Strachkvas (Kristián) (28 September 929 or 935,

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

– 996, Prague) was a prince of Bohemia, son of Boleslav I and brother of Boleslav II, all members of the

Přemyslid dynasty The Přemyslid dynasty or House of Přemyslid ( cs, Přemyslovci, german: Premysliden, pl, Przemyślidzi) was a Bohemian royal dynasty that reigned in the Duchy of Bohemia and later Kingdom of Bohemia and Margraviate of Moravia (9th century–130 ...

. A clergyman, Strachkvas was finally to become

Bishop of Prague The following is a list of bishops and archbishops of Prague. The bishopric of Prague was established in 973, and elevated to an archbishopric on 30 April 1344. The current Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Prague is the continual successor of the bi ...

but died during his consecration.

Life

Strachkvas was born on a feast day on which his father killed his own brother or half-brother,

Wenceslaus Wenceslaus, Wenceslas, Wenzeslaus and Wenzslaus (and other similar names) are Latinized forms of the Czech name Václav. The other language versions of the name are german: Wenzel, pl, Wacław, Więcesław, Wieńczysław, es, Wenceslao, russian: ...

, in order to replace Wenceslaus as Duke of the Bohemians. Feeling remorse, Boleslav gave his newborn son the strange name of "Strachkvas", "a dreadful feast". Boleslav promised to devote his son to religion and to educate him as a clergyman, and he kept his word. According to ''

Chronica Boemorum The ''Chronica Boemorum'' (Chronicle of the Czechs, or Bohemians) is the first Latin chronicle in which the history of the Czech lands has been consistently and relatively fully described. It was written in 1119–1125 by Cosmas of Prague. The ...

'' of

Cosmas of Prague Cosmas of Prague ( cs, Kosmas Pražský; la, Cosmas Decanus; – October 21, 1125) was a priest, writer and historian. Life Between 1075 and 1081, he studied in Liège. After his return to Bohemia, he married Božetěcha, with whom he had a s ...

, Saint

Adalbert of Prague Adalbert of Prague ( la, Sanctus Adalbertus, cs, svatý Vojtěch, sk, svätý Vojtech, pl, święty Wojciech, hu, Szent Adalbert (Béla); 95623 April 997), known in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia by his birth name Vojtěch ( la, Vo ...

in 994 offered his episcopal see to Strachkvas, explaining that Strachkvas came from the Přemyslids, and it would be easy for him to bend people to his will; but Strachkvas refused the episcopacy. When Adalbert's family was massacred the next year and he left Prague, however, Strachkvas was appointed to succeed him. Then, just as Strachkvas was about to assume the episcopate, he died without warning during the installation ceremony itself. The circumstances of his death still are unclear. {{DEFAULTSORT:Strachkvas 10th-century births 996 deaths Year of birth uncertain 10th-century bishops in Bohemia Roman Catholic bishops of Prague Přemyslid dynasty Bohemian princes Nobility from Prague