Kunigunde of Sternberg

First wife of the late King George of Podebrady
The basics

Quick Facts

IntroFirst wife of the late King George of Podebrady
PlacesCzech Republic
wasKing
Work fieldMilitary Royals
Gender
Female
Birth18 November 1425, Konopiště, Benešov, Benešov District, Central Bohemian Region
Death19 November 1449Poděbrady, Nymburk District, Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic (aged 24 years)
Family
Spouse:George of Poděbrady
Children:Boček IV of Poděbrady Victor Duke of Münsterberg Henry I Duke of Münsterberg-Oels Catherine of Poděbrady Sidonie of Poděbrady
The details

Biography

Kunigunde of Sternberg (Czech: Kunhuta ze Šternberka; 18 November 1425, Konopiště – 19 November 1449, Poděbrady) was the first wife of George of Poděbrady, who later became King of Bohemia.

Life

Kunigunde's parents were the Bohemian nobles Smil of Sternberg († 1431) and Barbara of Pardubice († 1433). In 1441 she married then 21-year-old George of Poděbrady, who had been captain of the old Bohemian circle of Stará Boleslav since 1440. This marriage produced three sons:

  • Boček (1442–1496)
  • Victor (1443–1500) and
  • Henry the Elder (1448–1498)

and three daughters:

  • Barbara (1446–1474), married first with Henry of Lipé (Jindřich z Lipé, † 1469), and second with Jan Křinecký of Ronov
  • Catherine (1449–1464) and
  • Zdenka (1449–1510) (also known as Sidonie of Poděbrady)

In 1444 Kunigunde founded a hospital in Poděbrady. It was named after her and remained in operation until the beginning of the 20th century. She also established a foundation for youth education, school construction and rehabilitation of prisoners.

She died in 1449, the day after her twenty-fourth birthday and several days after giving birth to twin daughters, and was buried in the parish church Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Poděbrady.

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