The Lords of Kunstadt Characters

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Botschek of Kunstadt, whom the player meets at a council of lords loyal to King Wenceslas, is a composite of two real men of that name.

The first was Botschek of Kunstadt and Podiebrad, a Moravian nobleman. We know that in 1353 he was given the title of favourite and royal cup-bearer by Charles IV. Besides Podiebrad and many estates in Moravia, he owned a splendid house in Prague, which the king exempted from all taxes and fees. He later clashed with John Henry the Moravian margrave and brother of Charles IV, over his unfinished castle at Obřany. After the king’s intervention, he had to demolish the castle and reconcile with the margrave. In 1371 he took possession of the important castle of Lititz.

His son, Botschek of Kunstadt, followed in his father’s footsteps and became one of the richest and most influential nobles of his time. With his two wives he fathered four sons. The third of these, Victor, was the father of the famous Czech king George of Podiebrad.

The House of Kunstadt continued until the 16th century, when having been one of the most numerous families up until then it died out.

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