Matthew the Leader ( Czech: Matěj Vůdce; died 1409 in České Budějovice) was a gang leader who harassed the Rosenberg family and the royal town of České Budějovice in the early 15th century. He operated in the South Bohemian Region. Matthew himself was likely an impoverished zeman, or part of the lower nobility. According to the of Jihlava, he led a large group, which included famous military leader Jan Žižka. They subsisted on road robberies and raids.

Gang activity

Matthew's gang activities were recorded by the Rosenberg family. It is likely he was supported by nobles who sided with

Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia Wenceslaus IV (also ''Wenceslas''; cs, Václav; german: Wenzel, nicknamed "the Idle"; 26 February 136116 August 1419), also known as Wenceslaus of Luxembourg, was King of Bohemia from 1378 until his death and King of Germany from 1376 until he w ...

against the

League of Lords The League of Lords ( cs, Panská jednota) was an opposition group of feudal nobles dissatisfied with the rule of Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia. Lasting from 1394 to 1405, the goal of its members was to provide mu ...

, such as

John Sokol of Lamberg John Sokol of Lamberg ( – 28 September 1410) was a military leader from Moravia who became known during the internal disputes of members of the Luxembourg dynasty and from his participation of the Battle of Grunwald. Biography John Sokol of L ...

. Although mainly focused on theft, Matthew also attempted to occupy some castles in South Bohemia. This included an attempt to acquire , administered at the time by

Mikuláš of Hus Mikuláš of Hus ( cs, Mikuláš z Husi ; died 24 December 1420) was a Bohemian politician and leading representative of the Hussite movement. He died unexpectedly on 24 December 1420, leaving the position of first captain of the Taborites open to ...

. There were also plans to seize . With help from the , Matthew further attempted to take the Rosenberg held castle of

Velešín Velešín (; german: Weleschin) is a town in Český Krumlov District the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,900 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Bor, Chodeč, Holkov and Skřidla are administrative parts of ...

near Českého Krumlova, but failed. In 1407, Henry III of Rosenberg began to crack down on the banditry. Some members began to leave the group, including Žižka. Many members were captured, tried, and executed. Under torture, Matthew himself confessed to several robberies. In response to these crimes, Matthew was hanged in 1409 at České Budějovice.

Notes

References

Petr Čornej Petr is a Czech given name for males and a Czech surname. Petr is the Czech form of ''Peter''. For information on Petr as a first name, see Peter (given name). Given name * Petr Aven (born 1955), Russian billionaire banker, economist and polit ...

(2003) Tajemství českých kronik - Paseka, Praha, * Petr Hora (1991) Toulky českou minulostí (druhý díl) - Práce, Praha, . * Adolf Kalný (1993) Popravčí kniha pánů z Rožmberka - Státní oblastní archiv Třeboň *

František Šmahel František Šmahel (born 17 August 1934 in Trhová Kamenice) is a Czech historian of medieval political and intellectual history, known for his works about Hussitism, universities in the Middle Ages, humanism, and Monarch representation in the Midd ...

(1969) Jan Žižka z Trocnova – Melantrich, Praha *

Václav Vladivoj Tomek Václav () is a Czech male first name of Slavic origin, sometimes translated into English as Wenceslaus or Wenceslas. These forms are derived from the old Slavic/Czech form of this name: Venceslav. Nicknames are: Vašek, Vašík, Venca, Venda For ...

(

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

) Jan Žižka - V Ráji, Praha, . {{authority control 1409 deaths 14th-century births Date of birth unknown Czech prisoners sentenced to death Hajduks