Jan Zoul of Ostředek (died 13 July 1404) was a nobleman and robber knight of the region in the 14th-century.

Biography

Jan Zoul was formerly in the service of

Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia Wenceslaus IV (also ''Wenceslas''; ; , 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 was deposed in 1400. As he ...

, before joining the retinue of

Prokop of Moravia Prokop of Moravia, or Prokop of Luxembourg (; ; c. 1358 – 24 September 1405), a member of the House of Luxembourg, was junior Margrave of Moravia from 1375 until his death in 1405 and the provincial governor of the kingdom. Biography Prokop ...

. At the end of the 14th-century, the nobility rebelled and a coalition of lords was formed against Wenceslaus. Jan and his father, Mikeš Zoul of Ostředek, took advantage of the disorder and seized the castle near

Chocerady Chocerady is a municipality and village in Benešov District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,400 inhabitants. Administrative division Chocerady consists of five municipal parts (in brackets population according ...

. From there, they set out on raids throughout the

Benešov Benešov (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 17,000 inhabitants. The town is known for the Konopiště Castle. Administrative division Benešov consists of 15 municipal parts (in brackets population ...

region, acting with other robber knights such as Hynek the Dry Devil. Jan fell out of favor with King Wenceslaus. He was briefly imprisoned by his royally-allied neighbor, Wenceslaus of Dubá, at

Karlštejn Karlštejn Castle (; ) is a castle in the Czech Republic. It is a large Gothic architecture, Gothic castle founded in 1348 by King Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV. The castle served as a place for safekeeping the Imperial Regalia as ...

. However, Jan was pardoned. The neighbors continued to war. In 1403, Jan seized Wenceslaus' castle . In doing so, he was declared a land pest and was targeted by royal forces. In 1404, King Wenceslaus sent a retaliatory army against Jan lead by Archbishop

Zbyněk Zajíc of Hazmburk Zbyněk Zajíc of Hazmburk or of Hasenburg (; c. 1376 – 28 September 1411) was a Czech nobleman, and an important representative of the Roman Catholic Church in the Crown of Bohemia. He was the 5th Archbishop of Prague 1403–1411, succeeding ...

, who recaptured Čejchanov as well as Stará Dubá. Jan, his father, and 50 members of their gang were executed by hanging in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

on 13 July 1404. His body remained in the gallows for seven years before he was buried at

St. Stephen's Church, Prague The St. Stephen's Church () is located in Štěpánská street in Prague 2, New Town. It is a church from the second half of the 14th century, which was built near the Romanesque St. Stephen rotunda. The church was dedicated to St. Stephen, tra ...

. After his death, King Wenceslaus confiscated Jan's properties and redistributed them amongst his supporters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zoul of Ostredek, Jan People executed by hanging 1404 deaths 14th-century births 14th-century nobility Infobox person using a missing image 14th-century people from Bohemia