Historica Olomucensia

Faith or career? Kryštof Karel (1618-†1641) and Jan Ferdinand (1618-†1652) Švábenský of Švábenice

The article follows life stories of two brothers that belonged to the lower nobility that lived their ordinary daily life on their estates. Their ancestors were people without political horizon and ambitions. The family then was univocally evangelical. Even in a contract from 1618 one family member committed himself and his whole family to the evangelical faith forever. If the situation changed their subjects had a right to refuse vow of loyalty to them. Also Kryštof and Jan Švábenský of Švábenice were evangelic Protestants. After the defeat of the rebellion of the Estates they were condemned to confiscation of part of their property. In the end they were released from the confiscation after paying a fine.
Both the brothers had to face a dilemma if they should keep the faith of their fathers and remain in a very bad position or convert to a Catholic faith. The brothers decided to convert to Catholicism and as a symbol of the changed they accepted new names: Kryštof became Kryštof Karel and Jan became Jan Ferdinand. Conversion to Catholicism allowed especially Kryštof to make significant career. He became one of the authors of the restoration regime. He began to regularly sit at the Land Court and Diet (1625-1641) and in 1628 he was even appointed the highest court judge. Theoretically and perhaps also practically he thus from his appointment to his death was the leading Moravian knight.