Henry of Bohemia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Henry |
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16th-century portrait of Henry of Bohemia in the Spanish Hall of Ambras Castle, near Innsbruck
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| King of Bohemia | |
| Reign | 3/4 July 1307 – 31 August 1310 |
| Predecessor | Rudolf I |
| Successor | John the Blind |
| Duke of Carinthia and Landgrave of Carniola | |
| Reign | 1295 – 1335 |
| Predecessor | Meinhard |
| Successor | Otto, Duke of Austria |
| Count of Tyrol | |
| Reign | 1295 – 1335 |
| Predecessor | Meinhard, Duke of Carinthia |
| Successor | Margaret, Countess of Tyrol |
| Landgrave on the Savinja | |
| Reign | 1295 – 1308 |
| Predecessor | Meinhard, Duke of Carinthia |
| Successor | Frederick the Fair |
| Born | c. 1265 |
| Died | 2 April 1335 (aged 70) Tirol Castle, Tyrol |
| Burial | Stams Abbey |
| Spouse | Anne of Bohemia Adelaide of Brunswick-Lüneburg Beatrice of Savoy |
| Issue | Margaret, Countess of Tyrol |
| House | House of Gorizia |
| Father | Meinhard, Duke of Carinthia |
| Mother | Elisabeth of Wittelsbach |
Henry of Gorizia (German: Heinrich, Czech: Jindřich; c. 1265 – 2 April 1335) was an important ruler in medieval Europe. He was a member of the House of Gorizia, a powerful noble family. Henry ruled as the Duke of Carinthia and Count of Tyrol from 1295 until his death. He also became King of Bohemia for a few years, first in 1306 and then again from 1307 to 1310. After Henry passed away, the Habsburgs took control of Carinthia and Carniola, and they kept these lands for a very long time.
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Early Life and Family Connections
Henry was born around 1265. His father was Count Meinhard II of Görz-Tyrol, a powerful duke. His mother was Elizabeth of Bavaria. Elizabeth had been married before to King Conrad IV of Germany.
In 1271, Henry's father divided his lands. Henry's father kept the lands in Tyrol. Henry's uncle, Albert, received the County of Gorizia.
A few years later, in 1276, Henry's older sister, Elizabeth, married Albert. Albert was the son of King Rudolph I of Germany. Because of this marriage, Henry's father was given the Duchy of Carinthia in 1286.
Becoming a Duke and Count
When his father died in 1295, Henry inherited the lands of Tyrol and Carinthia. At first, he shared power with his brothers, Otto and Louis. However, Henry outlived both of them.
Henry was smart about politics. He supported his brother-in-law, Albert I of Habsburg. This support helped Albert defeat a rival, Adolf of Nassau, in the 1298 Battle of Göllheim. After this victory, Albert was elected King of the Romans, which was like being the German king. Henry also helped King Albert in other conflicts, showing his loyalty and strength.
Henry's Time as King of Bohemia
First Reign as King
Things changed when Henry married Anne in 1306. Anne was a princess from the powerful Přemyslid dynasty in Bohemia. She was also the older sister of King Wenceslaus III of Bohemia.
In 1306, King Wenceslaus III was planning a war. He made Henry his regent, meaning Henry would rule Bohemia while Wenceslaus was away. But then, Wenceslaus was killed on August 4th. This meant there were no more male heirs in the Přemyslid family.
The Bohemian nobles then chose Henry to be their new king. This decision went against the wishes of King Albert I of Germany. Albert wanted his own son, Rudolf of Habsburg, to become the King of Bohemia.
Losing and Regaining the Throne
King Albert's army invaded Bohemia. They surrounded Prague Castle and forced Henry to give up the throne. Rudolf of Habsburg became king, but the Bohemian nobles did not like him. They even called him král kaše, which means "King Porridge."
Rudolf died suddenly on July 4, 1307. Just over a month later, on August 15, Henry was chosen again as King of Bohemia. King Albert tried to attack Bohemia again, but Henry's forces stopped him. The threat from the Habsburgs ended completely when King Albert was killed by his nephew in 1308.
Losing the Throne Again
Even though Henry was now a powerful ruler, his time as King of Bohemia was not stable. The Bohemian nobles thought he was weak and spent too much money. They started looking for a new leader.
At the same time, the new German king, Henry VII, from the House of Luxembourg, also wanted Bohemia. In 1310, King Henry VII arranged for his son, John, to marry Elizabeth. Elizabeth was the younger sister of the late King Wenceslaus II.
With the support of his father and local nobles, John's army invaded Bohemia in October 1310. They captured Prague on December 3rd. Henry was removed from the throne for the second time. King Henry VII gave Bohemia to his son John, who became king the next year. Henry was forced to go back to Carinthia. His wife Anna died there in 1313, and they had no children.
Life After Bohemia
Henry managed to keep his lands in Carinthia and Tyrol. He made peace with the Habsburgs, giving them some land in Slovenia. He also kept control over Carniola.
Henry still claimed the title of King of Bohemia. He even voted in the election for the Holy Roman Emperor in 1314. This election was confusing because Henry's rival, King John of Bohemia, also voted.
After a major battle in 1322, Henry helped to arrange a peaceful agreement between the two rivals for the Holy Roman Emperor title.
Henry also made peace with the Luxembourgs. In 1330, he arranged for his daughter, Margaret, to marry King John's son, John Henry. Henry was the last male heir of his family branch. He wanted his daughter to inherit his lands. The Emperor Louis IV had promised this in 1330. However, Louis secretly made another deal with the Habsburgs that same year.
Henry died in 1335. After his death, the Habsburg dukes Albert II and Otto took control of Carinthia and Carniola. Henry's daughter Margaret could only keep Tyrol with the help of the local nobles. But in 1363, she also had to give her lands to the Habsburgs. The Gorizia branch of Henry's family ruled their county until 1500, when those lands also went to the Habsburgs.
Marriages and Children
Henry was married three times during his life.
- In 1306, he married Anna Přemyslovna. She died in 1313. They did not have any children.
- In 1313, he married Adelaide of Brunswick. She was the daughter of Duke Henry I of Brunswick-Grubenhagen. They had two daughters:
- Adelaide (1317–1325)
- Margaret "Maultasch" (1318–1369). She became the Countess of Tyrol from 1335 to 1363.
- In 1327, he married Beatrice of Savoy. She was the daughter of Count Amadeus V of Savoy. She died in 1331. They did not have any children.
