Meinhard of Neuhaus
| Meinhard of Neuhaus | |
|---|---|
| Noble family | Neuhaus |
| Father | John the Elder of Neuhaus |
| Mother | Catherine of Velhartic |
| Born | 1398 |
| Died | 3 February 1449 Říčany |
| Buried | Parish church in Jindřichův Hradec |
Meinhard of Neuhaus (also known as Meinhard of Hradec, Czech: Menhart z Hradce; 1398 – 3 February 1449 in Říčany), was one of the leaders of the moderate Utraquists from 1437 onwards, and was colonel of burgrave of Bohemia. He was a member of the Neuhaus family, a branch of the Vítkovci dynasty.
His parents were John the Elder of Neuhaus and Catherine of Velhartic. Meinhard's involvement in the administration of his parents' possessions began while his father was still alive. He was also interested in the public interest and made friends with his relative Ulrich II of Rosenberg. When his father died in 1417, he became a ruler of the Velhartic line of the Lords of Hradec. In 1418, he donated two altar priests to Neuhaus. Although his father has been as supporter of the Hussites, Meinhard sided with the temperate Utraquists and the Catholic nobility. After the death of King Wenceslaus in 1419, he hoped that an extensions of the rights of the Estates of Bohemia would lead to a political renewal.
In 1421, his cousin Ulrich V of Neuhaus died without male offspring. Meinhard inherited the Lordship of Jindřichův Hradec (Neuhaus in German) and estates around Bílkov in Moravia. He moved to Jindřichův Hradec Castle. In July 1421, during the defense of Rabi Castle, he was taken prisoner by a Hussite army led by Jan Žižka and held for a while at Příběnice Castle.
During the siege of Křemže in 1423, Žižka sent Captain Jan Hvězda of Vicemilic with some troops to take Telč, where Zdeňek of Sternberg acted as guardian of Meinhard's younger brothers John and Henry. Meinhard came to the rescue, with John of Guttenstein and other nobles and 3000 infantry. He defeated Jan Hvězda in battle, reportedly killing 300 Taborites.
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