The Petition of the Bohemian Estates to Sigismund of Luxemburg in the Year 1419: Its Pro-Hussite Orientation Revisited

The paper undertakes an analysis of the Old Czech and Middle High German versions of the petition that was sent to Sigismund of Luxemburg from Bohemia in 1419. The circumstances surrounding the composition of the petition are examined.The paper undertakes an analysis of the Old Czech and Middle High German versions of the petition that was sent to Sigismund of Luxemburg from Bohemia in 1419. The circumstances surrounding the composition of the petition are examined. The author has arrived to the conclusion that the petition has been written on the initiative  of  the  land  consuls  of  Bohemia  who  represented  the  Bohemian  nobility.  The  goal  of  the  petition  was  to  protect  the  public  order  in  the  kingdom  with  the  help of Sigismund’s influence who has been proclaimed as the «new king». As local authorities the land consuls aimed to prevent religious clashes between the Utraquists and those who sticked to the traditional Catholic rite of Communion. For this purpose they threatened to expel from the country those Catholics who called Utraquism a heresy, as well as those Utraquists who «have sworn an oath against those who call them Wyckleffits and Hussites». The Prague communities joined the land consuls in composing the petition first after the revolt of Prague against the Queen Dowager Sophie had been suppressed by the league of Catholic and Utraquist nobles. However, not every request added by the Prague Hussites has been included in the final German version received by Sigismund.