Golden Bull of Sicily: Bohemia Gets Hereditary Royal Status
The Golden Bull of 1212 was Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II essentially paying a political debt. Ottokar I of Bohemia had backed Frederick in his power struggle for the imperial throne, and Frederick paid him back with the most valuable currency of medieval politics: hereditary legitimacy. Bohemia's royal title was now permanent, the king's power confirmed in writing under imperial seal. The Přemyslid dynasty had fought for that recognition for decades. They got it — and lost the dynasty itself 89 years later when the last Přemyslid male was murdered by his own nobles.
September 26, 1212
814 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on September 26
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