What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 25 January 2023.

Oldřichova was built in 1892.

Anyone who read yesterday’s post will remember that Oldřich blinded his own brother AND HE STILL GETS A STREET NAMED AFTER HIM.

Begrudgingly, here’s his bio.

Oldřich was the youngest son of Boleslav II, and his mother was either Boleslav’s second wife (possibly called Božena) or Boleslav’s third wife (possibly called Juta).

Like Jaromír, Oldřich fled Bohemia to escape the cruelty of their brother Boleslav The Sh*tbag, sorry, III, and returned with Jaromír when the latter became Duke in 1004.

However, in 1012, Oldřich led a rebellion against his brother, became Duke himself, and had many of Jaromír’s supporters killed while his brother took refuge in Utrecht.

Gradually, Oldřich managed to win Moravia back from Poland, a process completed in 1031. He put his illegitimate son Břetislav (who would himself be Duke of Bohemia from 1034 to 1055) in charge.

Under Oldřich, the monastery in Sázava was also founded (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/02/18/prague-2-day-31-sazavska/).

Oldřich was deposed by the Holy Roman Emperor, Konrad II, in 1033, seemingly for being too supportive of Poland. Jaromír was reinstated, and Oldřich was banished to Bavaria.

However, in 1034, he was released, and went back to Bohemia, where he promptly blinded his brother, who, let us not forget, had already been castrated by another brother.

Oldřich died later that year, apparently ‘between eating and drinking’. Poor old Jaromír understandably refused to contest the throne again, and Břetislav became Břetislav I.