John the Blind 1296-1346
King of Bohemia

The son of Count Henry III of Luxembourg (afterwards Emperor Henry VII), he was born in Luxembourg, and married (1310) Elizabeth, the heiress of Bohemia, being crowned King of Bohemia in 1311. In the struggle between Austria and Bavaria for the Imperial Crown he contributed to the Bavarian victory at M�hldorf (1322), and he campaigned in Italy for the Guelf Party (1333-35). In 1334 he married a Bourbon and became an ally of the French king. He increased his Bohemian lands in Lucatia, Saxony and Lombardy, but his heavy taxes and constant absences on campaign increased the power of the Bohemian nobles at his expense. By 1340 he had become completely blind, but continued his military career, and fought at Cr�cy (1346) with conspicuous gallantry until he fell in a last hopeless charge; his motto Ich Dien (I serve), was adopted by Edward, the Black Prince, on the request of his father, Edward III, who commanded the English army in the battle.