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
Zeman (feminine Zemanová) is a Czech and Slovak surname. The word originally denoted a member of low nobility. Notable people with the surname include:
Culture and science
* Brock Zeman, Canadian singer-songwriter
* Jacklyn Zeman (born 1953), a ...
, 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 against the
League of Lords, such as
John Sokol of Lamberg.
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. 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 (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, .
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1409 deaths
14th-century births
Date of birth unknown
Czech prisoners sentenced to death
Hajduks