The Supreme Burgrave of the Kingdom of Bohemia, originally the Burgrave of Prague or the Burgrave of Prague Castle (Czech: Nejvyšší purkrabí; German: Oberstburggraf; Latin: supremus burgravius) was the most important land official of the Kingdom of Bohemia. They were the head of the Bohemian Diet and the, and commander of the .
The supreme burgrave was appointed directly by the king, was appointed for life and could only be deposed in exceptional circumstances. The traditional seat of the supreme burgrave was the in Prague.
In the Crown of the Kingdom of Bohemia, the title of burgrave was given by the King of Bohemia to the chief officer, or the regal official whose command is equivalent to a viceroy's.[1] From the 14th century, the burgrave of Prague—the highest-ranking of all burgraves, seated at Prague Castle, gradually became the state's highest-ranking official, who also acted as the king's deputy;[2] the office became known as the high or supreme burgrave of the Kingdom of Bohemia. After the reforms of Maria Theresa (reign 1740–1780) and her son Joseph II (reign 1780–1790), the title of supreme burgrave gradually lost its de facto power. The title of supreme burgrave was still granted, however, and its holder remained the first officer of the kingdom. It was abolished in 1848.
| Coat of arms | Name | Term | Additional information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |||
| 1249 | 1251/1253 | |||
| 1253 | 1264[3] | |||
| Oldřich Zajíc of Valdek | 1265/1267 | 1269 | ||
| Zbislav | 1271 | 1272 | ||
| Mstidruh of Chlum | 1277 | 1279 | ||
| Hroznata of Úžice | after 1281 | ? | Brother-in-law of Záviš of Falkenstein | |
| Zdislav of Lemberk | 1283 | 1283 | ||
| Hroznata of Choustník | 1284 | 1286/1288 | ||
| Zdeslav III of Šternberk | 1288 | 1289 | ||
| 1289 | 1289 | |||
| 1291 | 1297 | |||
| Jindřich Berka of Dubá | 1303 | 1305 | ||
| 1305 | 1309 | |||
| 1313 | 1314 | |||
| Beneš of Michalovice | 1315 | 1315 | ||
| Hynek Berka of Dubá | 1321 | 1346 | ||
| 1346 | 1351 | Son of Hynek Berka of Dubá | ||
| 1351 | 1356 | |||
| Ješek of Vartemberk and Veselá[4] | 1356 | 1362 | Grandson of | |
| Beneš of Veselí | 1364 | 1366? | Son of Ješek of Vartemberk and Veselá | |
| Jan I of Vartemberk | 1366 | 1378 | Great-grandson of | |
| Petr of Vartemberk | 1381 | 1386 | Great-grandson of | |
| Otto III of Bergau | 1388 | 1394 | ||
| Burchard Strnad of Janovice | ? | 1396 | ||
| Henry III of Rosenberg | 1396 | 1398 | First term | |
| 1398 | 1398 | |||
| Henry III of Rosenberg | 1400 | 1403 | Second term | |
| Jan Krušina of Lichtenburg[5] | 1403 | 1407 | ||
| Albrecht Lukowski of Šternberk | 1407[6] | ? | ||
| 1411 | 1413 | |||
| 1414 | 1420 | |||
| Oldřich II of Rosenberg | 1431 | ? | ||
| Meinhard of Neuhaus | 1437 | 1448 | ||
| Zdeněk of Šternberk | 1448 | 1467 | ||
| 1467 | 1468 | |||
| Mareš of Švamberk[7] | 1485 | 1487 | ||
| Wolfgang I Krajíř of Kraik | ? | 1499 | ||
| Jan Jenec of Janovice and Petršpurka | ? | 1502 | ||
| Henry IV of Neuhaus | 1502 | 1507 | ||
| Zdeněk Lev of Rožmitál | 1507 | 1523 | First term | |
| Jan of Vartemberk | 1523 | 1525 | First term | |
| Zdeněk Lev of Rožmitál | 1525 | 1530 | Second term | |
| Jan of Vartemberk | 1530 | 1542 | Second term | |
| Volf the Elder Krajíř of Krajek | 1542 | 1554 | ||
| 1554 | 1570 | |||
| William of Rosenberg | 1570 | 1592 | ||
| 1592 | 1596 | |||
| 1608 | 1619 | First term | ||
| 1619 | 1620 | |||
| 1620 | 1623 | Second term | ||
| [8] | 1627 | 1638 | ||
| Jaroslav Bořita of Martinice | 1638 | 1649 | ||
| 1649 | 1650 | |||
| 1651 | 1685 | |||
| 1685 | 1703 | |||
| [9] | 1704 | 1710 | ||
| [10] | 1712 | 1734 | ||
| 1734 | 1747 | |||
| 1748 | 1771 | |||
| 1771 | 1782 | |||
| 1782 | 1787 | |||
| 1787 | 1791 | |||
| 1791 | 1792 | |||
| 1792 | 1794 | |||
| František Václav Kager of Štampach | 1794 | 1802 | ||
| Johann Rudolf, Count Chotek of Chotkow and Wognin | 1802 | 1808 | ||
| 1808 | 1810 | |||
| Franz Anton von Kolowrat-Liebsteinsky | 1811 | 1826 | ||
| Karl, Count Chotek of Chotkow and Wognin | 1826 | 1843 | ||