Conrad of Vechta

Conrad of Vechta (Czech Konrád z Vechty; German Konrad von Vechta) (born ca. 1370, possibly in Bremen; died 24 December 1431 in Roudnice nad Labem) was Bishop of Verden (1400–1402/1407), Bishop of Olomouc (1408–1413), Archbishop of Prague (1413–1421), and Master of the Mint (1401–1403) and Chancellor (1405–1412) of the Kingdom of Bohemia.

It is not certain whether Conrad was a member of the patrician family named von Vechta, living as successful merchants in Bremen, where family members also held positions in the city government, or if Conrad was born in Vechta and therefore epithetised von Vechta in German. However, his brother Konstantin von Vechta held a canonicate at Bremen Cathedral as cathedral provost (Dompropst), presiding the cathedral chapter. This rather substantiates a patrician background, because Bremian canonicates were usually provided for members of patrician families of Bremen or of noble families of the Bremian knightage. Conrad was definitely no member of the comital family of Vechta, which used to be called after its castle Counts of Ravensberg.

Conrad strived for a clerical career. He sided already early with Wenceslaus, King of the Romans, ruling the Holy Roman Empire since 1376, on whose instigation Conrad was provided with a number of prebends. As many North Germans used to study in Prague, Conrad's siding with Wenceslaus, who was simultaneously ruling as King of Bohemia since 1378, may indicate that Conrad had done so too. In 1395 Wenceslaus failed to get Conrad invested as bishop of Verden, whereas Dietrich of Nieheim prevailed. Conrad had earlier been provost of Lüne Nunnery and was then promoted to canon of the Collegiate Church of St. Blaise in Brunswick.

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