The Vršovci (also Vrshovici; singular: Vršovec) were an ancient
Czech noble family in the
Duchy of Bohemia
The Duchy of Bohemia, also later referred to in English as the Czech Duchy, (Old Czech: ) was a monarchy and a Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, principality of the Holy Roman Empire in Central Europe during the Early Middle Ages, Early and High M ...
.
History
In Bohemia
First noted in the power struggles of the 10th–12th centuries in Bohemia. The Vršovci were the third most powerful political force in newly Christianized Bohemia, after the reigning
Přemyslids (Přemyslovci) and the contending
SlavnÃks (SlavnÃkovci).
They were active in Bohemian conflicts with Poland, Hungary and the Kings and Electors of the Holy Roman Empire, and also in the intermittent internal conflicts common for feudally fragmented regimes of that time. The Vršovci possessed such towns as
Žatec
Žatec (; ) is a town in Louny District in the Ústà nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 19,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River. Žatec is famous for an over-700-year-long tradition of growing Saaz hops, Saaz noble hops u ...
and
Litoměřice
Litoměřice (; ) is a town in the Ústà nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument reservation.
The town is the seat of the Roman C ...
.

They had consanguinity with the Přemyslidi and often cooperated with them. Some historians supposed that, unlike their opponents, the other two leading families of Bohemia, the Vršovci could have retained some pagan beliefs in the 10th century.
The etymology of the clan name is still a subject of dispute. One version claims its origin to be Czech "fishnet" i.e. "''Vrša''", while another opinion would have it derived from "''Vrsa/Vrsvs''" ("''Ursa/Ursus''"),
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
for "female bear/bear".
The VrÅ¡ovci, PÅ™emyslids and SlavnÃks took part in cruel power struggles that occurred in
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
on the turn of the first millennium. Vršovci and
Přemyslids led by
Boleslaus II, fought with the rival princely clan of SlavnÃks. On 28 September 995 they stormed
Libice nad Cidlinou in
Central Bohemia
The Central Bohemian Region ( ; ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the central part of its historical region of Bohemia. Its administrative centre is in the Czech capital Prague, which lies in the centre of the regio ...
and conquered the SlavnÃks. Among the victims were four or five brothers of future catholic saint
Adalbert
Adalbert is a German given name which means "noble bright" or "noble shining", derived from the words ''adal'' (meaning noble) and ''berht'' (shining or bright). Alternative spellings include Adelbart, Adelbert and Adalberto. Derivative names incl ...
, then bishop of
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
. According to the legends the saint was very impulsive. He damned the murderers (Vršovci). However, as some legend says the saint know how to moderate "the horse of his anger" in order to not "deviate from a bright way of the eternal life" so he escaped from Bohemia to Hungary and Poland, also legend says that he predicted the prosecution of Vršovci.
In 1003, when the Vršovci tried to dethrone
Boleslaus III. When the expatriated duke returned to Bohemia possibly with the support of Duke Boleslaus IV (
Bolesław I the Brave
Bolesław I the Brave (17 June 1025), less often List of people known as the Great, known as Bolesław the Great, was Duke of Poland from 992 to 1025 and the first King of Poland in 1025. He was also Duke of Bohemia between 1003 and 1004 as Boles ...
of
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
), he ordered a massacre of the Vršovci at
Vyšehrad
Vyšehrad (German: ''Wyschehrad,'' ''Prager Hochburg'', English: "upper castle") is a historic fort in Prague, Czech Republic, just over 3 km southeast of Prague Castle, on the east bank of the Vltava River. It was probably built in the 1 ...
. According to
Thietmar of Merseburg, Boleslaus slashed to death his son-in-law (Vršoviec) with his own sword during
Lent
Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...
.
In 1108 the Vršovci came into disfavour again, and were massacred by hostile Přemyslids—namely
Svatopluk. Many nobles were executed on
PetÅ™Ãn
PetÅ™Ãn () is a hill in the centre of Prague, Czech Republic. It rises 327 m above sea level and some 130 m above the left bank of the Vltava River. The hill, almost entirely covered with parks, is a favorite recreational area for the inhabit ...
Hill.
Possible further shelter or interrelations
The later history of the family is unclear; there are two or more versions:
# The whole family was perfidiously executed in 1109.
["Encyklopedyja Powszechna" vol. 6 article "Czechy" p. 391]
(published by Samuel Orgelbrand
Samuel Orgelbrand (1810 – 16 November 1868) was a Polish-Jewish printer (publisher), printer, bookseller, and publisher. He is best known as the initiator, organizer, and publisher of the ''Encyklopedia Powszechna'' (Universal Encyclopedia), or ...
in Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, 1861)
# The same source suggests that it could have happened that some of them escaped to
Kingdom of Poland
The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385.
