Albrecht Rendl von Uschau

Albrecht Rendl von Uschau (Czech Albrecht Rendl z Oušavy ; † September 14, 1522 ) was a Bohemian nobleman and burgrave of Prague. As a confidante of the Bohemian King Vladislav II , he was co-author of the Vladislav regional order and from 1515 sub-chamberlain of Bohemia .

Life

Rendl came from an impoverished West Bohemian noble family who had their headquarters in Uschau . His family's property had shrunk to a single mill, which is why his opponents sometimes called him "Rendl von der Mühle" ( Rendl z mlejna ). He joined the Brothers Union as a young man . Although he later left it, he remained decried as "Pikart" ( heretic ).

Because the family property was too small to support the young nobleman , he entered the service of the Bohemian nobleman Zdeniek Lev von Rosental , with whom he stayed until 1493. Zdeniek Lev also later promoted his servant, who was distinguished by his legal knowledge and eloquence. In 1494, Rendl became a burgrave of Prague, and in 1497 King Vladislav II appointed him to the commission that was entrusted with the work on the Vladislav regional order, a collection of noble privileges, court and parliamentary decisions. Since this came about primarily with the participation of the high nobility, and the representatives of the royal cities were not involved, they initially underestimated the importance of the new order. Only after the adoption did sharp conflicts arise between the cities and the gentry .

Nevertheless, Rendl continued to enjoy the trust of the king, who appointed him royal procurator in 1498 and at the same time elevated him to knighthood. As a member of the state government and assessor at the regional court, he tried in 1510 to buy the office of Oberstlandschreiber . During the ascent, Rendl made many enemies. He was hated by the urban patricians because he represented the interests of the nobility. A part of the high nobility, in turn, despised the upstart who tried to uphold the king's claims on property that had fallen back .

A change in Rendl's political orientation occurred in 1513. He approached the Duke Bartholomäus von Munsterberg . Together they devised the plan to win the cities over to the king's side. The plan also provided for the alliance of the lower nobility with the cities against the gentry. This meant a break with his former allies. Zdenek Lev von Rosenthal, who had risen to the rank of Oberstburggrave, and other influential nobles began to intrigue against Rendl. The king held fast to him and even appointed him in 1515 as chamberlain. The previous official Burian Trčka von Lípa was dismissed. The high nobles saw this as an affront and declared it a point of honor to drive Rendl out of his office. During the lifetime of Duke Bartholomäus and King Vladislav, however, they were unable to achieve anything. It was not until Duke Bartholomew's successor, Duke Karl von Münsterberg , that he succeeded in persuading Rendl to resign.

After his retirement from high politics, Rendl worked as a lawyer and devoted himself, with moderate success, to his property. At the beginning of the 16th century he owned the Komorní Hrádek castle , and in 1504 he acquired Rostok . Persecuted supporters of the Brotherhood also found refuge on this property. He also owned houses in Prague, including some on the Hradschin and on the Lesser Town . Since 1514 at the latest, he was probably struggling with great financial difficulties. In 1514 he sold Rostok and in 1516 he had to leave Komorní Hrádek to settle debts to the noble Ludwig Zajímač von Kunstadt ( Ludvík Zajímač z Kunštátu , † 1543).

Albrecht Rendl left his sons written instructions on how to behave as righteous nobles. At the same time he tried to justify his life's work.

literature

• Josef Macek: Jagellonský věk v českých zemích . Academia Prag 2001, ISBN 80-200-0895-0 , pp. 399-405.
• Jaromír Čelakovský : Naučení p. Albrechta z Oušavy synům dané . (Instruction from Mr. Albrecht von Uschau, given to his sons) Český Časopis Historický 8, 1902, s. 68-70. ( not viewed )