Johann IV Roth

A gifted young man, John studied in Rome with Lorenzo Valla, and then in 1459 at the University of Padua, where he served as rector of the law school and in 1460 earned a doctorate.

Johann already served as a secretary of the Habsburg king Ladislaus the Posthumous until his early death in 1457 and then worked in the chancery of Emperor Frederick III who ennobled him in 1464.

In 1468 he accompanied Emperor Frederick proceeding to the papal court of Pope Paul II and was appointed Bishop of Lavant in Inner Austria, succeeding Rudolf of Rüdesheim who was elected Prince-Bishop of Wrocław.

John served as an emissary to Rome, to Venice, and most notably to the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus rivalling with George of Poděbrady in the Bohemian–Hungarian.

In 1482 he was appointed coadjutor in Wrocław and upon Rudolf's death succeeded him as Prince-Bishop, elected under pressure from King Matthias.