Zdeslav, son of Diviš, was the head of the in the mid-13th century., at 243–244. Zdeslav held some lands in the

March of Moravia The Margraviate of Moravia (; ) was one of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown within the Holy Roman Empire and then Austria-Hungary, existing from 1182 to 1918. It was officially administered by a margrave in cooperation with a Landtag, provincial ...

, where he founded the town of

Český Šternberk Český Šternberk () is a market town in Benešov District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 200 inhabitants. It is known for the Český Šternberk Castle, located on the cliffs above the market town. Geography ...

and its castle. Although first mentioned in 1269, the castle seems to have been founded around 1240.. One of two castles founded by Zdeslav, it subsequently became the seat of the house. Zdeslav is the only known member of the family from the time of the Mongol incursion of 1241.. He is not recorded as participating the defence of

Olomouc Olomouc (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants, making it the Statutory city (Czech Republic), sixth largest city in the country. It is the administrative centre of the Olomouc Region. Located on the Morava (rive ...

when it was besieged by the

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...

during the War of the Babenberg Succession in 1253, but he was at Olomouc shortly after the end of the siege in the entourage of Margrave Ottokar of Moravia on 5 August 1253. He was a leading member of Ottokar's court. Centuries later, Zdeslav's son, , who was probably to young to take part in military action in 1253, was converted into a legendary hero who defended Olomouc from the Mongols. Jaroslav is first mentioned in sources of the year 1263, which is also the last year in which Zdeslav is known to have been alive.

References

{{reflist 13th-century deaths 13th-century people from Bohemia People from the Margraviate of Moravia Czech military leaders