but enemy of both nobles and emperor.

Frederick allied with the emperor and defeated Sobeslav at the battles of Lodenice and Prague. The emperor recognised Frederick as an imperial prince, but he also raised the bishop of Prague, Henry Bretislaus, to princely status, making him a direct vassal of the emperor. He also appointed Conrad Otto margrave over Moravia and thus divided the duchy into three parts dependent on him. When Frederick, who was practically a puppet of the emperor, died, he was succeeded by Conrad Otto.

By his marriage to Elizabeth, daughter of Geza II of Hungary, he had the following issue:

Helena (b.1158), affianced to Peter, son of Manuel I Comnenus, in 1164
Sophia (died 25 May 1185), married Albert, Margrave of Meissen
Ludmilla (died 14 August 1240), married Adalbert VI, count of Bogen, and then Louis I, Duke of Bavaria
Vratislaus (d.1180)
Olga (fl.c.1163)
Margaret (died 28 August 1167)

Regnal titles
Preceded by Ladislaus II	Duke of Bohemia 1172–1173	Succeeded by Sobeslav II
Preceded by Sobeslav II	Duke of Bohemia 1178–1189	Succeeded by Conrad II