Wenceslaus, King of the Romans
Encyclopedia
Wenceslaus ) (26 February 1361 – 16 August 1419) was, by election, German King (formally King of the Romans
) from 1376 and, by inheritance, King of Bohemia (as Wenceslaus IV) from 1378. He was the third Bohemian and second German monarch of the Luxembourg dynasty
. Wenceslaus was deposed in 1400 as German King, but continued to rule as King of Bohemia.
of Nuremberg
, the son of Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV
by his third wife Anna von Schweidnitz
, a scion of the Silesian Piasts
, and baptized at St. Sebaldus Church. He was raised by the Prague Archbishops Arnošt of Pardubice
and Jan Očko z Vlašimi
. His father had the two-year-old crowned King of Bohemia in 1363 and in 1373 also obtained for him the Electoral Margraviate of Brandenburg
. When in 1376 Charles IV asserted Wenceslaus' election as King of the Romans
by the prince-elector
s, two of seven votes, those of Brandenburg and Bohemia
, were held by the emperor and his son themselves.
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 organised the cities into leagues, he had made it possible for them to cooperate in large-scale endeavors. Indeed, on 4 July 1376, two days after Wenceslaus' election, fourteen Swabia
n cities bound together into an independent Swabian League
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.
. In the cathedral of Monza
there is preserved a series of reliefs depicting the coronations of the kings of Italy with the Iron Crown of Lombardy
. The seventh of these depicts Wenceslaus being crowned in the presence of six electors, he himself being the seventh. The depiction is probably not accurate and was likely made solely to reinforce the claims of the cathedral on the custody of the Iron Crown.
In 1387 a quarrel between Frederick, Duke of Bavaria
, and the cities of the Swabian League allied with the Archbishop of Salzburg
gave the signal for a general war in Swabia, in which the cities, weakened by their isolation, mutual jealousies and internal conflicts, were defeated by the forces of Eberhard II, Count of Württemberg, at Döffingen, near Gafenau
, on 24 August 1388. The cities were taken severally and devastated. Most of them quietly acquiesced when King Wenceslaus proclaimed an ambivalent arrangement at Cheb
(Eger) in 1389 which prohibited all leagues between cities, while confirming their political autonomy. This settlement provided a modicum of stability for the next several decades, however the cities dropped out as a basis of the central Imperial authority.
led by the House of Rosenberg
. On two occasions he was even imprisoned for lengthy spells by rebellious nobles.
But Wenceslaus' greatest liability 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 Sigismund
inherited Brandenburg, while John received the newly-established Duchy of Görlitz
in Upper Lusatia
. The March of Moravia
was divided between his cousins Jobst
and Procopius, and his uncle Wenceslaus I
was made Duke of Luxembourg. Hence the young king was left without the resources his father had enjoyed. In 1386, Sigismund became king of Hungary
and became involved in affairs further east.
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 was recognized as Wenceslaus' heir.
In the Papal Schism
, Wenceslaus had supported Pope Urban VI
. As Bohemian king he sought to protect the religious reformer Jan Hus
and his followers against the demands of the Roman Catholic Church
for their suppression as heretics
. This caused many Germans
to withdraw from the University of Prague
, and set up their own university at Leipzig
. Hus was executed in Konstanz
in 1415, and the rest of Wenceslaus's reign in Bohemia featured precursors of the Hussite Wars
that would follow his death.
and was long absent from the German lands. Consequently, he faced anger at the Reichstag
diets of Nuremberg (1397) and Frankfurt (1398). The four Rhenish
electors, Count Palatine Rupert III and the Archbishops of Mainz
, Cologne and Trier, accused him of failing to maintain the public peace or to resolve the Schism. They demanded that Wenceslaus appear before them to answer to the charges in June 1400. Wenceslaus demurred, in large part because of renewed hostilities in Bohemia. When he failed to appear, the electors meeting at Lahneck Castle
declared him deposed on 20 August 1400 on account of "futility, idleness, neglicence and ignobility". The next day they chose the Palatine Elector as their king at Rhens
, though Wenceslaus refused to acknowledge this successor's decade-long reign.
In 1402 Wenceslaus was again imprisoned and temporarily deposed, this time by his younger brother Sigismund, with the support of the Czech nobility. Lord John of Liechtenstein, with his retinue of knights, successfully freed Wenceslaus from his Vienna prison in autumn of 1403 and accorded him refuge in his Moravia
n castle. John of Liechtenstein was at the time the Lord of the Mikulov
demesne
.
Among the charges that Ruprecht III had used as the basis for his predecessor's deposition was the Papal Schism. King Ruprecht called the Council of Pisa
in 1409, attended by defectors from both papal parties. They elected Antipope Alexander V
, only worsening the situation, because he was not acknowledged by his two rivals and from 1409 to 1417, when there were three popes.
