Danzig Riots 1525

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The Danziger Aufruhr (also Danzig Uprising ) was an uprising of parts of the population of the Hanseatic city of Danzig against the city council. In its course the Reformation was introduced, for the first time in the Kingdom of Poland . In 1526 King Sigismund I reversed the changes.

prehistory

In the middle of the 15th century the city of Danzig had subordinated itself to the Polish king under feudal law. In doing so, she achieved extensive privileges of urban autonomy. The rich Hanseatic city was predominantly inhabited by German craftsmen and merchants and their servants; it was ruled by rich patrician families , most of whom came from northern or western Germany.

There was dissatisfaction in the city with this council rule. This was supported by reformatory ideas that came to the city from 1517 through merchants and students. The Dominican monk Jacob Knothe had been preaching Lutheran ideas since around 1518 .

The war of Poland against the Teutonic Order in 1520 burdened the city, which fought on the Polish side, but partially sympathized with the German knights of the order. Another war in Danzig against Denmark in 1521 led to the dismissal of the hated mayor, Eberhard Ferber , who had initiated it. In 1522 he and his followers were driven out of the city.

Jakob Hegge has been preaching in the Lutheran spirit since 1523 . Complaints from the council to the Polish king did not lead to any result. Even a personal appearance by Bishop Matthias Drzewicki in 1524 did not bring any changes, who finally fled the city from an angry crowd.

Danzig riot

In January 1525 a large number of mostly ordinary citizens forced the establishment of a new council. Protestant preachers were employed in the churches, monks and nuns were asked to leave the monasteries, and some of their inventory was handed over to the city council. A preacher was sent to Wittenberg to get a reformer for the city. Michael Meurer finally came.

The deposed council turned to King Sigismund. He sent several letters to the city to restore the old order. After this brought no changes, he went with an army to the neighboring Marienburg. Mayor Philipp Bischof succeeded in convincing the rebellious citizens to let the king into the city, since he came only with peaceful intentions.

Suppression of the riot

On April 22, 1526 King Sigismund entered the city with an army of 8,000 men, greeted by the citizens. After two days, however, arrests began for an alleged planned conspiracy against him. The old council was reinstated and the Catholic rite reintroduced into the churches. Trials followed and thirteen rioters were executed. The evangelical preachers had to leave the city.

Further development

To calm the population, some religious were allowed to continue preaching in the Reformation sense, but maintaining Catholic customs. Only in 1557 could Protestant preachers be officially employed again, following a privilege granted by King Sigismund II August.

literature

  • G. Kawerau: The Danzig Uprising 1525. In: Journal of the West Prussian History Association. Book XI. Danzig 1884. pp. 63-72. ( Digital copy, PDF )
  • Johannes Strebitzki: The great revolt in Danzig in 1525 . Koenigsberg 1877
  • Peter Oliver Loew: Danzig. Biography of a city. CH Beck, Munich 2011. pp. 80f.
  • Natalia Nowakowska: King Sigismund of Poland and Martin Luther. Oxford University Press, 2018. pp. 77-96 .