Olomouc land

Who he is

Name

Not pinned: the last princes of the Olomouc line of the Přemyslids (descendants of Otto III Detleb), or, after their deaths, King Ottokar I through his officers

Title

Prince (dux) of Olomouc, or King Ottokar I's castellan

Since

not pinned

Born

not pinned

Family

Přemyslid. The Olomouc line descends from Otto III Detleb (died 1160). Czech literature names his sons Vladimír and Bretislaus as the last princes of the line (from general knowledge, not checked in this run: their Czech Wikipedia articles could not be reached), so no dates are given here.

Confidence

low

Czech Wikipedia (Vladislav Jindřich): 'after the deaths of the local appanage princes the Olomouc land came under the administration of Přemysl Otakar I', and only in 1209-1213 was all Moravia united under Vladislaus Henry. English Wikipedia (Přemyslid dynasty) lists 'Otto of Olomouc' without dates.

Overlord

King Ottokar I of Bohemia (directly, not through the margrave).

What it holds

• Olomouc castle, with the cathedral of St Wenceslas (founded before 1107) and the bishop's Romanesque palace inside it; the market settlement below; the Premonstratensian abbey of Hradisko just outside.
• Přerov castle and its district on the Bečva, named in Bishop Zdík's deed of 1141 as part of the princely castle system.
• Spytihněv castle on the Morava in the south-east (named 1141), with Veligrad (Staré Město) nearby; its attribution to the Olomouc land rather than the Brno land is not pinned.
• The Haná plain, the upper Morava valley (Litovel and Uničov are not yet founded), the Bečva valley and the Moravian Gate road towards Opava and Silesia.

How it was acquired

The Olomouc appanage was held by its own line from the eleventh century; Conrad Otto united it with Znojmo and Brno in 1182, and after 1191 it reverted to princes of the Olomouc line. The details of 1191-1197 for Olomouc are not pinned.

Allies and rivals

Under the king rather than the margrave, the Olomouc land is a standing question between the brothers until 1209-1213.

How things stand that morning

Not in the margrave's hands. Held on 1 January 1200 either by a last prince of the Olomouc line or by the king's castellan: not pinned.

Wealth

The Haná grain lands; tolls on the road through the Moravian Gate; the market below Olomouc castle; the bishop's toll at the ford of Kroměříž.

Military

The castles of Olomouc, Přerov and Spytihněv and their districts; no numbers.

Threats

• A succession question when the last local prince dies.
• The vacancy of the see that sits in its castle.

What the year holds

What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.

In 1200

1. not pinned (1200-1209)The land passes from the last local princes to Ottokar I's officers.Depends on: The princes' deaths. Stopped by: A prince surviving, or the margrave taking Olomouc.

Later, on the likely course

1. 1209-1213Ottokar hands the land to Vladislaus Henry; Uničov is founded in 1213.Depends on: Peace between the brothers. Stopped by: A breach between them.

Places of note

• Olomouc castle and cathedral: Seat of the land and of the bishop.
• Přerov castle: Castle district on the Bečva.
• Spytihněv castle: Castle district in the south-east, on the Morava.
• Hradisko abbey: Premonstratensians by Olomouc (Church map).

Where the sources disagree

• FMG calls Vladislaus Henry duke of Olomouc from 1197; Czech Wikipedia says he held Olomouc only from 1209-1213.

Evidence: The general course (local princes, then the king, then the margrave in 1209-1213) is from Czech Wikipedia; the holder on 1 January 1200 and the princes' names and dates were not checked.

On the map: The extent of the Olomouc appanage in 1200 is approximate, especially in the south-east (Spytihněv) and the eastern forests.

Primary sources for Moravia

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

• Annals of Jarloch (Gerlach), abbot of Milevsko, Jarloch of Milevsko (about 1200 to 1220). The last Bohemian narrative before 1200, continuing Vincentius of Prague. Read online
• The Austrian and Salzburg annals (kept in the 12th and 13th centuries, with continuations to the late 13th century). A family of monastic annals from Austria, Styria and Salzburg, printed together. Read online
• Charters and letters of the kingdom of Bohemia, volume 2, 1198 to 1230 (documents of 1198 to 1230, edited 1912). The critical edition of every Bohemian and Moravian charter and letter from Ottokar I's accession to 1230.