John III of Pernstein

John III of Pernstein
Portrait of John of Pernstein, National Museum in Warsaw.
Spouse(s)	Anna of Postupic Hedvika of Šelmberk Magdalena of Ormozd
Noble family	Pernstein
Father	William II of Pernstein
Mother	Johanna of Liblitz
Born	(1487-11-14)14 November 1487 Moravský Krumlov
Died	8 September 1548(1548-09-08) (aged 60) Židlochovice

John of Pernstein (also known as John of Helfenstein and Pernstein or John the Rich; Czech: Jan z Pernštejna or Jan z Pernštejna a na Helfštejně or Jan Bohatý; German: Johann von Pernstein or Hans von Pernstein auf Helfenstein; born: 14 November 1487 in Moravský Krumlov; died: 8 September 1548 in Židlochovice) was High Treasurer of Moravia from 1506 and 1516 and Landeshauptmann of Moravia from 1515 to 1519 and from 1526 to 1528 and Governor of Moravia from 1530 to 1532. From 1537 to 1548, he was Count of Kladsko and pledge lord of the County of Kladsko.

John of Pernstein was a member of the Moravian noble Pernstein family. His parents were William II of Pernstein and Johanna of Liblitz (Czech: Johanka z Liblic). Little is known about John's childhood. He probably spent most of it at the family castle at Pardubice; he also stayed some time in Breslau. In 1497, John and his younger brother Vojtěch I of Pernstein were knighted at Pardubice Castle by King Vladislav II of Hungary, who was travelling from Prague to Hungary. In 1506, John was appointed High Treasurer of Moravia. After 1515, he was Landeshauptmann of Moravia several times. Before 1521, he called himself John of Tobitschau (Jan z Tovačova), after the castle where he and his family lived.

When his father died in 1521, Vojtěch I inherited his father's Bohemian possessions, and John inherited the Moravian possessions. From 1521 until his death, he called himself John of Helfenstein, after his Moravian castle, even though he spent much of his time at a castle he had built in Prostějov. Shortly after their father's death, both brothers converted to the Utraquist faith.