Background
The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...
and acted from there yet in 1100.
[ Similarly, one of two versions by Kasper Niesiecki (considering origin of Polish Rawicz bearers) says that some of them were amiably accepted in 1108 by the King ]Bolesław III Wrymouth
Bolesław III Wrymouth (; 20 August 1086 – 28 October 1138), also known as Boleslaus the Wry-mouthed, was the duke of Lesser Poland, Silesia and Sandomierz between 1102 and 1107 and over the whole of Poland between 1107 and 1138. He was the onl ...
of Poland, who granted them lands in Rawa Voivodship; also Jan Długosz
Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histo ...
supports it (however the other version by Kasper Niesiecki – "the better one" is that the origin of Polish Rawicz bearers is pagan Polish).
# Controversially, they may have been captured by Andalusian Muslims and used as saqaliba
Saqaliba (, singular ) is a term used in medieval Arabic sources to refer to Slavs, and other peoples of Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe. The term originates from the Middle Greek '' slavos/sklavenos'' (Slav), which in Hispano-Ara ...
.
If the second is true, it could be that some of Vršovci (because phonetically similar surnames were spotted among szlachta
The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the nobility, noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social ...
of two Polish coat of arms), in the midst of nobility referred to as Oksza (Werszowic, Werszowiec, Wierszowiec)[ Tadeusz Gajl]
HERBARZ POLSKI Lista Nazwisk
/ref> and Rawicz
Rawicz (; ) is a town in west-central Poland with 21,398 inhabitants as of 2004. It is situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship (since 1999); previously it was in Leszno Voivodeship (1975–1998). It is the capital of Rawicz County.
History
The ...
(Warsz, Warsza) bearers, probably participated in the Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila), a ...
.
In the historical records among 50 Polish "banners" (regiments) is one (the 26th) under the Rawicz coat of arms led by Christian of Ostrów, castellan of Kraków, also a war councillor and one of the seven chief members of King Władysław II Jagiełło
Jogaila (; 1 June 1434), later Władysław II Jagiełło (),Other names include (; ) (see also Names and titles of Władysław II Jagiełło) was Grand Duke of Lithuania beginning in 1377 and starting in 1386, becoming King of Poland as well. ...
of Poland's general headquarters.
Derslaw of Wlostow, of the arms Oksza, served as a scout and on the field of battle, and Peter of Wlostow, also of the arms Oksza, one of the knights selected by the Poles to initiate the battle. In addition, one of the Rawicz bearers, Christian of Goworzici, is marked for his military valour in the Battle of Koronowo, shortly after that of Grunwald. Oksza knights also participated at Koronowo, specifically Dobko Oksza and Jan Rey of Naglowic.
For the most famous Oksza bearer, see: Mikołaj Rej
Mikołaj Rej or Mikołaj Rey of Nagłowice (4 February 1505 – between 8 September/5 October 1569) was a Polish poet and prose writer of the emerging Renaissance in Poland as it succeeded the Middle Ages in Poland, Middle Ages, as well as a po ...
z Nagłowic. In 1994–97, Mikołaj Rej's descendant and namesake, Nicholas Andrew Rey (1938–2009), served as American ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
to Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
.
See also
* Thietmar of Merseburg. Chronicon;
* Cosmas of Prague. Chronica Boëmorum ("Chronicle of Bohemians");
* Jan Długosz
Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histo ...
. Annales seu cronici incliti regni Poloniae;
* Simon Okolski. Orbis Polonus. Kraków, 1641. V.2. 70–72 and 335–342;
* Simon Okolski. Orbis Polonus. Kraków, 1642. V.2. 581–602;
* Kasper Niesiecki. Herbarz, VIII, 97–99;
* Bartosz Paprocki
Bartosz Paprocki, in Czech known as Bartoloměj Paprocký z Hlohol a Paprocké Vůle ( – 27 December 1614), was a Polish and Czech historiographer, translator, poet, heraldist, and a pioneering figure in Polish and Bohemian/Czech genealogy ...
. Biblioteka Polska. Herby rycerstwa polskiego; Kraków, 1584 (II ed. Kraków, 1858) 562–565;
* Josef Teige. Blätter aus der altböhmischen Genealogie. Slavnikiden /Die Vrsovcen /Die Herren von Lichtenburg. Damböck, 2005. .
* Emilian von Zernicki-Szeliga. Die Polnischen-Stammwappen, Hamburg 1900, 58–59.
* Kopal, Petr. Neznámý známý rod. Pokus o genealogii VrÅ¡ovců. SbornÃk archivnÃch pracà 2001/1, 3–84.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vrsovci
Bohemian noble families