Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/13882
Title: The Grand Priory of Bohemia : the exile in Strakonice 1420 - 1694
Authors: Masinova, Alena
Keywords: Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem. Grand Priory of Bohemia -- History -- 15th century
Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem. Grand Priory of Bohemia -- History -- 16th century
Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem. Grand Priory of Bohemia -- History -- 17th century
Strakonice (Czech Republic)
Issue Date: 2016
Abstract: My thesis is divided into four chapters. By the end the reader should have a general overview of the Grand Priory of Bohemia and one of its most significant estates, Strakonice. The initial chapter creates a background for the whole study. It starts with general information about the Order of St. John, its beginnings in the Holy Land and the origin of a commandery as a vital source of regular income. Next I have examined the possible reasons why the Order of St. John settled in Bohemia at the first place. Not only were the knights invited by the ruling monarch and local nobility but there were also economic, political and religious factors that made Bohemia attractive. Finally I introduced the Kingdom of Bohemia from a political, economic and religious view. The important ruling dynasties and their relationship with the Hospitallers are presented as are two significant political events that had an enormous impact on the Order and its fate in Bohemia: specifically the Hussite Wars and the Thirty Years War. Chapter two provides information about the arrival of the Knights of St. John to Bohemia in the twelfth century and the foundation of their first commandery in Prague. This is followed by a brief description of the Order's activities and fortunes between the thirteenth and the twenty first centuries. Chapter three reveals Strakonice commandery in more detail (especially the castle and the town), after it became the seat of Grand Priors between 1420 and 1694. The secular founders of the castle, the Bavors, are introduced as well as its co-owners, the Hospitallers. Noble backgrounds, achievements and merits of 19 Grand Priors are presented to complete the picture. Additional information is provided to reveal what happened to the commandery after 1694, why it gradually declined and eventually disappeared during the twentieth century. The last chapter concludes the dissertation by emphasizing the role of the Order of St. John in Bohemia and the importance of Strakonice commandery. Despite the fact that the Order in Bohemia suffered enormous damage throughout the centuries due to religious wars, advancing Protestantism and political upheavals, it came back stronger than before and continues its charitable mission until the present day.
Description: M.A.HOSPITALLER STUD.
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar//handle/123456789/13882
Appears in Collections:Dissertations - FacArt - 2016
Dissertations - FacArtHis - 2016

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