Drahomíra of Havolans

  General Notes:

Drahomíra's homeland was around Brandenburg, a castle near present-day Berlin. She was princess of Havolans.

She married Vratislav I of Bohemia and gave birth to at least three children: Saint Wenceslas, Boleslaus I and Strezislava. She led her husband to cooperation with her vernaculars, which waged war against Saxony. After her husband's untimely death (921), she and her mother-in-law, Saint Ludmila, divided the government of Bohemia.

Popular history depicts Ludmila as a restrained and pious grandmother, but it is likely that the political demands of government called for more energy and worldliness than history records. Wenceslas was one of the main reasons for the eventually fatal discord between Drahomíra and Ludmila. Ludmila had exerted great influence of the eldest son, Wenceslas, leaving Drahomíra to concentrate her efforts on her younger son, Boleslaus.

Despite or perhaps as a result of her political and personal efforts, Ludmila attracted Drahomíra's bitter enmity. Ludmila fled to [1] Tetín castle, where her daughter-in-law's hired assassins, Tunna and Gommmon, murdered her.

When Drahomíra's son, Wenceslas, came to power, he sent his mother into exile, though he later called her back.

Drahomíra married Duke Vratislaus of Bohemia I, son of Duke Borivoj of Bohemia I and Saint Ludmila of Bohemia. (Duke Vratislaus of Bohemia I was born circa 888 and died on 13 Feb 921.)