Reinhard zu Solms

The title of this article is ambiguous. Further meanings are listed under Reinhard zu Solms (disambiguation) .

Equestrian statue of Count Reinhard zu Solms on the cavalier Hepp in Ingolstadt, executed by Ernst Mayer (1796–1844)

Count Reinhard zu Solms (* 1491 ; † 1562 ) was a German military leader, military engineer and military theorist of the Renaissance .

Life

Reinhard zu Solms was born as the son of Count Philipps zu Solms (line Solms-Lich ) (1468–1544) at Lich Castle and was baptized on October 12, 1491 in the collegiate church of the city of Lich . He shared his interest in military theoretical topics with his father, who had studied in Mainz , Heidelberg and Erfurt and was highly regarded as an imperial councilor under Maximilian I and Charles V and as a secret councilor to the Saxon elector Friedrich the Wise .

Between 1516 and 1522, the young Reinhard was in Franz von Sickingen's entourage , but then initially withdrew from the political and confessional tensions of the time. It was not until the 1534 campaign against the Anabaptists in Münster that Reinhard zu Solms took part again in a major military conflict. Together with his father, he was able to gain insight into the latest military developments during the siege of Münster.

His father had already started in 1507 to modernize the fortifications of the count's residence city of Lich ; a work that Count Reinhard continued. In 1528 or 1531 he began with the expansion of the artillery fortifications of Hanau : an earth wall (Schütt) was placed on a brick foundation in front of the medieval city wall, five earth rondels strengthened the system.

Equestrian statues of the fortress builders Reinhard zu Solms (left) and Daniel Speckle (right) on Kavalier Hepp in Ingolstadt, executed by Ernst Mayer

From 1539 to 1542 and again around 1560, Solms was concerned with the expansion of the Bavarian state fortress Ingolstadt under the conditions of modern artillery combat; here the Hanau system of earth walls was further developed. Under his direction, the bastions and the ramparts in front of the city wall were built in the east and north between 1539 and 1542 (Danube bastion in front of the New Castle, the partially preserved brick bastion, Harder bastion and probably the reconstruction of the bastion in front of the Holy Gate). Perhaps around 1560 he provided the plans for the construction of the Kugelbastei at that time. Wall and bastions in the west of the city (Münzbergbastei, Frauenbastei) were built between 1550 and 1560 when Solms was otherwise employed.

He was consulted for other places: in Augsburg , Landshut , Friedberg , Königshofen , Forchheim and perhaps for Mansfeld Castle .

From the early 1540s, Reinhard zu Solms was drawn more and more to the side of Emperor Charles V and came into ever greater opposition to the prince opposition. During the imperial campaign against France in 1544 he led the bombing and undermining of St. Dizier on the Marne . Then he should win the imperial knights in Franconia, Thuringia and on the Rhine for the imperial cause. In 1546 he was made imperial field marshal and in 1547 imperial commander in chief of Frankfurt am Main . In 1557 he became a colonel of the Upper Rhine district; 1558 imperial council.

Reinhard zu Solms died on September 23, 1562 and was buried in the collegiate church of Lich .

Literary work

Since the 1530s, Count Reinhard has also been involved in literary projects, especially on military theory and fortress building. In 1535 Eyn came out talking ... which massen eyn vester bawe fürzunemen in Mainz, which was reissued in 1556 in a considerably expanded version as a short extract and rash to hire a Baw .

Works

Reinhard zu Solms: Vom Ursprung anfang vnd herkhomen , 1563

• Eyn talk of an ancient war man and bawmeysters with a young captain: what masses of a young captain and for the benefit of the master may be performed , Mainz 1535. (VD 16 R937)
• A short excerpt and cover to hire a Baw , Cologne 1556. (VD 16 R 941) Link to a digitized version of the BSB online
• Orders of War (together with Konrad von Boyneburg ), Eigendruck, Lich 1559/60. (In it the eight books: War government according to the old German order; War offices; Arcolerie; rifles; Vndergraben; muster; card game; report on how one should occupy a town, castle, town with war people)
• Crew. A brief report such as Stätt Schlösser or Flecken with war people is said to be occupied , Frankfurt / Main 1653. (VD 16 R 939)
• Description of the origin, beginning and origin of the nobility, nobility and maintenance and imposed civil bevelch, how the nobility according to its title and should be held back , Frankfurt / Main 1553 and 1564. Link to a digitized version of the 1563 edition of the BSB online
• A war medal. Of all the subjects of war, how the promises are to be pestered and governed, and what every person wants to do, each with its figures specially indicated and described , manuscript, completed 1545 (ÖNB Cod. Germ. 3663)
• The old Roman war order, as used and maintained by the Germans from the same time on , and a war order , manuscript (ÖNB Cod. Germ. 10983)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Reinhard Fuchs: The fortification of Ingolstadt until the Thirty Years' War. Würzburg 1939, pp. 33-53.

literature

• Oliver Karnau: Reinhard Graf zu Solms. In: Hubertus Günther (ed.): German architectural theory between Gothic and Renaissance. Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 1988, ISBN 3-534-03878-9 , pp. 194-205.
• Beatrix Ettelt: Reinhard Graf zu Solms, Herr zu Munzenberg . (1491-1562). Documentation in the Harder Bastion Ingolstadt, February 7th - March 7th 1992. City of Ingolstadt - Press Office, Ingolstadt 1992.
• Friedrich Uhlhorn: Reinhard Graf zu Solms, Herr zu Munzenberg. 1491-1562. Elwert, Marburg 1952.
• Bernhard von Poten :  Solms, Reinhart the elder count too . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 34, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1892, p. 584 f.

Web links

Commons : Reinhard zu Solms  - Collection of images, videos and audio files