William of Rosenberg ( cz, Vilém z Rožmberka; 10 March 1535 – 31 August 1592), was a Bohemian nobleman. He served as High Treasurer and
High Burgrave of Bohemia.
Life
William of Rosenberg was a member of the influential noble
House of Rosenberg
The House of Rosenberg ( cs, Rožmberkové, sg. ''z Rožmberka'') was a prominent Bohemian nobility, Bohemian noble family that played an important role in Czech medieval history from the 13th century until 1611. Members of this family held ...
. He was the son of
Jošt III of Rosenberg and his second wife Anna of Roggendorf (d. 1562). His father died when William was four years old. William and his younger brother
Peter Vok
Peter Vok of Rosenberg ( cs, Petr Vok z Rožmberka) (1 October 1539, Český Krumlov – 6 November 1611, Třeboň) was a Czech nobleman of the House of Rosenberg, descended from the Vítkovci. Rožmberk was a leading Protestant in the unsettled ...
then stood under the guardianship of their uncle
Peter V Peter V may refer to:
*Patriarch Peter V of Alexandria (7th–8th centuries)
*Pope Peter V of Alexandria (ruled 1340–1348)
*Peter V of Aragon (IV of Barcelona) (1429–1466), Constable of Portugal and Grand Master of the Order of Aviz
*Peter V of ...
. From age seven, he studied at the
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
private school of Arnošt Kraiger von Kraigk in
Mlada Boleslav. In 1544, at the age of nine, he switched to a Catholic school for young nobles at the court of Bishop
Wolfgang of
Passau
Passau (; bar, label=Central Bavarian, Båssa) is a city in Lower Bavaria, Germany, also known as the Dreiflüssestadt ("City of Three Rivers") as the river Danube is joined by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north.
Passau's popu ...
.
On 23 April 1551, at the age of sixteen, William was declared an adult by a decree of Emperor
Ferdinand I. He took up the administration of the family's possessions and chose as his residence
Český Krumlov Castle
Český Krumlov Castle is a castle in Český Krumlov in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It dates back to 1240 when the first castle was built by the Vítkovci family, the main branch of the powerful Bohemian family Rosenberg.
...
, which he remodeled in a
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
style. From 1552 to 1556, he fought a court case against Henry IV of Plauen, the High Chancellor of Bohemia, about their precedence in Bohemian society. William won. In 1560, he was appointed High Treasurer by King Ferdinand. In 1566, he was appointed commander of the Bohemian army and on 10 June 1566, he began forming an army at
Znojmo
Znojmo (; german: Znaim) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. Znojmo is the historical and cultural centre of southwestern Moravia and the second most populated town in the South Moravian R ...
to fight a
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
against the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. Their aim was to recapture
Szigetvár
Szigetvár (; hr, Siget; tr, Zigetvar; English: Islandcastle; german: Inselburg) is a town in Baranya County in southern Hungary.
History
The town's fortress was the setting of the Siege of Szigetvár in 1566. It was a sanjak centre at first ...
, which William's brother-in-law
Nikola Šubić Zrinski
Nikola IV Zrinski or Miklós IV Zrínyi ( hu, Zrínyi Miklós, ; 1507/1508 – 7 September 1566), also commonly known as Nikola Šubić Zrinski (), was a Croatian nobleman and general, Ban of Croatia from 1542 until 1556, royal master of the tr ...
had lost to the Turks. The Habsburg armies were to meet at
Győr
Győr ( , ; german: Raab, links=no; names of European cities in different languages: E-H#G, names in other languages) is the main city of northwest Hungary, the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron County and Western Transdanubia, Western Transdanubia ...
. However, the Turks retreated south after the death of
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ ...
and no battle ensued.
![SOLNICE, PRACHATICE, CZECH REPUBLIC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/SOLNICE%2C_PRACHATICE%2C_CZECH_REPUBLIC.jpg)
On 26 May 1570, William was appointed
High Burgrave of Bohemia, the highest office in the Kingdom. In this position, he was repeatedly given diplomatic duties, for example, he was sent to Germany twice. In 1572, he negotiated with Emperor
Maximilian II, the leader of the
Holy League about the next step to take in the ongoing war with then Ottoman Empire. In 1574, he was involved in the negotiations about electing King
Rudolf II
Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg), Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–160 ...
of Bohemia as the new emperor. In Poland, he represented the interests of
Archduke Ernest of Austria
Archduke Ernest of Austria (german: Ernst von Österreich; 15 June 1553 – 20 February 1595) was an Austrian prince, the son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor, and Maria of Spain.
Biography
Born in Vienna, he was educated with his brothe ...
