Sigismund of Bohemia ^{1 2}

  General Notes:

In 1385 he married Queen Mary of Hungary, thus acceding to the throne of Hungary two years later. In 1396 he led a great army of Crusaders from many parts of Europe against the Turks; the latter, under the Ottoman sultan Bayazid I, inflicted a crushing defeat upon Sigismund's forces at Nicopolis (now Nikopol), Bulgaria. Upon the death of Holy Roman Emperor Rupert, Sigismund was elected to succeed him, but he did not receive formal coronation at the hands of the pope until 1433. In 1414 Sigismund persuaded the antipope John XXIII to convoke the Council of Constance at which a long-standing dispute over the papal succession was settled and ecclesiastical reforms were instituted. The council also tried the Bohemian religious reformer John Huss (Jan Hus) and condemned and executed him as a heretic. Sigismund succeeded to the throne of Bohemia in 1419. His power in Bohemia was never more than nominal, however, as the Bohemians believed him guilty of complicity in the death of Huss and repeatedly rose in arms against him.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Acceded: King of Hungary, 1387.

• Acceded: Holy Roman Emperor, 1411.

• Acceded: King of Bohemia, 1419.

• Acceded: Duke of Luxemburg, 1419.

Sigismund married Mary of Hungary, daughter of Louis I of Hungary and Elizabeth of Bosnia, in Oct 1385. (Mary of Hungary was born circa 1372.)

  Marriage Notes:

Sigismund had no children by Mary of Hungary, but he had a single daughter with Barbara Celjska, Elizabeth (1409-1442). Elizabeth married Albert II, Holy Roman Emperor, who was eventually to succeed his father-in-law as King of Hungary and Bohemia, and as German King.

Sigismund next married Barbara Celjska in 1408. (Barbara Celjska was born circa 1390-1395 and died on 11 Jul 1451.)