# Supreme Burgrave of the Kingdom of Bohemia

The Supreme Burgrave of the Kingdom of Bohemia, originally the Burgrave of Prague or the Burgrave of Prague Castle (Czech: Nejvyšší purkrabí; German: Oberstburggraf; Latin: supremus burgravius) was the most important land official of the Kingdom of Bohemia. They were the head of the Bohemian Diet and the Bohemian land court [cs], and commander of the Zemská hotovost [cs].
The supreme burgrave was appointed directly by the king, was appointed for life and could only be deposed in exceptional circumstances. The traditional seat of the supreme burgrave was the Staré purkrabství [cs] in Prague.

## History

In the Crown of the Kingdom of Bohemia, the title of burgrave was given by the King of Bohemia to the chief officer, or the regal official whose command is equivalent to a viceroy's. From the 14th century, the burgrave of Prague—the highest-ranking of all burgraves, seated at Prague Castle, gradually became the state's highest-ranking official, who also acted as the king's deputy; the office became known as the high or supreme burgrave of the Kingdom of Bohemia. After the reforms of Maria Theresa (reign 1740–1780) and her son Joseph II (reign 1780–1790), the title of supreme burgrave gradually lost its de facto power. The title of supreme burgrave was still granted, however, and its holder remained the first officer of the kingdom. It was abolished in 1848.

## List

| Coat of arms | Name | Term | Term | Additional information |
| Coat of arms | Name | Start | End | Additional information |
| | Smil of Lichtenberg [cs] | 1249 | 1251/1253 | |
| | Jaroš of Slivno [cs] | 1253 | 1264 | |
| | Oldřich Zajíc of Valdek | 1265/1267 | 1269 | |
| | Zbislav | 1271 | 1272 | |
| | Mstidruh of Chlum | 1277 | 1279 | |
| | Hroznata of Úžice | after 1281 | ? | Brother-in-law of Záviš of Falkenstein |
| | Zdislav of Lemberk | 1283 | 1283 | |
| | Hroznata of Choustník | 1284 | 1286/1288 | |
| | Zdeslav III of Šternberk | 1288 | 1289 | |
| | Jan I of Michalovice [cs] | 1289 | 1289 | |
| | Beneš I of Vartemberk [cs] | 1291 | 1297 | |
| | Jindřich Berka of Dubá | 1303 | 1305 | |
| | Hynek of Dubá [cs] | 1305 | 1309 | |
| | Oldřich of Lichtenburg [cs] | 1313 | 1314 | |
| | Beneš of Michalovice | 1315 | 1315 | |
| | Hynek Berka of Dubá | 1321 | 1346 | |
| | Hynek Berka the Younger of Dubá [cs] | 1346 | 1351 | Son of Hynek Berka of Dubá |
| | William of Landštejn [cs] | 1351 | 1356 | |
| | Ješek of Vartemberk and Veselá | 1356 | 1362 | Grandson of Beneš I of Vartemberk [cs] |
| | Beneš of Veselí | 1364 | 1366? | Son of Ješek of Vartemberk and Veselá |
| | Jan I of Vartemberk | 1366 | 1378 | Great-grandson of Beneš I of Vartemberk [cs] |
| | Petr of Vartemberk | 1381 | 1386 | Great-grandson of Beneš I of Vartemberk [cs] |
| | Otto III of Bergau | 1388 | 1394 | |
| | Burchard Strnad of Janovice | ? | 1396 | |
| | Henry III of Rosenberg | 1396 | 1398 | First term |
| | Henry III of Hradec [cs] | 1398 | 1398 | |
| | Henry III of Rosenberg | 1400 | 1403 | Second term |
| | Jan Krušina of Lichtenburg | 1403 | 1407 | |
| | Albrecht Lukowski of Šternberk | 1407 | ? | |
| | Jan the Younger of Hradec [ce] | 1411 | 1413 | |
| | Čenek of Vartenberk [cs] | 1414 | 1420 | |
| | Oldřich II of Rosenberg | 1431 | ? | |
| | Meinhard of Neuhaus | 1437 | 1448 | |
| | Zdeněk of Šternberk | 1448 | 1467 | |
| | Zdeněk Kostka of Postupice [cs] | 1467 | 1468 | |
| | Mareš of Švamberk | 1485 | 1487 | |
| | Wolfgang I Krajíř of Kraik | ? | 1499 | |
| | Jan Jenec of Janovice and Petršpurka | ? | 1502 | |
| | Henry IV of Neuhaus | 1502 | 1507 | |
| | Zdeněk Lev of Rožmitál | 1507 | 1523 | First term |
| | Jan of Vartemberk | 1523 | 1525 | First term |
| | Zdeněk Lev of Rožmitál | 1525 | 1530 | Second term |
| | Jan of Vartemberk | 1530 | 1542 | Second term |
| | Volf the Elder Krajíř of Krajek | 1542 | 1554 | |
| | Jan IV Popel of Lobkowitz [cs] | 1554 | 1570 | |
| | William of Rosenberg | 1570 | 1592 | |
| | Adam II of Hradec [cs] | 1592 | 1596 | |
| | Adam II of Šternberk [cs] | 1608 | 1619 | First term |
| | Bohuchval Berka of Dubé [cs] | 1619 | 1620 | |
| | Adam II of Šternberk [cs] | 1620 | 1623 | Second term |
| | Adam of Valdštejn [cs] | 1627 | 1638 | |
| | Jaroslav Bořita of Martinice | 1638 | 1649 | |
| | František Oldřich Libštejnský of Kolovrat [cs] | 1649 | 1650 | |
| | Bernard Ignaz of Martinice [cs] | 1651 | 1685 | |
| | Adolf Vratislav of Šternberk [cs] | 1685 | 1703 | |
| | Heřman Jakub Černín [cs] | 1704 | 1710 | |
| | Jan Josef of Vrtby [cs] | 1712 | 1734 | |
| | Jan Arnošt Antonín Schaffgotsch [cs] | 1734 | 1747 | |
| | Filip Nerius Krakovský of Kolovrat [cs] | 1748 | 1771 | |
| | Karel Egon I of Fürstenberg [cs] | 1771 | 1782 | |
| | František Antonín Nostic-Rieneck [cs] | 1782 | 1787 | |
| | Ludvík Cavriani [cs] | 1787 | 1791 | |
| | Jindřich František of Rottenhann [cs] | 1791 | 1792 | |
| | Prokop Lažanský of Buková [cs] | 1792 | 1794 | |
| | František Václav Kager of Štampach | 1794 | 1802 | |
| | Johann Rudolf, Count Chotek of Chotkow and Wognin | 1802 | 1808 | |
| | Josef Wallis [cs] | 1808 | 1810 | |
| | Franz Anton von Kolowrat-Liebsteinsky | 1811 | 1826 | |
| | Karl, Count Chotek of Chotkow and Wognin | 1826 | 1843 | |