, who aimed to be elected King of Poland. His efforts were in vain, although he gained so much sympathy that when King
Henry
Henry may refer to:
People
*Henry (given name)
*Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
fled, he was considered as a candidate to be the next king. As it happened, King Rudolf was also interested and out of loyalty, William withdrew. Eventually
Stephen Bathory
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
, a
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
n prince, was elected. However, he died shortly after his election. William was honored with the order of the
Golden Fleece
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece ( el, Χρυσόμαλλον δέρας, ''Chrysómallon déras'') is the fleece of the golden-woolled,, ''Khrusómallos''. winged ram, Chrysomallos, that rescued Phrixus and brought him to Colchis, where P ...
for his diplomatic mediation.
In 1587,
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa ( pl, Zygmunt III Waza, lt, Žygimantas Vaza; 20 June 1566 – 30 April 1632
N.S.) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632 and, as Sigismund, King of Sweden and Grand Duke of Finland from 1592 to ...
was elected as the new King of Poland, defeating the Habsburg candidate
Maximilian III. Maximilian then tried to grab power in Poland by invading the country. His army was defeated by the Polish general
Jan Zamoyski
Jan Sariusz Zamoyski ( la, Ioannes Zamoyski de Zamoscie; 19 March 1542 – 3 June 1605) was a Polish nobleman, magnate, and the 1st ''ordynat'' of Zamość. He served as the Royal Secretary from 1565, Deputy Chancellor from 1576, Grand Chance ...
and he was taken prisoner. William was sent to Poland to negotiate his release. These negotiations led to a peace treaty in March 1589, and Maximilian's release.
In addition to his high political office, William was actively promoting science, literature, music and architecture. Both he and his younger brother Peter Vok acted as
patron
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
s of the arts. They supported the
Charles University in Prague
Charles University ( cs, Univerzita Karlova, UK; la, Universitas Carolina; german: Karls-Universität), also known as Charles University in Prague or historically as the University of Prague ( la, Universitas Pragensis, links=no), is the oldest an ...
and founded secondary schools in their territories. They created a library with a vast collection of precious manuscripts and
incunable
In the history of printing, an incunable or incunabulum (plural incunables or incunabula, respectively), is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. Incunabula were pr ...
s. With its approximately volumes, it was one of the largest libraries of its time. Many
humanists
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "humanis ...
such as the Flemish
mineralogist
Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proces ...
,
physician
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
and
naturalist Anselmus de Boodt
Anselmus de Boodt or Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt (Bruges, 1550 - Bruges, 21 June 1632) was a Flemish humanist, mineralogist, physician and naturalist. Along with the German known as Georgius Agricola, de Boodt was responsible for establishing m ...
were active at his court.
[Marie-Christiane De Boodt-Maselis, ''Anselmus Boetius De Boodt (1550-1632), Brugs humanist aan het Hof van Oostenrijk Vlaanderen'']
in: Jaargang 51. Christelijk Vlaams Kunstenaarsverbond, Tielt 2002, p. 21-22
William also supported economic and cultural development in his territories. His
Třeboň Castle was expanded and remodeled in a
renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
style by the architect
Antonio Ericer between 1565 and 1575. He added the southwest wing, a tower and the entrance gate. In 1573, William expanded the Rosenberg Palace his uncle
Peter V Peter V may refer to:
*Patriarch Peter V of Alexandria (7th–8th centuries)
*Pope Peter V of Alexandria (ruled 1340–1348)
*Peter V of Aragon (IV of Barcelona) (1429–1466), Constable of Portugal and Grand Master of the Order of Aviz
*Peter V of ...
had built inside the
Prague Castle
Prague Castle ( cs, Pražský hrad; ) is a castle complex in Prague 1 Municipality within Prague, Czech Republic, built in the 9th century. It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. The castle was a seat of power for kin ...
, using designs made by the architect
Ulrico Aostalli. In the town of
Roudnice nad Labem
Roudnice nad Labem (; ) is a town in Litoměřice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
A steel road br ...
, which he acquired in 1577, he renewed the castle and the bridge across the
Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...
.
In 1580, William exchanged some territory with his business manager
Jakub Krčín of Jelčan: he transferred
Sedlčany
Sedlčany (; german: Seltschan) is a town in Příbram District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,800 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Villages of Doubravice, Hradišťko, Libíň, Oříkov, Sestrouň, Solopysky ...
and Křepenice to Jakub and received a large deer parc and the Leptáč manor near
Netolice
Netolice (; german: Netolitz) is a town in Prachatice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,500 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
Administrative ...
in return. Between 1583 and 1589, William built his
Kratochvíle Castle at Netolice. This castle is one of the most important Renaissance buildings in southern Bohemia. In 1584, he invited the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
to his Český Krumlov Castle and between 1586 and 1588, they constructed a large college building there. The castle, which was his main residence, was extensively remodeled during his reign and he equipped a number of state rooms in the upper castle. In 1580, he added a tower, connected to the castle with a Renaissance arcade. In 1589 he took part in the negotiations of the
Treaty of Bytom and Będzin. Around 1590, he added the Little Castle. He gave town rights to
Borovany
Borovany (german: Forbes) is a town in České Budějovice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,100 inhabitants. Trocnov, today a part of Borovany, is known as the birthplace of one of the most notable peopl ...
