Evaluation The reign of Charles IV was characterized by a transformation in the nature of the Empire and is remembered as the
Golden Age of Bohemia. He promulgated the
Golden Bull of 1356 whereby the succession to the imperial title was laid down, which held for the next four centuries. He also organized the states of the empire into peace-keeping
confederations. In these, the Imperial cities figured prominently. The Swabian Landfriede confederation of 1370 was made up almost entirely of
Imperial Cities. At the same time, the leagues were organized and led by the crown and its agents. As with the electors, the cities that served in these leagues were given privileges to aid in their efforts to keep the peace. He assured his dominance over the eastern borders of the Empire through succession treaties with the
Habsburgs and the purchase of Brandenburg. He also claimed imperial lordship over the
crusader states of
Prussia and
Livonia. In 2005 Charles IV ranked the first in the TV show
Největší Čech, the Czech
spin-off of the BBC Greatest Britons show.
Patronage of culture and the arts (1848), Prague, by
Ernst Julius Hähnel Prague became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire during the reign of Charles IV. The name of the royal founder and patron remains on many monuments and institutions, for example
Charles University,
Charles Bridge,
Charles Square.
High Gothic Prague Castle and part of the
cathedral of Saint Vitus by
Peter Parler were also built under his patronage. Finally, the first flowering of manuscript painting in Prague dates from Charles's reign. In the present
Czech Republic, he is still regarded as
Pater Patriae (
father of the country or
otec vlasti), a title first applied to him by
Adalbertus Ranconis de Ericinio at his funeral. Charles also had strong ties to
Nuremberg, staying within its city walls 52 times and thereby strengthening its reputation amongst German cities. Charles was the patron of the
Nuremberg Frauenkirche, built between 1352 and 1362 (the architect was likely
Peter Parler), where the imperial court worshipped during its stays in Nuremberg. Charles's imperial policy was focused on the dynastic sphere and abandoned the lofty ideal of the Empire as a universal monarchy of
Christendom. In 1353, he granted the
Duchy of Luxembourg to his half-brother,
Wenceslaus. He concentrated his energies chiefly on the economic and intellectual development of Bohemia, where he founded the university in 1348 and encouraged the
early humanists. He corresponded with
Petrarch and invited him to visit the royal residence in Prague, whilst the Italian hoped – to no avail – to see Charles move his residence to Rome and reawaken the tradition of the
Roman Empire. Charles's sister
Bona married the eldest son of
Philip VI of France, the future
John II of France, in 1335. Thus, Charles was the maternal uncle of
Charles V of France, who solicited his relative's advice at
Metz in 1356 during the
Parisian Revolt. This family connection was celebrated publicly when Charles made a solemn visit to his nephew in 1378, just months before his death. A detailed account of the occasion, enriched by many splendid miniatures, can be found in Charles V's copy of the
Grandes Chroniques de France.
Castles Castles built or established by Charles IV: •
Karlštejn, 1348–1355 in
Central Bohemian Region for safekeeping the
Imperial Regalia, especially the
Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire (later the
Czech Crown Jewels were also kept there) •
Kašperk (Karlsberg), 1356 in
Kašperské Hory in
Plzeň Region •
Lauf (Wenzelsburg) – built on the way connecting
Prague and
Nuremberg in
Bohemian Palatinate, inside survived 112 coats of arms of the Bohemian Kingdom •
Montecarlo in Italy •
Radyně (Karlskrone) – around 1360 in Plzeň Region •
Hrádek u Purkarce (Karlshaus) – around 1357 •
Tepenec (Twingenberg, Karlsburg) in
Jívová in
Olomouc Region •
Karlsfried Places named after Charles IV ; Czech Republic •
Karlovy Vary, a spa city •
Karlštejn, a town beyond the eponymous castle •
Charles Bridge (
Karlův most), Prague •
Charles University (
Univerzita Karlova), Prague • Multiple squares –
Charles Square (
Karlovo náměstí) in Prague and others, for example in
Brno,
Kolín,
Mělník etc. • Multiple streets ; Italy •
Montecarlo (Charles's Mountain), a municipality
Other • The 100-
Czech koruna banknote •
16951 Carolus Quartus, an asteroid == Family ==