| Vilem Zajíc of Valdek | |
|---|---|
| |
| Details | |
Born |
? |
Died |
1 • 11 • 1420 |
Rank |
Hetman of the Duchy of Luxembourg |
Gender |
Male |
| Family | |
Parents |
Sbinco (Zbyněk) Zajíc Katherine of Litomyšl |
Partner |
Dorothea (Dorota) of Rabstein |
Codex entry[]
William Zajíc ('Hare') of Valdek and Židlochovice, son of Sbinco (Zbyněk) Zajíc and Katherine of Litomyšl. During the wars in Moravia between the brothers Jobst and Procopius (Prokop) of Luxembourg, William initially served in the army of the elder brother, then after 1399 he fought on the side of Procopius. Once the power struggle ended, he worked as a diplomat for Jobst. Thanks to his marriage to Dorothea (Dorota) of Rabstein (Rabštejn), the widow of Henry of Rabstein, he acquired in pawn the estate of Židlichovice and its fortress, which the Margrave bequeathed to William in 1407.
William Zajíc not only spent time in Moravia, but also travelled widely, frequenting Prague, Olomouc and Lužice and undertaking trips to France and Brandenburg, as well as going on pilgrimages to Rome and Santiago de Compostela. Jobst regarded his services most highly and at the end of 1407 promoted him to the position of Hetman of the Duchy of Luxembourg. After the death of the margrave, William continued to serve Wenceslas IV and from 1412 onwards Sigismund of Luxembourg.