Wikipedia: Kateřina z Komárova (died March 1534) was a Czech
noblewoman and convicted murderer. She was infamous for the rumours of her
mistreatment of the serfs on the estates of her spouse, which she tended during
his absences. She was brought to trial in 1533 and convicted for the murder of
14 people, though she was allegedly the murderer of 30 people. She was
sentenced to imprisonment in a tower in Prague Castle.
~ Life ~
Kateřina originated from a family of small-time landowners
in Komárov, but her rise to power came through her husband Jan Bechyně z
Lažany, the burgrave of Karlštejn, who resided in Pičín and Příbram. Since the
Bechyně z Lažany family was a vastly more important one, the wedding between
Kateřina and Jan meant a big social rise for the former. Since Jan held his
office in Karlštejn, the administration of his private estate was led by his
wife. This proved a tough time for her serfs, because Kateřina imposed severe
punishments on them. Some of the tortured ones couldn't endure and died, and
those who survived carried the consequences for the rest of their lives.
~ Trial ~
Jan Bechyně had long had a protracted disagreement with the
Dean of the Karlštejn Chapter, Wenceslaus Hajek, whom later became a respected
chronicler. Rumors of Kateřina's crimes eventually reached the Dean, and he
informed her husband about them, but Jan took it as a provocation and sued
Hajek. The court tribunal, chaired by Vojtěch I of Pernstein, decided to
examine the claims in Pičín in 1533. However, the summoned witnesses of the
Pičín serfs, afraid of being punished, described Mrs. Kateřina as a king and
good lady in the official interrogations. That was until they reached a citizen
of Prague, a relative of one of the victims (since he was from Prague, which
was out of Mrs. Kateřina's jurisdiction, he couldn't be harmed). He named the
cruel woman as the killer of his relatives, and his example encouraged many
other serfs, whom changed their testimonies in accordance with the truth.
Kateřina eventually admitted to killing 14 of her serfs, but some of her
servants suggested her victim count could be up to 30.
~ Judgment and death ~
The court tribunal passed an unusual sentence for Czech law
- Mrs. Kateřina was to be imprisoned and left in jail to her fate, basically
left alone so she could starve to death. She was placed in the Mihulka Tower at
Prague Castle, where she died in March 1534. Surprisingly, just two days after
her death, her judge Vojtěch I of Pernstein also passed away. This has been the
subject of speculation, with claims that Kateřina had "dragged him down
with her."
For Jan Bechyně, the tragic case of his wife's crimes had no
little effect on his life. After some time, he was appointed as high scribe and
retained his position until his death in 1547.
On Friday before the groundhogs, Mrs. Kateřina Bechyňová was
convicted because she killed several girls; then she was pulled out of
Mihulka's prison, so to speak. - Memoirs from Mikuláš Dačický z Heslova.
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Reference
DAČICKÝ Z HESLOVA, Mikuláš. Paměti. Praha: Akropolis, 1996.
S. 280.
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