About Jindřich Zdík
Lived 1083 – 1150 (aged 66–67). Jindřich Zdík was a catholic priest, catholic bishop, diplomat and bishop.
Jindřich Zdík (also anglicized as Henry Zdík; – 1150 in Prague) was a Czech bishop and diplomat. He served as bishop of Olomouc from 1126 to 1150. He was a promoter of church reforms and is considered one of the most educated Czechs of his time.
Biography Jindřich Zdík was born in . He was probably the son of the chronicler Cosmas of Prague.
A deed of Jindřich Zdík from 1141 (originally erroneously dated to 1131), in which he transfers his seat to the newly built Saint Wenceslas Cathedral and lists the estates of the Roman Catholic Church in Moravia, is an important and valuable historical document, which is for many Moravian villages and towns the first written mention of the settlement.
In 1141, with papal authorization, Zdík undertook a mission against the Prussians, leading directly to his involvement with the Wendish Crusade of 1147.
After 1141, Zdík has built the Bishop Zdík's Palace in Olomouc. Today it is the only preserved Romanesque building in the city.
After returning from his pilgrimage he had the idea of founding a monastery of regular canons in Prague, which would materialize as Strahov Monastery. Zdík had the support of the bishops of Prague, the Duke of Bohemia Soběslav I, and — after his death — Vladislav II. After Zdík's first unsuccessful attempt to found a Czech variant of the canons' order at the place called Strahov in 1140, an invitation was issued to the Premonstratensians, whose first representatives arrived from Steinfeld in the Rhine valley (Germany).
Hildebert and Everwin, two medieval manuscript illuminators, worked in the scriptorium under Bishop Zdík. The famous Horologium Olomucense was created in their scriptorium for the bishop.
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Important facts
People in Jindřich Zdík's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jindřich Zdík's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jindřich Zdík?
Bishop of Olomouc
When was Jindřich Zdík born?
Jindřich Zdík was born in 1083.
When did Jindřich Zdík die?
Jindřich Zdík died on 25 June 1150 in Olomouc.
What was Jindřich Zdík's occupation?
Jindřich Zdík was a catholic priest, catholic bishop, diplomat and bishop.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jindřich Zdík. https://biography.guide/jindrich-zdik/
MLA: "Jindřich Zdík." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jindrich-zdik/.
Chicago: "Jindřich Zdík." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jindrich-zdik/.
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