Charles IV: the king who shaped Prague and founded Central Europe’s first university

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is counted among the most beautiful cities of Europe. According to UNESCO, many of its finest monuments, such as Prague Castle, the famous stone bridge over the Vltava and the city’s "New Town", were built mostly in the 14th century, during the reign of King Charles IV. Charles was King of Bohemia from 1346 to 1378 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1355. Britannica counts him among the most learned and diplomatically skilled rulers of his age, who gained more through diplomacy than through war.

Early life

According to Britannica, Charles was born in Prague on 14 May 1316. He was the eldest son of John of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia, and his mother was the sister of the last native king of Bohemia. In 1323, at the age of seven, he was sent to the French royal court, where he was educated and also married.

According to Britannica, he was given administrative responsibilities while still young: the management of his father’s territories in northern Italy in 1331, and the government of Moravia two years later. In his autobiography, Charles wrote of the difficulties he faced in recovering royal castles and towns that had been pawned. When his father went blind, the administration of the country was entrusted to Charles in 1343.

King and emperor

In 1346 Charles was elected German king, and in the same year he became King of Bohemia after his father’s death. According to Britannica, he won support by granting privileges to the cities of southern Germany and through diplomatic skill in the north, and was soon recognised as the sole German king. In 1355 he received the Iron Crown of Lombardy in Milan and the imperial crown in Rome.

According to Britannica, his main attention always remained on Bohemia, which was his greatest source of power. A Florentine contemporary described him as a man of medium height with dark hair and a broad face, who habitually walked with a slight stoop.

Law and constitution

After his coronation in 1347, Charles, according to Britannica, issued a new law defining the constitutional position of the king. Bohemia was declared a hereditary monarchy in which the eldest son and his descendants had the right of succession, and in the absence of a male heir the right passed to daughters.

His most famous legal achievement is the "Golden Bull". According to Britannica, it was a kind of imperial constitution that laid down the method of electing the German king through seven electors.

University of Prague

According to Britannica, in 1348 Charles founded the first university in Central Europe, with the same rights and liberties as the universities of Paris and Bologna. This is today’s Charles University. According to UNESCO, its founding made Prague a renowned centre of learning, a reputation that continues to this day.

Building Prague

Under Charles, Prague became the political, economic and cultural centre of the Holy Roman Empire. According to UNESCO, many of the city’s major monuments were built mostly in his reign. They include Prague Castle, St Vitus Cathedral and the stone bridge over the Vltava, later called Charles Bridge. UNESCO describes the "New Town" founded by Charles as a supreme example of medieval urban planning.

According to Britannica, the foundation of Karlštejn Castle near Prague was also laid in 1348, and the imperial crown jewels and the Bohemian crown insignia were kept there. According to UNESCO, Prague’s reputation attracted architects and artists from across Europe, and the city’s Gothic architecture influenced building across Central Europe.

Arts and learning

According to Britannica, Charles was a generous patron of the arts and learning, especially in Prague, and was also interested in founding charitable institutions. He was influenced by the early Humanist movement and, according to Britannica, also played a part in the development of written German.

Death

According to Britannica, in fulfilment of his last wish, he had his eldest son Wenceslas elected German king after long negotiations. Charles IV died in Prague on 29 November 1378 and was buried in St Vitus Cathedral, whose construction had begun in his reign.

Legacy

According to Britannica, from his reign until the 18th century it was held that the German royal crown rested on the crown of Bohemia. But his most prominent legacy is Prague itself. According to UNESCO, the city has been the intellectual and cultural centre of its region since Charles’s time, and the university and bridge named after him still define the city today.