27.2.1533 The Czech Lady of Čachtice was imprisoned

She was not a very well-known noblewoman, not even her likeness has survived. According to historical sources, she tortured and murdered her servants. She's called the Bohemian Elizabeth Báthory, or the Lady of Bohemia. Katherine of Komárovo was imprisoned on 27 February 1533 in Mikulka Tower at Prague Castle, where she died of starvation.

Not much is known about Katherine of Komárno. She was born into a not very well known family and the year of her birth is also unknown. Her father was the knight Kunata Pešík of Komárovo, who was said to be the governor of the Podbrdský region and did not have a good reputation. Katerina is said to have had four brothers and one sister. She therefore came from the lower nobility, but she married well. She was married to Jan Bechyně of Lažany, the purgrave of Karlštejn, steward of the royal treasure and owner of the Pičín estate.

"The Bechyns are an important family from Silesia who settled in Bohemia at the beginning of the 15th century. Katherine thus became the wife of one of the highest officials in the kingdom and her main role consisted mainly in the administration of the estate," says writer and publicist Jaroslav V. Mareš in his book Too Secret Scandals.

Apparently, frustration caught up with her because her husband was often away from home. So she began to have tantrums and hurt the defenceless. Her victims were simple country women who served on the estate. To this day, historians do not know whether she committed atrocities only at home or also at Karlštejn. She also took revenge on animals. For example, when a cat tore her curtains, she had the animal skinned.

The chronicler mentions horrible cases in the Old Czech Chronicles and some information is also found in the Memoirs of Mikuláš Dačický of Heslov. "On the Friday before Groundhog's Day, Mrs. Katerina Bechyňová was condemned to the throat because she had killed several maidens. Then they dragged her out of the prison of Mihulka, so called, dead," wrote Mikulas Dačický in his memoirs.

Katherine of Komárom had helpers who assisted her in their perverse orgies. As did Elizabeth Bathory. This is according to a statement made by Mandalena Vankova of Libčice before the Chamber Court. "That's what I witnessed, that we beat. The lady was here with us, she ordered us to beat the virgin Hedvika, then after beating her, she took her down and ordered us to take her down. Then she died down below. The second time that I was here about a certain Kačka, and from there we brought her down, and she still died that we killed her upstairs. Before the master knows anything about it," said one of the women who testified.

Catherine said she didn't put much effort into removing the bodies. Václav Hájek from Libočany, for example, saw the corpse dumped by the roadside. However, Kateřina's brother-in-law Václav Bechyně from Lažany subsequently denied that Kateřina killed the girl and threw her through the toilet. In the end, Katerina confessed to 14 murders, but according to some sources, there were more than twice as many.

Sources. Mareš: Top Secret Scandals, Jindřich Francek: Crime and Sex in Czech History, www.wikipedia.org