Prokop the Great

Andreas Prokop, even Prokop the Bald; Prokop the Great, (Czech: Prokop Holy, Prokop Veliký, latin: Procopius Rasus Bohemus; * 1380 in Hejlov () in Tábor, † May 30 1434 in Lipan in Bohemia) was a clergyman and preacher; in the Hussite military leader of the reform movement of the encampments.

Origin and life history

Andreas Prokop came from the maternal family of German Prague patrician January Cach ( Aachen ). His father is not known. After studying theology at the Charles University in Prague, he became a Catholic priest in Prague, but turned to the doctrine of the Czech reformer Jan Hus, who has suffered death by fire in Constance on July 6, 1415. From 1420 he worked as a priest and preacher of the Hussites in Tábor. His nickname " the Bald " he presumably led by the tonsure of the Catholic and Hussite clergy after a complete shaving of head hair shaved as military leader. There is no contemporary depiction of him.

After the death of Jan Zizka, one of the leaders of the radical encampments, was one of the captains of their army groups Andreas Prokop in 1424. Under his leadership, the Hussites consolidated in 1426 at the Battle of Usti nad Labem, 1427 at the Battle of Zwettl and 1431 at the Battle of Taus its military superiority over the armies of the Crusaders. After the victory at the Battle of Tachau he stopped the Crusades the Catholic army groups and therefore created the historical course of the history of Bohemia. In conjunction with troops of the Orebiten since 1427 invasions carried Hussite armies in the neighboring Catholic countries of Bohemia. As usual with longer campaigns at the time, the army captured by extorting ransom, looting of monasteries and towns upkeep the mercenary and the mitziehenden baggage train. In 1430 Andreas Prokop enforced at the castle Zwernitz as replacement for a pillage of the high pin and the city of Bamberg in Bamberg Bishopric of 12,000 guilders ransom.

In 1433, per capita income occurred at the Council of Basel as a defender of the radical expression of the Hussite doctrine. Meanwhile, results of the negotiations, Prague Compacts he did not recognize. On May 30, 1434 was as leader of the united forces of the encampments in the battle of Lipan in the fight against Utraquists, the moderate wing of the Hussites, and mercenaries of the Imperial Army of the Bohemian king Sigismund of Luxembourg.