Wenceslaus II on Jan Matejko's painting

Wenceslaus II Premyslid (Czech Václav, Polish Wacław) (September 17, 1271 - June 21, 1305). King of Bohemia (1278 - 1305). Duke of Krakow (1291 - 1305). King of Poland (1300 - 1305). Wenceslaus II was the son of Ottokar II "The Great", King of Bohemia, and Kunegunda, daughter of Rostislav, the Grand Duke of Kyiv. His father died on August 26, 1278, shortly before Wenceslaus' seventh birthday. His early reign was tainted by the abuses of power exercised by his regent, Otto, Margrave of Brandenburg, and later by his mother's secret husband, Zavis of Falckenstein. On January 24, 1285 he married Judith (Jutta) von Habsburg, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf I. In 1290 Wenceslaus had Zavis beheaded, and began ruling independently. In 1291 he was invited by a group of Polish Lords to take over the duchy of Krakow, and in 1300 he was crowned the king of Poland. He was planning to invade Austria when he died in 1305. He was succeeded by his son, Wenceslaus III, the last of the Premyslid kings.

In 1298, silver was discovered at Kutná Hora, on the border between Bohemia and Moravia. Wenceslaus took control of the mine by making silver production a royal monopoly. Kutna Hora was one of the richest European silver strikes ever: between 1300 and 1340, the mine may have produced as much as 20 tonnes of silver a year.

Wenceslaus' daughter with Judith, Elizabeth (Eliska), married John "The Blind" of Luxembourg. Judith died in 1297

Wenceslaus' second wife was Ryksa Elzbieta, daughter of Przemysl II, King of Poland 1295 - 1296. (She married Rudolf III of Austria after Wenceslaus' death).

Kings, Dukes and High-Dukes of Poland

Popiel | Siemowit | Lestko | Siemomysł | Mieszko I | Boleslaus I the Brave | Mieszko II Lambert | Bezprym | Mieszko II Lambert | Casimir I the Restorer | Boleslaus II the Generous | Wladislaus I Herman | Zbigniew | Boleslaus III the Wrymouth | Wladislaus II the Exile | Boleslaus IV the Curly | Mieszko III the Old | Casimir II the Just | Leszek the White | Wladislaus III Spindleshanks | Leszek the White | Mieszko IV Platonogi | Leszek the White | Wladislaus III Spindleshanks | Konrad I of Masovia | Henry I the Bearded | Henry II the Pious | Konrad I of Masovia | Boleslaus V the Shy | Leszek II the Black | Henry IV Probus | Przemysł II | Wenceslaus II | Wenceslaus III | Wladislaus I the Short | Casimir III the Great | Louis I | Jadwiga | Wladislaus II Jagiełło | Wladislaus III of Varna | Casimir IV the Jagiellonian | John I Olbracht | Alexander the Jagiellonian | Sigismund I the Old | Sigismund II Augustus | Henry III | Stefan Batory | Sigismund III | Wladislaus IV | John Casimir II | Michael Korybut Wiśniowiecki | John III Sobieski | Augustus II the Strong | Stanislaus Leszczyński | Augustus II the Strong | Stanislaus Leszczyński | Augustus III | Stanislaus August Poniatowski