John of Luxemburg

John of Luxemburg, 1296-1346, king of Bohemia (1310-46). The son of Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII, he married Elizabeth, sister of Wenceslaus III of Bohemia, and in 1310 he was chosen king of Bohemia, which had been in virtual anarchy since Wenceslaus's death (1306). As a condition of his accession John was forced to issue a charter guaranteeing the rights of the nobility and clergy. Perhaps disappointed that he was not elected to succeed his father, John spent much of his time in foreign wars. During his reign he extended Bohemian control to upper Lusatia and Silesia. He supported the Teutonic Knights in their wars against Lithuania. As a result of his campaigns he ruled parts of Lombardy and Tyrol briefly. He died fighting on the side of the French at Crécy though he had become blind. He was succeeded by his son, who later became Holy Roman emperor as Charles IV.