PODIEBRAD AND KUNSTAT, GEORGE Boczno OF, son of Herant of Kunstat and Podiebrad, a powerful and influential Bohemian noble, of the Hussite party, was born in 1420. While still a youth he threw himself, with all the ardor and resolute force of his nature, into the Hussite struggles. Like the rest of his family, however, he adhered to the moderate party of the Hussites during the government of king Sigismund; but when, on the death of that monarch, the Catholic barons (1438) carried the election of Albrecht V. of Austria (II. of Germany), Podiebrad allied himself with the Utraquist orders in Tabor, and offered the sovereignty of Bohemia to Casimir, king of Poland. Albrecht immediately declared war against him, and invested Tabor, but was forced by Podiebrad to raise the siege and retire to Prague.. Front this time Podiebrad's influence was firmly established among the Utraquists; after Lipa, he was the first man of the party. When Albrecht died in 1439, Lipa was appointed regent during the minority of the new king Ladislas; but five years later Lipa himself died, and Podiebrad obtained the government of the country. He, however, was not satisfied. His ambition was to acquire the royal dignity. In 1449 he one night seized the capital, di JVC away all the Catholic barons, and even imprisoned his colleague in the regency, Meinhardt von Neuhaus. This outrage led ton year or so's fighting—the final result of which was that Podiebrad was acknowledged governor or regent by the whole of Bohemia. On the death of Ladislas in 1457, Podiebrad managed to get himself chosen his successor, and was crowned May 7, 1458. From this period he began to display the full power and strength of his administrative genius. He reorganized the forms of education and religion, and strove to bring about a peaceful settlement of the religious dissensions that had desolated the laud. He even went the length of respectfully soliciting the papal co-operation in his humane endeavors: but his holiness would have no dealing with this Samaritan ruler, and in Dec., 1493, publicly proclaimed him a heretic. All the
neighboring princes sent letters to Rome, exhorting or imploring the pope to modera tion; but the only answer which Pius II. gave them was placing Podiebrad under the ban of the Vatican. Shortly after, Rudolf, the papal legate, excited the Catholics of Bohemia to insurrection. Podiebrad tried every means of conciliation, but in vain. In Sept., 1400, a German Catholic army burst into Bohemia, but this host of pseudo crusaders was annihilated at Riesenberg. Once more Pius excommunicated Podiebrad; and in addition, he induced Mathias (q.v.) of Hungary to invade Moravia. The Bohe mian king appealed to a universal council, but he also prepared to meet force with force. Summoning back from abroad the banished Taborite warriors, he crushed the insurrec tion. and compelled his enemies to grant him an advantageous armistice. In 1467 his son Victoria, on the renewal of hostilities, invaded and devastated Austria, while the ilungarians who had invaded Bohemia were surrounded at Vilemov, and forced to cease front hostilities. Iii spite of the magnanimity shown by Podiebrad on this occasion, Mathias acted falsely toward him, and in the following year had himself crowned king of Bohemia and markgraf of Moravia, Podiebrad instantly summoned the Bohemian diet, and proposed to the assembled orders that they should take the king of Poland as his successor, while his own sons should merely retain the family possessions. By this means he obtains l the Poles for allies; the emperor Friedrich also declared in his favor, while Catholic subjects were reconciled to him, so that the Hungarians found it advisable to conclude a peace. Podiebrad died March 22, 1471. His sons, Victoria and Henry of Mhnsterberg, fell hack into the ranks of the Bohemian aristocracy; but in the stormy days that followed they rendered good service to their native land.