After the death of Ruprecht in 1410, his succession at first proved difficult, as both Wenceslaus' cousin Jobst of Moravia and Wenceslaus' brother Sigismund of Hungary were elected King of Germany. 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. What made it work was the translation of supreme authority from the popes to the council. In 1417, the council deposed all three popes and elected a new one, maintaining all the while that the council, and not the pope, was the supreme head of the church. By resolving the schism, Sigismund restored the honour of the imperial title and made himself the most influential monarch in the west.
, on 2 May 1389. He had no children by either wife.
Wencelaus was described as a man of great knowledge and is known for the Wenzel 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.
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 around greater calls for religious reform by Jan Hus and spurred by popular outrage provoked from his martyrdom.
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
) from 1376 and, by inheritance, King of Bohemia (as Wenceslaus IV) from 1378. He was the third Bohemian and second German monarch of the Luxembourg dynasty
House of Luxembourg
The House of Luxembourg was a late medieval German dynasty, which between 1308 and 1437 ruled the Holy Roman Empire, twice interrupted by the rivaling House of Wittelsbach.-History:...
. Wenceslaus was deposed in 1400 as German King, but continued to rule as King of Bohemia.
Biography
Wenceslaus was born in the Imperial cityFree Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city was a city formally ruled by the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which were governed by one of the many princes of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops...
of Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, the son of Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
by his third wife Anna von Schweidnitz
Anna von Schweidnitz
Anna of Schweidnitz was Queen of Bohemia, German Queen, and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire. She was the third wife of Emperor Charles IV.-Biography:...
, a scion of the Silesian Piasts
Silesian Piasts
The Silesian Piasts were the oldest line of the Piast dynasty beginning with Władysław II the Exile, son of Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland...
, and baptized at St. Sebaldus Church. He was raised by the Prague Archbishops Arnošt of Pardubice
Arnošt of Pardubice
Arnošt z Pardubic was the first Archbishop of Prague. He was also an advisor and diplomat to Emperor Charles IV....
and Jan Očko z Vlašimi
Jan Ocko z Vlašimi
Jan Očko z Vlašimi , from the family of Vlastislaviců Janovic, was the second Archbishop of Prague . He was the uncle to his successor Jan z Jenštejna ....
. His father had the two-year-old crowned King of Bohemia in 1363 and in 1373 also obtained for him the Electoral Margraviate of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
. When in 1376 Charles IV asserted Wenceslaus' election as King of the Romans
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
by the prince-elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
s, two of seven votes, those of Brandenburg and Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
, were held by the emperor and his son themselves.
In order to secure the election of his son, Charles IV revoked the privileges of many Imperial Cities
Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city was a city formally ruled by the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which were governed by one of the many princes of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops...
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 organised the cities into leagues, he had made it possible for them to cooperate in large-scale endeavors. Indeed, on 4 July 1376, two days after Wenceslaus' election, fourteen Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n cities bound together into an independent Swabian League
Swabian League
The Swabian League was an association of Imperial States - cities, prelates, principalities and knights - principally in the territory of the Early medieval stem duchy of Swabia, established in 1488 at the behest of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg and supported as well by Bertold von...
to defend their rights against the newly-elected King, attacking the lands of Eberhard II, Count of Württemberg
Eberhard II, Count of Württemberg
Eberhard II, called "der Greiner" , Count of Württemberg from 1344 until 1392.Eberhard II was son of Count Ulrich III of Württemberg and Sofie of Pfirt. He married Countess Elizabeth von Henneberg-Schleusingen on September 17, 1342...
. The city league soon attracted other members and until 1389 acted as an autonomous state within the Empire.
Rule
On Charles's death in 1378, Wenceslaus inherited Bohemia and as Emperor-elect assumed the government of the Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. In the cathedral of Monza
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
there is preserved a series of reliefs depicting the coronations of the kings of Italy with the Iron Crown of Lombardy
Iron Crown of Lombardy
The Iron Crown of Lombardy is both a reliquary and one of the most ancient royal insignia of Europe. The crown became one of the symbols of the Kingdom of Lombards and later of the medieval Kingdom of Italy...
. The seventh of these depicts Wenceslaus being crowned in the presence of six electors, he himself being the seventh. The depiction is probably not accurate and was likely made solely to reinforce the claims of the cathedral on the custody of the Iron Crown.
In 1387 a quarrel between Frederick, Duke of Bavaria
Frederick, Duke of Bavaria
Frederick was Duke of Bavaria from 1375. He was the second son of Stephen II and Elizabeth of Sicily.-Family:His maternal grandparents were Frederick III of Sicily and Eleanor of Anjou...
