Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia
Wenceslaus IV | |
---|---|
King of Germany | |
Reign | 10 June 1376 – 20 August 1400 |
Coronation | 6 July 1376 Aachen Cathedral |
Predecessor | Charles IV |
Successor | Rupert |
Born | 26 February 1361 Nuremberg, Kingdom of Germany, Holy Roman Empire |
Died | 16 August 1419 (aged 58) Kunratice, Prague, Bohemia |
Burial | |
Spouses | |
House | Luxembourg |
Father | Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor |
Mother | Anna von Schweidnitz |
Wenceslaus IV (also Wenceslas;
Biography
Wenceslaus was born in the
In order to secure the election of his son, Charles IV revoked the privileges of many Imperial Cities that he had earlier granted and mortgaged them to various nobles. The cities, however, were not powerless, and as executors of the public peace, they had developed into a potent military force. Moreover, as Charles IV had organized the cities into leagues, he had made it possible for them to cooperate in large-scale endeavors. Indeed, on 4 July 1376, fourteen Swabian cities bound together into the independent Swabian League of Cities to defend their rights against the newly elected King, attacking the lands of Eberhard II, Count of Württemberg. The city league soon attracted other members and until 1389 acted as an autonomous state within the Empire.
Rule
Wenceslaus took some part in government during his father's lifetime,
In 1387 a quarrel between
King of Bohemia
During his long reign, Wenceslaus held a tenuous grip on power at best, as he came into repeated conflicts with the
But the greatest liability for Wenceslaus proved to be his own family. Charles IV had divided his holdings among his sons and other relatives. Although Wenceslaus upon his father's death retained Bohemia, his younger half brother
Wenceslaus also faced serious opposition from the Bohemian nobles and even from his chancellor, the Prague archbishop Jan of Jenštejn. In a conflict surrounding the investiture of the abbot of Kladruby, the torture and murder of the archbishop's vicar-general John of Nepomuk by royal officials in 1393 sparked a noble rebellion. In 1394 Wenceslaus' cousin Jobst of Moravia was named regent, while Wenceslaus was arrested at Králův Dvůr. King Sigismund of Hungary arranged a truce in 1396, and for his efforts, he was recognized as heir to Wenceslaus.
In the
He then met
Hus was eventually executed in Konstanz in 1415, and the rest of Wenceslaus' reign in Bohemia featured precursors of the Hussite Wars that would follow his death.
Dethronement
In view of his troubles in Bohemia, Wenceslaus did not seek a coronation ceremony as
On 29 June 1402, Wenceslaus was captured by Sigismund, who at first intended to escort him to Rome to have him crowned emperor, but Rupert heard of this plan and tried to prevent the passage to Italy, so Sigismund had Wenceslaus imprisoned, at first in Schaumberg and from 16 August in Vienna, in the charge of William, Duke of Austria.[3] On 20 November, Wenceslaus was forced to sign his renunciation of all his powers to Sigismund and the Dukes of Austria. In exchange, the conditions of his imprisonment were relaxed.[4] In early 1403, Rupert made diplomatic overtures to Sigismund, attempting to get him to forgo his attempt to secure the imperial crown, but Sigismund invaded Bohemia with Hungarian forces, looting, imposing heavy taxes, and persecuting the supporters of Wenceslaus. He also plundered the royal treasury to pay for his military campaigns against the supporters of Rupert and of Jobst of Moravia. An armistice between Sigismund and Jobst was agreed to be in effect from 14 April until 20 May. This gave Sigismund's opponents time to prepare, and after the end of the armistice, Sigismund could make no further gains and retreated from Bohemia, reaching Bratislava on 24 July.[5] On 1 October 1403, Pope Boniface IX finally acknowledged the deposition of Wenceslaus and the election of Rupert as King of the Romans. As a coronation of Wenceslaus was now no longer a possibility, and while he was nominally still prisoner in Vienna, he was no longer under strict guard, and he managed to escape on 11 November. He crossed the Danube and was escorted by John II of Liechtenstein via Mikulov back to Bohemia, meeting his supporters in Kutná Hora before moving on Prague, which he entered on Christmas.[6]
Among the charges raised by Rupert as the basis for his predecessor's deposition was the Papal Schism. King Rupert called the Council of Pisa in 1409, attended by defectors from both papal parties. They elected Antipope Alexander V, worsening the situation because he was not acknowledged by his two rivals, and from 1409 to 1417 there were three popes.
After the death of Rupert in 1410, his succession at first proved difficult since both Wenceslaus's cousin Jobst of Moravia and Wenceslaus's brother Sigismund of Hungary were elected King of the Romans. Wenceslaus himself had never recognized his deposition and hence still claimed the kingship. Jobst died in 1411, and Wenceslaus agreed to give up the crown, so long as he could keep Bohemia. This settled the issue, and after 1411, Sigismund reigned as king and later also became Holy Roman Emperor.
The bishops and secular leaders, tired of the Great Schism, supported Sigismund when he called the Council of Constance in 1414. The goal of the council was to reform the church in head and members. In 1417, the council deposed all three popes and elected a new one. By resolving the schism, Sigismund restored the honour of the imperial title and made himself the most influential monarch in the West.
Personal life
Wenceslaus was married twice, first to
Wenceslaus was described as a man of great knowledge and is known for the Wenceslas Bible, a richly illuminated manuscript he had drawn up between 1390 and 1400. However, his rule remained uncertain, varying between idleness and cruel measures as in the case of John of Nepomuk. Unlike his father, Wenceslaus relied on favouritism, which made him abhorrent to many nobles and led to increasing isolation. Moreover, he probably suffered from alcoholism, which was brought to light in 1398 when he was unable to accept an invitation by King Charles VI of France for a reception at Reims due to his drunkenness.[7]
Wenceslaus died in 1419 of a heart attack during a hunt in the woods surrounding his castle Nový Hrad at Kunratice (today a part of Prague), leaving the country in a deep political crisis. His death was followed by almost two decades of conflict called the Hussite Wars, which were centred on greater calls for religious reform by Jan Hus and spurred by popular outrage provoked by his execution.
In popular culture
The 2018 video game Kingdom Come: Deliverance is set in Bohemia under the rule of King Wenceslaus IV in 1403.
See also
- List of rulers of Bohemia
- Kings of Germany family tree
- Decree of Kutná Hora
Notes
- ^ (in German) Biographie König Wenzels, Elke Greifeneder, Humboldt University of Berlin
- ^ a b c d e f g Chisholm 1911, p. 517.
- ^ Joseph Aschbach, Geschichte Kaiser Sigmund's vol. 1 (1838), p. 175–177.
- ^ Joseph Aschbach, Geschichte Kaiser Sigmund's vol. 1 (1838), p. 183.
- ^ Joseph Aschbach, Geschichte Kaiser Sigmund's vol. 1 (1838), p. 186–188.
- ^ Joseph Aschbach, Geschichte Kaiser Sigmund's vol. 1 (1838), p. 191–193.
- ^ (in German) Wenzel, Deutschlands schlechtester König, Welt Online
References
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 517–518.
- Theodor Lindner. Deutsche Geschichte unter den Habsburgern und Luxemburgern. Vol. II. Stuttgart, 1893.
- Theodor Lindner (1896), "Wenzel", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 41, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 726–732
- Marco Innocenti (2005). "Wenzel IV.". In Bautz, Traugott (ed.). Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL) (in German). Vol. 24. Nordhausen: Bautz. cols. 1521–1531. ISBN 3-88309-247-9.
Further reading
- Boehm, Barbara Drake; et al. (2005). Prague: The Crown of Bohemia, 1347–1437. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 1588391612.