George of Poděbrady

George of Kunštát and Poděbrady (23 April 1420 – 22 March 1471), also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad (

During the 19th century, in period of the so-called Czech National Revival, he began to be praised (even somewhat idealized) as the last Czech national monarch (in terms of ethnic awareness), a great diplomat and a courageous fighter against the domination of the Catholic Church. In modern times he is remembered mainly for his idea and attempt to establish common European Christian institutions, which is now seen as an early historical vision of European unity.

Early life

George was the son of

At the age of fourteen, George himself took part in the Battle of Lipany (1434), which marked the downfall of more radical Hussite factions (Taborites and Orebites) and the end of revolutionary phase of the Hussite movement. By that time he was already orphaned, as his father had died in 1427.

Early in life, as one of the leaders of the Hussite party, he defeated Austrian troops of King

King Albert was succeeded by his posthumously born son Ladislaus, during whose reign Bohemia sharply divided into two parties: the party faithful to Rome, led by powerful "viceroy" Oldřich II of Rosenberg, and the Hussite party, led by George.^[2]

After various attempts at reconciliation, George sought a military decision. He gradually raised an armed force in north-eastern Bohemia, where the Hussites were strong and where his ancestral Litice Castle was situated. In 1448, he marched this army, about 9000 strong, from Kutná Hora to Prague, and obtained possession of the capital almost without resistance.^[3]

Civil war broke out, but George succeeded in defeating the nobles who remained faithful to Rome. In 1451 the Emperor

The struggle of the Hussites against the papal party continued uninterruptedly, and the position of George became a very difficult one when the young king Ladislaus, who was crowned in 1453, expressed his pro-Roman sympathies, though he had recognized the compacts and the ancient privileges of Bohemia. In 1457 King Ladislaus died suddenly and some voices accused George of having poisoned him.[3] However, research in 1985 proved acute leukemia as the cause of death.^{[citation needed]}

On 2 March 1458 the estates of Bohemia unanimously chose George as king. Even the adherents of the papal party voted for him, some in honour of his moderate policies, some out of deference to popular feeling, which opposed the election of a foreign ruler.^[2][3]

George attempted to rule in a moderate manner based on the Compacta of Prague. He won the loyalty of some Catholics, but had to contend with the opposition of

Message of peace

George attempted to secure peace with Rome by a radical suggestion, which some consider to have been a proposal before its time of a European Union.

He sent his brother-in-law Jaroslav Lev of Rožmitál on a tour of European courts with a draft treaty of the message of peace to promote the idea. George hoped that the treaty would come into effect in 1464. It is seen as one of historical visions of European unity foreshadowing the European Union.^[6]

That did not happen. All George's endeavours to establish peace with Rome proved ineffectual, but Pius II's plan of a crusade against Bohemia remained unexecuted. After Pius' death in 1464, George attempted to negotiate with the new pope, Paul II,^[3] who proved to be an equally determined opponent.

Struggle with internal opposition and antiking

George made enemies among the nobles of the papal party, who assembled at Zelená Hora (Grüneberg) on 28 November 1465 to voice their grievances and conclude an alliance against the king. The alliance was from the outset supported by Paul II, who, on 23 December 1466, excommunicated George and pronounced his deposition as king of Bohemia, which released all subjects of the Bohemian crown from their oaths of allegiance to George. Emperor Frederick III and Hungarian King

His followers chose Vladislaus II, the son of the Polish king, as his successor to continue the fight against Matthias.

Legacy

The large Jiřího z Poděbrad Square in Prague 3 with the nearby eponymous metro station are named after him. Other squares named after him are in Ostrava, Hořice, Toužim, Řevnice, Kunštát or Nový Knín.

In 1896, an equestrian statue of King George, sculpted by Bohuslav Schnirch was erected in Poděbrady.

During

In 1440 he married Kunigunde of Sternberg; they had the following children:

1. Boček (15 July 1442 – 28 September 1496)
2. John IV, Marquess of Montferrat
   .
3. Barbara (1446–1469), married firstly to Henry of Lipá, and secondly to John of Ronov
4. Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg
5. Matthias Corvinus of Hungary
   , however died young
6. Sidonie (11 November 1449 – 1 February 1510), twin of Katharina, called Zdeňka, married Albert III, Duke of Saxony

After Kunigunde died in 1449, he married Johanna of Rožmitál in 1450, they had the following children:

1. William III, Duke of Saxony
2. Frederick (1453–1458)
3. Agnes?, believed to have married in Wallachia
4. Ludmila (16 October 1456 – 20 January 1503), married Frederick I of Liegnitz

See also

• Gregory of Heimburg

References

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to George of Poděbrady.

• Claus Bernet (2003). "Podiebrad, Georg von". In Bautz, Traugott (ed.). Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL) (in German). Vol. 21. Nordhausen: Bautz. cols. 1183–1203.
  ISBN 3-88309-110-3
  .
• Colette Beaune: Chrétienté et Europe : le projet de Georges de Podiebrad au xve siècle, in: Chrétiens et sociétés, vol. 1, 1994, uploaded 8 July 2008 (in French).
• Frederik Dhondt, “Treaty on the Establishment of Peace Throughout Christendom (1464)”. In: Hélène Ruiz Fabri (ed.), Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law (Oxford: OUP, 2021), https://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law-mpeipro/e3721.013.3721/law-mpeipro-e3721
• Frederick G. Heymann. George of Bohemia. King of Heretics. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1965.
• Otakar Odložilík. The Hussite King. Bohemia in European Affairs 1440–1471. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1965.
• Anthony D. Smith. "National Identity and the Idea of European Unity" International Affairs, Vol. 68, No. 1 (Jan. 1992), pp. 55–76
• Macek, Josef (1967). Jiří z Poděbrad [George of Podiebrad] (in Czech). Prague: Svobodné slovo.

George of Poděbrady House of Poděbrady Cadet branch of the Lords of Kunštát Born: 23 April 1420 Died: 22 March 1471
Regnal titles
Preceded by Ladislaus the Posthumous	King of Bohemia 1458–1471	Succeeded by Vladislaus II & Matthias Corvinus