Ladislav Velen from Zerotein

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Ladislaus Velen von Zerotein ( Czech Ladislav Velen ze Žerotína ; * December 1579 , † April 1638 ) was a Moravian nobleman from the family of the Lords of Zerotein from the branch of the "von Břeclav", captain of Moravia , chamberlain and councilor of the Bohemian King Friedrich von der Pfalz , councilor and military commissioner of the Danish king, military commander in Opava during the resistance against the Habsburgs .

Life

Ladislav Velen was the son of Johann von Zerotein auf Lundenburg and his wife Kunka, daughter of Ladislaus Velen von Boskovic . After the early death of his parents, he inherited an extensive, but also indebted fortune, which included the rule Lundenburg , Eisenberg an der March , Hohenstadt and Mährisch Trübau . He was trained and brought up by guardians who were committed to humanism . Among them was Amand Polan von Polansdorf. Later Ladislaus studied at Calvinist universities in Basel, Geneva, Heidelberg, Padua and Strasbourg.

After graduating, he joined the Bohemian Brethren Unity , of which he later became the most active member. Since 1591 he made several study trips through Europe. After his return he was one of the few educated aristocrats in Bohemia with cultural and cosmopolitan foresight. He also made a name for himself as a manager of his own property. He soon paid off his debts and continued to increase his fortune, so that later he was one of the richest men in Moravia.

From 1609 to 1612 he made a name for himself as captain of Olomouc , from 1612 he sat as an assessor at the regional court, and until 1619 he held the office of regional judge.

In the Moravian Parliament he was one of the radical non-Catholics wing. After his marriage in 1616 to the niece of Count von Thurn , one of the radical leaders of the opposition in Bohemia, both Protestant camps moved closer together.

After the class uprising in Bohemia , he initiated an uprising in Moravia with the help of the Bohemians. In May 1619 he commanded cavalry that moved to Vienna. On August 5, 1619, he defeated the numerically stronger army of the Austrians in the Battle of Wisternitz. On August 7, 1619 he was elected captain of Moravia.

In February 1620 he welcomed the new Bohemian King Frederick of the Palatinate in Brno , who subsequently confirmed him in his office, later appointed him his adviser, made him his treasurer and even chose him as the godfather of his son.

After the battle of White Mountain , he asked for mercy, but to no avail. He was sentenced to death in absentia and all of his property was confiscated. Ladislaus was now abroad and joined the opponents of the Habsburgs. In 1621 he was already a member of the general staff of Johann Georg von Kärnten and successfully attacked Troppau, which was already ruled by the Liechtensteiners who had also confiscated his property. After further defeats in the summer of 1621, he went to Hungary and later to The Hague with his friend Friedrich von der Pfalz.

In 1626, at the time of the Thirty Years' War , he fought on behalf of the Danish king at the side of the commander of the coalition army Peter Ernst von Mansfeld and took part in the occupation of Silesia and the Oppau region. In 1634 he was appointed commander in chief of the Swedish occupation forces in Silesia. After the defeat of the Swedes, he retired to Posen , where he died.

Ladislaus was married to Bohunka von Kunovitz and Elisabeth, the niece of Heinrich Matthias von Thurn .

literature

personal data
SURNAME Zerotein, Ladislav Velen from
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Žerotína, Ladislav Velen ze
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Moravian nobleman
DATE OF BIRTH December 1579
DATE OF DEATH April 1638