, and the cities of the Swabian League allied with the Archbishop of Salzburg
Archbishopric of Salzburg
The Archbishopric of Salzburg was an ecclesiastical State of the Holy Roman Empire, its territory roughly congruent with the present-day Austrian state of Salzburg....
gave the signal for a general war in Swabia, in which the cities, weakened by their isolation, mutual jealousies and internal conflicts, were defeated by the forces of Eberhard II, Count of Württemberg, at Döffingen, near Gafenau
Grafenau, Württemberg
Grafenau is a town in the district of Böblingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, on 24 August 1388. The cities were taken severally and devastated. Most of them quietly acquiesced when King Wenceslaus proclaimed an ambivalent arrangement at Cheb
Cheb
Cheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany...
(Eger) in 1389 which prohibited all leagues between cities, while confirming their political autonomy. This settlement provided a modicum of stability for the next several decades, however the cities dropped out as a basis of the central Imperial authority.
King of Bohemia
During his long reign, Wenceslaus' grip on power was tenuous at best, as he came into repeated conflicts with the Bohemian nobilityBohemian nobility
Bohemian or Czech nobility refers to the noble families of the Czech state , also known as "Bohemian Crown", "The Lands of the Bohemian Crown" or "The Lands of the Crown of Saint Wenceslaus".Aristocracy was abolished by law in December 1918 at the occasion of birth of the independent...
led by the House of Rosenberg
House of Rosenberg
The Rosenberg family was the most significant and influential Bohemian noble family playing important role in Czech medieval history from 13th century till 1611...
. On two occasions he was even imprisoned for lengthy spells by rebellious nobles.
But Wenceslaus' greatest liability 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 Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
inherited Brandenburg, while John received the newly-established Duchy of Görlitz
Görlitz
Görlitz is a town in Germany. It is the easternmost town in the country, located on the Lusatian Neisse River in the Bundesland of Saxony. It is opposite the Polish town of Zgorzelec, which was a part of Görlitz until 1945. Historically, Görlitz was in the region of Upper Lusatia...
in Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia is a region a biggest part of which belongs to Saxony, a small eastern part belongs to Poland, the northern part to Brandenburg. In Saxony, Upper Lusatia comprises roughly the districts of Bautzen and Görlitz , in Brandenburg the southern part of district Oberspreewald-Lausitz...
. The March of Moravia
March of Moravia
The March or Margraviate of Moravia, was a marcher state, sometimes de facto independent and varyingly within the power of the Duchy, later Kingdom of Bohemia...
was divided between his cousins Jobst
Jobst of Moravia
Jobst of Moravia, Jobst von Mähren from the House of Luxembourg was the eldest son of Margrave John Henry of Moravia, the younger brother of Emperor Charles IV....
and Procopius, and his uncle Wenceslaus I
Wenceslaus I, Duke of Luxembourg
Wenceslaus I was the first Duke of Luxembourg from 1355...
was made Duke of Luxembourg. Hence the young king was left without the resources his father had enjoyed. In 1386, Sigismund became king of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
and became involved in affairs further east.
Wenceslaus also faced serious opposition from the Bohemian nobles and even from his chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
, the Prague archbishop Jan of Jenštejn. In a conflict surrounding the investiture of the abbot of Kladruby
Kladruby (Tachov District)
Kladruby is a town in the Czech Republic, in the region of Plzeň, near the town Stříbro.The Abbey of Kladruby is a large Benedictine monastery first cited 1115...
, the torture and murder of the archbishop's vicar-general John of Nepomuk
John of Nepomuk
John of Nepomuk is a national saint of the Czech Republic, who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus, King of the Romans and King of Bohemia. Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional...
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
Králuv Dvur
Králův Dvůr is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It is located very close to Beroun. It has a population of 6,201 .- History :...
. King Sigismund of Hungary arranged a truce in 1396, and for his efforts was recognized as Wenceslaus' heir.
In the Papal Schism
Western Schism
The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417. Two men simultaneously claimed to be the true pope. Driven by politics rather than any theological disagreement, the schism was ended by the Council of Constance . The simultaneous claims to the papal chair...
, Wenceslaus had supported Pope Urban VI
Pope Urban VI
Pope Urban VI , born Bartolomeo Prignano, was Pope from 1378 to 1389.-Biography:Born in Itri, he was a devout monk and learned casuist, trained at Avignon. On March 21, 1364, he was consecrated Archbishop of Acerenza in the Kingdom of Naples...
. As Bohemian king he sought to protect the religious reformer Jan Hus
Jan Hus
Jan Hus , often referred to in English as John Hus or John Huss, was a Czech priest, philosopher, reformer, and master at Charles University in Prague...
and his followers against the demands of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
for their suppression as heretics
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. This caused many Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
to withdraw from the University of Prague
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
, and set up their own university at Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
. Hus was executed in Konstanz
Konstanz
Konstanz is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz.-Location:...
in 1415, and the rest of Wenceslaus's reign in Bohemia featured precursors of the Hussite Wars
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...
that would follow his death.
