Person:Johan Hoffman (1)

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Nickname: John Name Prefix: (Rector Of The University Of Leipzig) BIOGRAPHY: Johann Hoffman was born in 1371. During his life, he became the Rector of the University of Leipzig which was founded in 1409 when professors and students left Charles University in Prague in revolt. BIOGRAPHY: During this same time, there was a rector at the Charles University by the name of John Hofmann who later became bishop in the German town of Meissen from 1427-1451. This may be the same Johann Hoffman. Johann Hoffman died in the year 1451 and the dates coincide with the dates of Bishop John IV Hofmann of Meissen. BIOGRAPHY: One other interesting fact of John Hofmann is the following: 1429, December - 1430, January: "But the main concern of the brotherhoods and the Prague association was to gather forces for their greatest campaign that ever went into action. On 6 December their leaders met in Prague and spent a week in consultation. About 14 December, all the Hussite armies were marshalled against Saxony, with 'retaliation for 1426' as their slogan. Their force was made up of the field and town armies of the Taborites and Orphans, the troops of the Bohemian and Moravian nobles and the army of Prague and its allies. On 20 and 21 December they crossed the Ore mountains, mainly along the Naklerov pass, and a few other westerly routes. The Saxon army did not offer serious resistance in spite of its size and the presence of auxiliary forces from local bishops such as John Hofmann of Meissen, former rector of Charles University, and Nicholas Lubich of Merseberg, an alumnus of Charles University. Lubich later became the chancellor of the margrave of Meissen and obtained for him the charter for the University of Leipzig. The Saxons hoped that the Hussites would wear themselves out in seiges of Pirna or Dresden, and prepared themselves for a joint attack from Leipzig and Belgern on the Elbe. But the Czech armies spread out far and wide like a flood and struck terror into the countryside on the left bank of the Elbe as far as Magdeburg, after which they unexpectedly turned southwest, a tactic which may have been part of the original plan. A serious accident occurred when the Hussite wagons were trying to ford the Mulde (near Grimme) in triple line. Some wagons were torn apart, drowning their drivers, when Hanus of Polensko, the bailiff of Lower Lusatia, appeared on the opposite bank with the spearhead of the cavalry. However, John Zmrzlik scattered them, and the rest of the wagons crossed safely in single file. After that, Frederick, the elector of Saxony, disbanded his large army because he had fallen out with his allies over the financial responsibility for the war. This enabled the Hussites to proceed unimpeded in five parallel streams a few kilometers apart, capable of closing up in the event of attack. The Prussian victories of 1866 and 1870 were won with similar strategy. Fear of the Hussites thus completely paralyzed the population of the region, which sought refuge in very large fortresses such as Altenburg, Kronach and Wunsiedel, leaving their property as booty for their enemies. At the end of January the Hussites took Plavno. The Hussite army soon reached Franconia, the territory of Frederick of Hohenzollern, and stormed Hof, Bayreuth and Kulmback in quick succession on 30 and 31 January 1430." F. M. Bartos, The Hussite Revolution, 1424-1437, p. 51-52

1. ↑ Stamps-Sites TFS.FTW.

   Date of Import: May 13, 2004

2. ↑ Stamps-Sites TFS.FTW.

   Date of Import: May 13, 2004

3. ↑ Stamps-Sites TFS.FTW.

   Date of Import: May 13, 2004