, which was located in his land, and in Libějovice he expanded the old castle into another renaissance castle. In
Třeboň
Třeboň (; german: Wittingau) is a spa town in Jindřichův Hradec District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,100 inhabitants. The town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and is protected by law as an ...
, he promoted carp breeding and constructed the
Rožmberk Pond
Rožmberk (german: Rosenberg-Weiher) is a fish pond in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, next to the town Třeboň. It is part of the Třeboň fishpond system, and is the largest fish pond in the world.
Geography and parametres
It ...
.
William died in 1592 and was buried in the St. Vitus Church in Český Krumlov, next to his third wife, Anna Maria of Baden. Since he was childless, his younger brother Peter Vok inherited his possessions. When Peter Vok died in 1611, the House of Rosenberg died out in the male line.
Marriages
William married four times. All four marriages were childless. By marrying German imperial princesses, he gained political influence outside Bohemia, which benefitted his diplomatic efforts. He married:
# Catherine of Brunswick (1534 – 10 May 1559). They married on 28 February 1557 in
Münden. She died either in
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary (; german: Karlsbad, formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 46,000 inhabitants. It lies on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá. ...
or in
Teplice
Teplice () (until 1948 Teplice-Šanov; german: Teplitz-Schönau or ''Teplitz'') is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is the second largest Czech spa town, after Karlovy Vary. The his ...
and was buried in the Rosenberg family vault in the
Vyšší Brod Monastery
Vyšší Brod Monastery (; cs, Vyšebrodský klášter) or Hohenfurth Abbey (german: Abtei Hohenfurth) is one of the most important historical landmarks of South Bohemia. It is recognized as a cultural monument by the Ministry of Culture.
The Ci ...
#
Sophie of Brandenburg
Sophie of Brandenburg (6 June 1568 – 7 December 1622) was Electress of Saxony by marriage to Christian I, Elector of Saxony. She was regent from 1591 to 1601 during the minority of their son Christian II.
Biography
Sophie was born at ...
(15 December 1541 – 27 June 1564), a granddaughter of King
Sigismund I of Poland
Sigismund I the Old ( pl, Zygmunt I Stary, lt, Žygimantas II Senasis; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the ...
, and daughter of
Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg
Joachim II (german: Joachim II Hector or ''Hektor''; 13 January 1505 – 3 January 1571) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1535–1571), the sixth member of the House of Hohenzollern. Joachim II was the eldest son of Joac ...
. They married on 14 December 1561 in
Cölln
Cölln () was the twin city of Old Berlin (Altberlin) from the 13th century to the 18th century. Cölln was located on the Fisher Island section of Spree Island, opposite Altberlin on the western bank of the River Spree, until the cities we ...
(now part of
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
). She died in
Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov (; german: Krumau, , or ''Böhmisch Krumau'') is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. The historic centre with the Český Krumlov Castle complex is protected by law as an urban monument reservation, and sin ...
and was also buried in Vyšší Brod Monastery
#
Anna Maria of Baden
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221)
...
(22 May 1562 – 25 April 1583), daughter of
Philibert, Margrave of Baden-Baden
Margrave Philibert of Baden (22 January 1536 in Baden-Baden – 3 October 1569 in Montcontour) ruled the Margraviate of Baden-Baden from 1554 to 1569. Philibert was the son of the Margrave Bernhard III, Margrave of Baden-Baden and Franziska o ...
. She was 15 years old when they married on 27 January 1578. She died in Třeboň and was buried in the St. Vitus Church in Český Krumlov.
[Václav Bůžek, Josef Hrdlička: ''Dvory velmožů s erbem růže'', MF, Prague, 1997, p. 90]
#
Polyxena of Pernstein (d. 1642). They married on 11 January 1587. After William's death, she married
Zdeněk Vojtěch Popel z Lobkovic
References
* Joachim Bahlcke ''et al.'': ''Böhmen und Mähren'', in: ''Handbuch der historischen Stätten'', Kröner, Stuttgart, 1998, , pp. 54, 142, 335, 392, 512 and 666
*
* Anna Kubíková: ''Rožmberské kroniky''
* Václav Březan and Jaroslav Pánek: ''Životy posledních Rožmberků''
Footnotes
{{DEFAULTSORT:William of Rosenberg
Bohemian nobility
Knights of the Golden Fleece
Burgraves
1535 births
1592 deaths
16th-century Bohemian people
Place of birth missing
Rosenberg family