The Orebites (), also called Lesser Taborites and later known as Sirotci ("Orphans"; ), officially Orphans' Union (), were followers of a
radical wing of the
Hussites in
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
.
The founders took part in the procession on Mount
Oreb, near
Třebechovice pod Orebem and
Hradec. Founded in 1423 originally under the name Lesser
Tábor
Tábor (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants, making it the second most populated town in the region. The town was founded by the Hussites in 1420. The historic town centre is well pres ...
, it consisted mostly of poorer burghers and some members of the
Czech nobility who joined with the commander
Jan Žižka.
The ideological founder of the Orebites was the priest
Ambrož Hradecký. Leaders included
Hynek Krušina of Lichtenburg
Hynek Krušina of Lichtenburg (also: ''Henry Kruschina of Lichtenburg'', in ; 1392 – 4 March 1454, Kłodzko (, )) was a knight, Hussite commander and governor and lien holders of the County of Kladsko, the Duchy of Münsterberg and the ci ...
and
Diviš Bořek of Miletínek, the captain of the Hussites in Eastern and Central Bohemia. The Orebites were instrumental in the burning of the Benedictine monastery in
Mnichovo Hradiště in the early summer of 1420, and in autumn, they supported the rest of the Hussites at the
Battle of Vyšehrad.
After Žižka's death (1424) left them "orphaned", these combatants adopted their new name. From 1424 to 1428, they were led by the priest
Ambrož of
Hradec and then by another priest,
Prokop the Lesser. ''
Hejtman''
Jan Čapek of Sány was elected as their military commander (1431–1434). After 1457, most supporters belonged to the ''
Bohemian Brethren church'' and played an important role in its development.
Towns joined with the Union
All towns are in Bohemia, unless otherwise noted.
*
Vysoké Mýto
*
Čáslav
*
Kouřim
*
Kolín
*
Kutná Hora (in
condominium
A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...
with the
Taborites)
*
Trutnov
*
Tachov (from 1427)
*
New Town, Prague (from 1429)
*
Český Brod
*
Mladá Boleslav
Mladá Boleslav (; ) is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 47,000 inhabitants. It lies on the left bank of the Jizera (river), Jizera River.
Mladá Boleslav is the second most populated city in the region. I ...
*
Boseň
*
Hradec Králové
*
Dvůr Králové
*
Bělá pod Bezdězem
Bělá pod Bezdězem () is a town in Mladá Boleslav District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,800 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic) ...
*
Bezděz
*
Česká Lípa
*
Litomyšl
Litomyšl (; ) is a town in Svitavy District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 10,000 inhabitants. It is a former bishopric and Latin Catholic titular see. Litomyšl is known for the château-type castle complex of the Lit ...
*
Náchod
Náchod (; ) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. It is known both as a tourist destination and centre of industry. The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and i ...
*
Český Dub
*
Topoľčany in
Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
*
Skalica
Skalica (, , Latin: ''Sakolcium'') is the largest town in Skalica District in western Slovakia in the Záhorie region. Located near the Czech Republic, Czech border, Skalica has a population of around 15,000.
Etymology
The name is derived from Slo ...
in Slovakia
Aristocratic members
*
Jan Roháč of Dubá
* Jan Kolúch of Vesec
* Čáslav Kaplíř of Sulevice
* Vilém Jeník of Mečkov
* Jan Hertvík of Rušinov
* Wilhelm Kostka of Postupice
* Jan Žampach of Potštejn
* Mikuláš the Elder Trčka of Lípa
* Jiří of Dubá
* Jan Baštín of Porostlá
* Matěj Salava of Lípa
* Jan Krušina of Lichtenburk
* Aleš Vřešťovský of Rýzmburk
* Mikuláš of Keuschberk
* Anežka of Trocnov
References
*
Hussite Wars
Jan Žižka
{{Proto-Protestantism