Ladislav Pohrobek: He died in Prague of acute leukemia 565 years ago
The contradictions of Ladislav’s life began to unfold even before his birth. At first, one could say that the prospects were extremely favorable. He was born to Elizabeth of Luxembourg (†33), the only daughter of Sigismund of Luxembourg (†69), while his father was Albrecht II. Habsburg (†42). Jone day the inheritance of both families was to fall into the lap of little Ladislav – i.e. Luxembourg (Kingdom of Bohemia and Hungary) and Habsburg (Grand Duchy of Austria).
Little orphan
Fate wanted it to happen even before he came into the world. The little prince was born in Esztergom on February 20, 1440. While his father Albrecht “died on October 27, 1439 in the village of Neszmély (Lagendorf) near Esztergom,” historian David Papajík describes in the book Ladislav Pohrobek: Hungarian and Bohemian King. “Apparently died of dysentery (acute and highly infectious diarrheal disease),” the historian continues. “There are also theories that he was poisoned.”
From an early age, Ladislav was dependent only on the presence of his two older sisters, grandmother Barbora Celjska (†59) – wife of Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg (†69), who was Ladislav’s grandfather, and above all mothers, which, despite its origin, had “according to the historian F. Kavka opposition to the Czech environment.” Soon he also came to her.
Sigismund of Luxemburg – For the Hungarians and Germans, a recognized ruler and hero, for the Czechs only a cunning Red Fox Videohub
However, at the end of 1442, she also fell ill. “Her condition is located and in the middle On December 19, 1442, she died,” states Papajík. “The Queen’s completely unexpected death at the Ráb Castle at the age of 33 was shocking both to contemporaries and future historians,” adds the historian. There is speculation about possible causes of death, úfloaters, poisoning or even leukemia, which suspicion, as we will later learn, is not at all unfounded. “While he did not recognize Ladislav Pohrobek’s father, he could only vaguely remember his mother because of her early death in 1442.” And grandmother? “She probably never even saw him,” says the historian dryly.
Imprisoned King
The defenseless boy, whose eventual premature death would be welcomed by more monarchs for the sake of the inheritance, was eventually taken up by his uncle and Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich III. Habsburg (†77), which Ladislav through many years imprisoned in one of his castles. At the same time, Ladislav was already titularly recognized as his father’s heir as King of Hungary and Bohemia, while administrators ruled in both kingdoms. In Bohemia it was Jiří z Poděbrady (†50), who became king himself after Ladislav’s death.
It was, among others, the Czechs who, over the years, demanded that Ladislav take power in the country that belonged to him, even de facto. After several failed attempts to escape, finally Fridrich released Ladislav in 1452 after 12 years of captivity. “Czechs and Moravians who were present at the event should have warmly welcomed and even embraced their king,” writes Papajík. This was followed by a trip to Vienna, a year later to Bratislava, then to Jihlava and finally On October 24, 1453, he entered Prague as part of his coronation. It was to become his fateful city.
Out of favor with the people of Prague
Can anything be said about the four years of Ladislav’s reign and his influence on Prague? Practically, it is impossible, since the government in Bohemia and over Prague was still held to a certain extent by Jiří from Poděbrady, who was generously kept in office by Ladislav. Jiří z Poděbrady intended to raise the importance of Prague, but “during the short period of Ladislav Pohrobek’s reign, Jiřík’s efforts to raise the city came to a standstill,” believes historian Josef Janáček in the book Little History of Prague.
“King Ladislav even aroused among the people of Prague great indignation, when he sold the two Prague rychts to Jan of Ronov, he did not dare to take action when the people of Prague immediately bought back both rychts through a private person, thus eliminating the attempt to restore the institution of the royal rycht,” writes Janáček. What did Ladislav want to achieve? The mayor, today we would say the mayor, was elected either by the townspeople themselves or by the monarch. In Prague, the Hussite wars were the result of royal anarchy for a long time, For years, the people of Prague have elected the magistrates themselveswhich Ladislav wanted – without success – to change.
A funeral instead of a wedding
Ladislav did not stay in Prague after the coronation, on the other hand, it is said he learned Czech during his stay lasting more than a year. Other regent duties and various events and ceremonies awaited her even beyond the borders. There were not many of them, due to the long-term imprisonment. Pohrobek then went to Prague in the fall of 1457, while Ladislav planned to establish his permanent residence in Prague and she even came to shake him wedding. The chosen one was the French princess Magdalen of Valois (†51).
However, adverse fate did not remain idle for long, and prepared a painful end for the young king. though he was king”warmly welcomed by both the citizens of Prague and the nobles present,” the joy of his stay soon began to spoil him health problems. Completely unexpected for a 17-year-old bachelor whose grand wedding was coming up. “The first surviving reports about Ladislav’s health problems fall into Sunday, November 20, 1457,” says Papajík, when he caught up with the king headaches. Little by little, other inconspicuous difficulties began to add up.
“According to the Old Czech Chronicles, the king died on Monday, November 21, 1457 two lumps appeared in the groin area, but he kept their existence a secret because the style,” writes the historian. Ladislav fell into a lethargy and during his last nights appeared “often at night he looked sadly at the stars.” The last moments of Ladislav’s life passed on November 23, when he fell asleep in bed and never woke up. Instead of a spectacular wedding, the St. Vitus Cathedral started preparing for a difficult funeral. The French princess never saw her future husband.
A strange death
What actually happened to the young king in the prime of his life? His the body “was strewn with hematoma, bruiseswhich looked like a pestilence or rreaction of the organism to the poison, which stirred up all kinds of speculation,” states historian Marie Michlová in her book Death and Burials of Famous People. They were mainly aimed at the ambitious George from Poděbrady, who soon became Ladislav’s successor on the Czech throne. At the same time, he was on good terms with “his” king. Only later, through the investigation of not only historians, but also doctors, these theories refuted.
“The fear of the plague was so strong that the embalmers refused to embalm the body,” Michlová points out, saying that after death “the dead monarch was decorated with masked dark spots and suspiciously bloated belly.”
It was not until 1985, when examining Ladislav’s remains with modern technologies, that “the king died on acute leukemia, which left traces on his bones. It is also excreted by diluted sites and hematoma. The course of the disease can resemble a simple flu – a the demise is incredibly fast. The swollen abdominal cavity can be explained by the involvement of the spleen, which occurs during acute leukemia,” wrote Michlová. Either way she was coffin with his remains on display in the Royal Palace, with a funeral held in the St. Vitus tabernacle on 25 November.
In the temple of St. Ladislav Pohrobek was supposed to marry a French princess. But instead of a wedding, a funeral was held there. (illustrative photo)
Author: Zbyněk Pecák, Martin Sekanina, Archbishopric of Prague
Faux pas at the end
He did not do without minor troubles. “The poor were given money that they should have given as honest believers to the church, but they kept it,” states Michlová. It was the rule that after the king’s death the insignia of his power were to be symbolically destroyed, “but the king’s sword was so durable that his breaking was embarrassingly long.” To this day, Ladislav’s remains rest in the Royal Tomb of the Church of St. Welcome.
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Ladislav Pohrobek’s grandfather Sigismund of Luxemburg in a painting by Albrecht Dürer.
Author: David Zima