John the Blind (German: Johann der Blinde von Luxemburg; Czech: Jan Lucemburský) (10 August, 1296 – 26 August, 1346) was the count of Luxembourg from 1309 and king of Bohemia and titular king of Poland from 1310. He was the eldest son of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII and his wife Margaret of Brabant.

John was French by education, but deeply involved in the politics of Germany, taking part in the wars between the Wittelsbachs and the Hapsburgs on the side of the former. In 1310, John married Elisabeth, heiress of Wenceslaus III of Bohemia, and thereby became king of Bohemia and so one of the seven prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. The object of the hostility of the Czech nobility, however, he gave up the administration of Bohemia and embarked on a life of travel, spending time in Luxembourg and the French court. He did try to make Prague a centre of chivalry like the round table of Camelot of Arthurian legend. His travels took him to Silesia, Poland, Lithuania, Tyrol, Northern Italy, Papal Avignon, and Languedoc, where he was governor from 30 November 1338 to November 1340. For all this, he is an enigmatic figure: a blind knight-errant, warrior and diplomat, cosmopolitan and educated.

He retained his crown even after Elisabeth's death in 1330. His second wife was Beatrice, daughter of Louis I, Duke of Bourbon. He was killed fighting alongside the French against the English at the Battle of Crécy, part of the Hundred Years' War. He was strapped to two other knights and they led him into the fray where he, being blind, was easily killed, though not without putting up a valiant fight which did much honour to his chivalrous life. His personal crest (three white ostrich feathers) and motto Ich Dien ("I Serve") was then seized by Edward, the Black Prince, and since then has been used by the reigning Prince of Wales.

John was succeeded as king of Bohemia by his eldest son Charles (later Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor). In Luxembourg, he was succeeded by his son by his second wife, Wenceslaus.

Family and children

He was married two times. First, with Elizabeth of Bohemia. In this marriage he had the following children:

1. Margaret (8 July 1313–11 July 1341, Prague), married in Straubing 12 August 1328 to Henry XIV, Duke of Bavaria.
2. Bonne (21 May 1315–11 September 1349, Maubuisson), married in Melun 6 August 1332 to King John II of France.
3. Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1316-1378), King of Bohemia.
4. Ottokar ("Otto") (22 November 1318–20 April 1320), Prince of Bohemia.
5. Anna (1323–3 September 1338), twin of Elizabeth, married 16 February 1335 to Duke Otto of Austria.
6. Elizabeth (1323–1324), twin of Anna.
7. John Henry (Jan Jindrich) (12 February 1322, Mělník–12 November 1375), margrave of Moravia.

Second, he married in December 1334 with Beatrix of Bourbon, daughter of Louis I, Duke of Bourbon. In this marriage he had only son, Wenceslas I of Luxemburg (25 February 1337, Prague–7 December 1383, Luxemburg), duke of Luxemburg and Brabant.

Luxemburg dynasty | 1296 births | 1346 deaths | Bohemian monarchs | Luxembourgish people

Johan die Blinde | Jan Lucemburský | Johann von Luxemburg | Johano de Luksemburgio | Jean Ier de Bohême | Jang de Blannen | Jan de Blinde | ヨハン (ベーメン王) | Jan Luksemburski | 约翰 (波希米亚)