Racek Kobyla of Dvorce facts for kids
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Racek Kobyla of Dvorce
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| Royal Hetman of Wenceslaus IV Burgrave of Vyšehrad |
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| Died | 2 February 1416 Kutná Hora |
| Spouse(s) | Anna of Úlibice |
Racek Kobyla of Dvorce (also Dvojic, Dvojitz, or Dwoygicz; died 2 February 1416) was a Bohemian landowner, hetman of Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia, and burgrave of Vyšehrad during the Late Middle Ages.
Biography
Not much is known about Racek's early life. He is first mentioned in 1403 as being the overseer of silver mining in the settlement of Stříbrná Skalice. In that year, the town was razed by Sigismund of Luxembourg. Racek evacuated the town and initially retreated to Talmberk. Reportedly, only an elderly woman and a pig were left in Skalice. Fleeing the continuing threat of Sigismund, Racek continued to Rataje nad Sázavou where he was received by Hanuš of Lipá.
In the service of King Wenceslaus, Racek helped wage a guerilla campaign against the Rosenberg family. He acted with other men such as Jan Žižka, Jan Sokol of Lamberk, and Matthew the Leader. In 1410, he was appointed burgrave of Vyšehrad by Wenceslas. In the same year, Archbishop Zbyněk Zajíc of Hazmburk threatened to declare interdict over every scholar who refused to give up their writings of Wycliffe. After the evaluation, the books were deemed heretical and were burned at the archbishop's courtyard. King Wenceslaus IV ordered the archbishop and his subordinates to compensate the book owners. When they refused, the king tasked Racek with confiscating their property. He was since hated by the Anti-Wycliffite faction of the clergy.
In 1412, Racek had his castle, Veselé, built near present-day Chocerady. In 1415, he was mentioned as a patron of the Chocerady church.
In 1416, Racek was sent to Kutná Hora to collect taxes for the king. The local preachers incited the miners against him and on 2 February 1416, Racek and 12 of his associates were murdered in an inn by a mob of miners fueled by religious fervor.
"They seized them in the inn where they were staying, cut their bodies into pieces and threw them out onto the street, where the mob vigorously stomped on their remains and then went in merry song to the home of the preacher to be praised for the act they had been encouraged to commit."
His castle, along with the villages of Chocerady, Údolnice, and Vráž, were left to his widow, Anna of Úlibic. His children were left under the guardianship of the knights Mikuláš Šraňek and Mikuláš of Reblic.
