Charles IV, Wenceslas by his proper name, was born on May 14th, 1316 in Prague, son of John of Luxembourg and Elisabeth, the las of the Premyslid dynasty. He died on November 29th, 1378 in Prague. Charles IV was the most successful of Bohemia's monarchs and was called "the country's father". He spent seven years of his childhood in Paris where, at his Confirmation ceremony, he was given the name Charles after the king of France, his godfather. During his stay on Paris he acquired broad knowledge of the arts and sciences. As early as in the age of 15 he was already charged by some sovereign duties in Italy. In 1333 he returned to Bohemia. He was the first Bohemian monarch who also the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1346 he became King of Bohemia and was crowned in 1347. Under his reign, the Czech lands were granted equal rights to other countries in the Holy Roman Empire. With the foundation of the New Prague Town, Prague became the most important town in central Europe, and together with the establishing of the University, its cultural development began. The period of Charles IV reign is connected with intensive building activity, the results of which are admired by tourists today, such as Charles Bridge, the gothic castle of Karlstejn, many gothic churches and cathedrals - among them St. Vitus Cathedral, which celebrated its 650 year anniversary in 1996.