Dethronement
In view of his troubles in Bohemia, Wenceslaus did not seek a coronation ceremony as Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
and was long absent from the German lands. Consequently, he faced anger at the Reichstag
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
diets of Nuremberg (1397) and Frankfurt (1398). The four Rhenish
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
electors, Count Palatine Rupert III and the Archbishops of Mainz
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
, Cologne and Trier, accused him of failing to maintain the public peace or to resolve the Schism. They demanded that Wenceslaus appear before them to answer to the charges in June 1400. Wenceslaus demurred, in large part because of renewed hostilities in Bohemia. When he failed to appear, the electors meeting at Lahneck Castle
Lahneck Castle
Lahneck Castle is a medieval fortress located in the city of Lahnstein in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, south of Koblenz. The 13th-century castle stands on a steep rock salient above the confluence of the Lahn River with the Rhine, opposite Castle Stolzenfels, in the district of Oberlahnstein...
declared him deposed on 20 August 1400 on account of "futility, idleness, neglicence and ignobility". The next day they chose the Palatine Elector as their king at Rhens
Rhens
Rhens is a municipality in the district Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approx. 10 km south of Koblenz.Rhens is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Rhens....
, though Wenceslaus refused to acknowledge this successor's decade-long reign.
In 1402 Wenceslaus was again imprisoned and temporarily deposed, this time by his younger brother Sigismund, with the support of the Czech nobility. Lord John of Liechtenstein, with his retinue of knights, successfully freed Wenceslaus from his Vienna prison in autumn of 1403 and accorded him refuge in his Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
n castle. John of Liechtenstein was at the time the Lord of the Mikulov
Mikulov
Mikulov is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic with a population of 7,608 . It is located directly on the border with Lower Austria. Mikulov is located at the edge of a hilly area and the three Nové Mlýny reservoirs...
demesne
Demesne
In the feudal system the demesne was all the land, not necessarily all contiguous to the manor house, which was retained by a lord of the manor for his own use and support, under his own management, as distinguished from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants...
.
Among the charges that Ruprecht III had used as the basis for his predecessor's deposition was the Papal Schism. King Ruprecht called the Council of Pisa
Council of Pisa
The Council of Pisa was an unrecognized ecumenical council of the Catholic Church held in 1409 that attempted to end the Western Schism by deposing Benedict XIII and Gregory XII...
in 1409, attended by defectors from both papal parties. They elected Antipope Alexander V
Antipope Alexander V
Alexander V was antipope during the Western Schism . He reigned from June 26, 1409, to his death in 1410 and is officially regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as an antipope....
, only worsening the situation, because he was not acknowledged by his two rivals and from 1409 to 1417, when there were three popes.
After the death of Ruprecht in 1410, his succession at first proved difficult, as both Wenceslaus' cousin Jobst of Moravia and Wenceslaus' brother Sigismund of Hungary were elected King of Germany. 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
Council of Constance
The Council of Constance is the 15th ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418. The council ended the Three-Popes Controversy, by deposing or accepting the resignation of the remaining Papal claimants and electing Pope Martin V.The Council also condemned and...
in 1414. The goal of the council was to reform the church in head and members. What made it work was the translation of supreme authority from the popes to the council. In 1417, the council deposed all three popes and elected a new one, maintaining all the while that the council, and not the pope, was the supreme head of the church. 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 Joanna of Bavaria, a scion of the Wittelsbach dynasty, on 29 September 1370. Following her death on 31 December 1386 (allegedly mangled by one of Wenceslaus' beloved deer-hounds), he married her first cousin once removed, Sofia of BavariaSofia of Bavaria
Sophia of Bavaria was a Queen of Bohemia and the spouse of Wenceslaus, King of Bohemia and King of the Romans. She was briefly regent of Bohemia after the death of Wenceslaus.- Family and early life:...
, on 2 May 1389. He had no children by either wife.
Wencelaus was described as a man of great knowledge and is known for the Wenzel Bible, a richly illuminated manuscript
Illuminated manuscript
An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations...
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
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, which was brought to light in 1398 when he was unable to accept an invitation by King Charles VI of France
Charles VI of France
Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy...
for a reception at Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
due to his drunkenness.
Wenceslaus died in 1419 of a heart attack during a hunt in the woods surrounding his castle Nový Hrad at Kunratice
Kunratice (Prague)
Kunratice is a municipal district and cadastral area in Prague. It is located in the southern part of the city. As of 2008, there were 8,089 inhabitants living in Kunratice....
(today a part of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
), leaving the country in a deep political crisis. His death was followed by almost two decades of conflict called the Hussite Wars
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...
, which were centred around greater calls for religious reform by Jan Hus and spurred by popular outrage provoked from his martyrdom.