John Henry, Margrave of Moravia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Henry |
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Bust at St. Vitus Cathedral
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| Count of Tyrol | |
| Reign | 1335–1341 |
| Predecessor | Henry |
| Successor | Louis |
| Margrave of Moravia | |
| Reign | 1349–1375 |
| Predecessor | Charles |
| Successor | Jobst |
| Born | 12 February 1322 Mělník, Bohemia |
| Died | 12 November 1375 (aged 53) Brno, Moravia |
| Burial | St. Thomas Church, Brno |
| Spouse | Margaret, Countess of Tyrol (divorced 1349) Margaret of Opava Margaret of Austria Elizabeth of Oettingen |
| Issue | John of Moravia Catherine of Moravia Jobst of Moravia Elisabeth of Moravia Anna of Moravia John Sobieslaw of Moravia Prokop of Moravia |
| House | Luxembourg |
| Father | John of Bohemia |
| Mother | Elizabeth of Bohemia |
John Henry of Luxembourg (Czech: Jan Jindřich, German: Johann Heinrich; born February 12, 1322 – died November 12, 1375) was an important figure in medieval European history. He was a member of the powerful House of Luxembourg family. John Henry ruled as the Count of Tyrol from 1335 to 1341. Later, he became the Margrave of Moravia in 1349 and held this title until his death.
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Who Was John Henry?
John Henry was born in Mělník, a town in what is now the Czech Republic. He was the third son of King John of Bohemia and Princess Elizabeth. This made him the younger brother of the famous Emperor Charles IV. When John Henry was born, his parents' marriage was already having problems. His mother went to live with her son-in-law, Duke Henry XIV of Bavaria. Because of this, John Henry grew up in a town called Cham in Germany.
Becoming Count of Tyrol
John Henry's father, King John, wanted to make peace with Henry, who was the Duke of Carinthia and Count of Tyrol. King John had removed Henry from his position as King of Bohemia in 1310. To fix things, in 1327, John Henry was promised in marriage to Henry's daughter, Countess Margaret of Tyrol.
King John hoped that this marriage would add a lot of land to the Luxembourg family's control. He especially wanted to control the important mountain passes in Tyrol that led to Italy. John Henry and Margaret were married on September 16, 1330, in Innsbruck.
However, the Emperor at the time, Emperor Louis IV, had other plans. He secretly promised parts of Tyrol and other lands to Henry's nephews, Dukes Albert II and Otto of Austria.
Challenges in Tyrol
When Henry of Bohemia died in 1335, Emperor Louis IV gave Carinthia and southern Tyrol to the Austrian dukes. King John felt cheated. He quickly made peace with the King of Poland and then went to fight in Austria. A peace agreement was reached in 1336. In this agreement, King John gave up his claim to Carinthia, but Margaret and John Henry officially gained control of Tyrol.
John Henry's older brother, Charles, acted as a helper for his 14-year-old brother in Tyrol. But Charles soon had problems with the local nobles in Tyrol. Also, John Henry and his wife Margaret really did not like each other.
Margaret eventually led a rebellion against her husband. On November 1, 1341, she refused to let him into Castle Tyrol. John Henry had to flee. Margaret then claimed that their marriage was not real because it had never been fully completed. Emperor Louis IV supported Margaret because he wanted Tyrol for his own family. He even had important thinkers say that the marriage was not valid. In 1342, Margaret married the Emperor's eldest son, Louis I of Brandenburg.
John Henry felt very embarrassed and returned to Bohemia. His father, King John, was furious. He teamed up with Pope Clement VI, who punished both Louis and Margaret. Even so, the Luxembourg family lost control of Tyrol. In 1346, King John died in a battle, and his oldest son, Charles, became the new king.
Margrave of Moravia
After John Henry's first marriage was officially ended in 1349, he married Margaret of Opava. She was the daughter of Duke Nicholas II of Opava. John Henry's brother, Charles IV, then gave him the Margraviate of Moravia to rule. In return, John Henry had to give up any claim to the throne of Bohemia.
John Henry and Margaret of Opava had several sons, including Jobst of Moravia, who would later become an important ruler. After Margaret of Opava died in 1363, John Henry married again. His third wife was Margaret of Austria, who was the daughter of Duke Albert II of Austria. She was also the widow of Margaret of Tyrol's son.
John Henry passed away on November 12, 1375, at the age of 53. He is buried at St Thomas's Abbey in Brno.
Images for kids
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Bust of John Henry at St. Vitus Cathedral
