7. 2. 999 Died Czech prince Boleslav II.

He was one of the favourites of the chronicler Cosmas. It was he who described the Bohemian prince Boleslaus II as the father of orphans, the comforter of widows and the most Christian man. This monarch of the Přemyslid family died on 6 February 999 at the age of about 65, and is buried in St. George's Basilica at Prague Castle.

In addition to his warm relationship with Christianity, Boleslaus II is known for being one of the first Czech rulers to seek a bride to the west. However, this made it easier for the Germans to gain access to the court. Boleslav's wife was Emma or Hemma, daughter of the King of Burgundy and Arelat. She was also the sister of the wife of Duke Henry II of Bavaria. She was simply of nobler birth than the wives of previous Bohemian monarchs. "She had a very noble bearing and praiseworthy virtues. Many Germans came to court with her," says the Bohemian-Moravian Chronicle.

During his reign, Boleslav II enriched the empire in a way that had never been seen before. He followed in the footsteps of his father Boleslaus I the Cruel and expanded the empire eastwards until he became a neighbour of the Russian prince Vladimir the Great. According to many historians, he managed to create a territory larger than today's Czech Republic. Boleslav's empire included Bohemia except for Cheb, Olomouc, part of Silesia, Cracow, and Red Ruthenia, which was located in the territory of today's southeastern Poland. The dominion reached as far as the Bug River flowing through south-western and southern Ukraine.

It is not known exactly when Boleslaus II was born. But according to the available information, it is inferred that before 935. During his reign, he spread the Christian faith, welcomed priests from abroad and founded a total of two dozen churches. In 973, the bishopric of Prague was established, by which the Bohemian prince secured greater independence abroad. "He also sought to give his nation its own pope. That is why he sent his sister Mlada to Rome," says the Czech-Moravian Chronicle.

During the era of Boleslaus II, the first monastery was also founded on Czech territory, namely at St. George's at Prague Castle. At the same time, the first male monastery was founded, the famous Benedictine monastery in Břevnov.

However, during Boleslav's reign, one of the most famous massacres in Czech history also took place, namely the slaughter of the Slavonians, including women and children. It is reported that this family lived as a state within a state, for example, when they minted their own coins. Exactly who gave the order to exterminate them is still unknown. It could not have been Prince Boleslav II, because he was lying paralysed in Prague Castle at the time and so did not even attend the Bohemian Congress. It has even been proven today that he himself tried to prevent the bloodshed. But the Vršovci managed to convince the Bohemians of the need for bloody retribution. Only Bishop Vojtěch, the head of the Soběslav family, and his stepson Radim survived the massacre.

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