9. století
Borivoj
First historically-documented Duke of Bohemia and founder of the Prague Castle
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Borivoj is the first historically documented Duke of Bohemia.
He gained control over central Bohemia and became duke most likely in 872. He was a determined supporter of the Moravian ruler Svatopluk in his dispute with the Eastern Frankish Kingdom. Borivoj is regarded as the first attested founder of the Premyslid dynasty and his title of Duke was directly recognized by Svatopluk.
Borivoj was also a supporter of Christianity and is responsible for the construction of the first Christian sanctuaries in Bohemia – the St. Clement Church
in Levy Hradec and the Church of the Virgin Mary in the Prague Castle. Whether or not he laid the foundation stone of the Prague Castle isn’t clear, but it is now considered more likely that it was laid by his son, Spytihnev. He married Duchess Ludmila of the Psovan dynasty, and in the 880’s, together with his wife, he was baptized by Archbishop Methodius of Great Moravia. By the end of his reign, the power of Great Moravia was weakening, so the Premyslids had to search for a way to grow closer to the Eastern Frankish Kingdom.
