Zdenko von Sternberg

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Zdenko von Sternberg (Czech Zdeněk Konopišťský ze Šternberka , also Zdenko von Sternberg auf Konopischt ; * 1410 , † December 4, 1476 in Wiener Neustadt ) was a Bohemian nobleman, diplomat and politician from the Sternberg family .

Life

He was one of the most famous personalities of the Sternberg family . He lived on Konopischt, he also owned Český Šternberk , Zelená Hora , Kašperk , Roudnice nad Labem and other lands. He was first mentioned in writing in 1437 as Lord of Konopište.

Zdeniek, supposed son of Peter von Sternberg , was a selfish, heated person. He was also said to be volatile and wasteful. When he received Konopishte in 1400 , he sold Wessely and the surrounding villages. He was involved in all public and family decisions, often to the detriment of the country, but also of individuals. Although a Catholic, he also fought on the side of the Utraquists if it brought him advantages. However, as the commander in charge of the orphans, he did not mind damaging them economically.

In 1446 he was a co-signer of a document in which Pope Eugene IV was recognized. In 1477 he acted as ambassador to Emperor Friedrich . In 1448 he attacked Prague with the Poděbrad Hussites and agreed to be appointed Burgrave of Prague . With the Podiebrad brothers he undertook campaigns of conquest in the Strakonitz region in 1450 , besieged and conquered the Kosteletz Castle , which he was later awarded, fought against the Saxons , received Meschitz and was summoned to Vienna as envoy in 1451 and 1452 . In the same year he was one of the nobles who elected Georg von Podiebrad as administrator of Bohemia . This then arranged that he was awarded a large number of smaller courts from King Ladislaus Postumus , especially Kosteletz, Raudnitz and Helfenburg .

He got a seat on the royal council and was often entrusted with diplomatic tasks. In 1454 he was sent to Breslau , in 1456 he accompanied the king to Hungary , and in 1457 he headed an embassy of the Bohemian King Ladislaus to France. In his name he asked for the hand of Princess Magdalena, daughter of Charles VII. He received approval, but before he returned to Bohemia, the young king Ladislaus had died unexpectedly.

In the subsequent election of George as King of Bohemia, with whom he was related by marriage through his first wife Kunigunde von Sternberg , he became an active agitator, gave him his vote and surrendered to him kneeling with the cry: “Long live Georg, our King and dear sir ”. After the coronation, Zdenko walked at the king's side. A deep friendship developed between them. It is documented that the king often visited Zdenko at his manor. He also accompanied the new king on his diplomatic trips to Austria, visited Emperor Friedrich in Eger , brought a message to the emperor in 1460 and took part in the meetings in Silesian Beuthen and Glogau . In 1460 he received Kotzobentz for his services , which he sold again two years later.

In 1461 King Georg enfeoffed him with the rule of Cottbus in Lusatia , which was in the domain of Elector Friedrich II of Brandenburg and was to be regained for the Bohemian crown. In the autumn of the same year, however, he failed with an army at the gates of Cottbus and in 1462 renounced his claims. During these years he also moved to Austria on behalf of the king. His services for the emperor were rewarded with Krems and Weitra .

He was once again commissioned to initiate the wedding, this time to the daughter of King George of Podebrady, Katerina, who married the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus .

After 1462, the close relationship deteriorated when Zdenko spoke out against the Prague compacts , in which the Hussites were granted some concessions. In 1465 there was a final break, and Zdenko opposed the utraquist king. He was the leader of an association of noblemen from the lordship, the Zelenohorská jednota (Grünberger Unification), who accused the king of preferring the cities and strengthening the influence of the lower nobility. The self-confidence of the aristocratic opposition was strengthened by the rejection of the compacts of Basel by the Pope. Pope Pius II appointed Zdenko in the bull of 1467 as the chief captain of the Catholic opposition. Because of the disturbance of the peace in 1467, the Bohemian Crown declared war on him on April 21st and ordered the capture of the Sternberg castles, especially Konopischt, Sternberg, Kostelec, Raudnitz, Helfenburg and Meschitz. Zdenko turned to the Polish king and nobles and asked for help. When he was denied this, he negotiated with the Hungarian king, who finally agreed to support him.

Zdenek von Sternberg took advantage of the situation that the Pope had proclaimed a crusade against the Bohemian king , headed by the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus. This was now supported by Catholic Bohemian nobles under the leadership of Zdenko. To finance the crusades, Zdenko received Choustník and Sobieslau . In April 1469 Matthias was elected King of Bohemia in Olomouc . Zdenko, who had once proclaimed King George, now collected the ballot papers, destroyed them and in his subsequent speech declared the unanimous election of the new king. This appointed the Sternberger to the head captain of the kingdom, equipped him with the army and sent him into the fight against the Bohemian Utraquists. In 1471 he conquered Zelené Hory and in 1473 the castle in Taus . Peace was made around 1473.

Zdenko remained loyal to the newly elected king even after the death of George of Podebrady. He was a staunch opponent of the election of Vladislav II as the new king. In 1474 Matthias Domaschlitz confirmed him and the Prague people compensated him for the confiscated property. His last diplomatic trip took him to the Austrian court in 1475, where he was supposed to bring about reconciliation between Matthias and the emperor. A year later he died in Wiener Neustadt and was later transferred to Budweis and buried there in the monastery .

progeny

Zdenko was married to Agnes von Janowitz and the second time to Agnes von Hasenburg . They had eight children in total.

  1. Bohunka
  2. Kunhuta ( Kunka ), who married Hynek von Schwamberg on November 12, 1475 and after his death became the wife of Johann Leopold von Obernitz .
  3. Ladislaus ( Ladislav ) (born November 20, 1457 - † September 1, 1460 )
  4. Jaroslav III. ( 1468 - 1492 ), captain of Lausitz, married to Elisabeth von Gera .
  5. Johann ( Jan ), captain in Iglau , married to Katharina von Eckartsau
  6. Zdeslav († April 26, 1502 in Holleschau ), captain in Podiebrad , married to Margarete von Schwamberg.
  7. George ( Jiřík )
  8. Zdeniek ( Zdeněk ), who died young.

Only his son Jaroslav had other offspring.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ History of Peitz in the 14./15. Century Historischer Verein Peitz, years 1461 and 1462
personal data
SURNAME Sternberg, Zdenko von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sternberg auf Konopischt, Zdenko von; Konopišťský ze Šternberka, Zdeněk
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bohemian nobleman, diplomat and politician
DATE OF BIRTH 1410
DATE OF DEATH 4th December 1476
Place of death Wiener Neustadt