Guttenberg Feud (1380)
The Guttenberg feud of 1380 was a feud of family members of the von Guttenberg and other related lower aristocratic Franconian families with the bailiffs von Weida , the Reuss von Greiz-Ronneburg and their followers. Members and possessions of the Margraviate of Meißen were also affected .
Causes and Reason
There are several factors that led to the outbreak of the feud. A favorable long-term trend was the emergence of territorial states of noble families: In the affected Vogtland area the interests of the bailiffs of Weida and the burgraves of Nuremberg clashed. Both parties derived their claims in part from the inheritance of dynasties that had already died out, including the Walpoten or the Counts of Weimar-Orlamünde . Due to the expansive character and the fact that rights had never been an object of the contract and thus never had to be formulated precisely, conflicts arose. In addition, the Saxon and Franconian feudal law offered scope for interpretation. With regard to the von Guttenberg family, the von Weida bailiffs raised the right to the patronage rights of Bobenneukirchen and also derived a feudal obligation from the Guttenbergers, who refused to do so. Apparently there were already arguments in the run-up to the feud and the participation of the von Sparneck family was mainly based on previous disputes. The fact that a few years later supporters of both camps undertook a joint raid on the imperial city of Eger conveys a certain naturalness of the feud and looting was lucrative. The city of Eger has documented drudgery in the Book of Afflictions .
course
The course of the feud can only be reconstructed through complaints. The lawsuits were brought against violations of the right to feud, which already legitimized arson and other measures. Only the known dates of death or the lack of documented mentions of individual knights indicate that they had fallen in the feud.
After an attack on Altguttenberg Castle by supporters of the Weida bailiffs, the Guttenberg allies gathered. The allies were not necessarily also fiefs of the Bamberg diocese or the Nuremberg burgraves, but rather miscarried families or, as with the Sparneckers, already opponents of the bailiffs, although related to them. More important noble families brought more families and service personnel with them. 76 feuding participants are known by name, and it is estimated that around 200 people took part on the Guttenberger side.
In the feud mainly people were attacked who had led the attack on Altguttenberg and also caused damage to their property. The main attack, however, was directed against the city of Adorf and Mühltroff Castle , which was burned down.
Feuding participants
On the side of Guttenberger (4) u. a. Members of the following families participate: Berg (4), Beulwitz , Feulner (2), Flurstedt (3), Geilsdorf , Haslau , Hirschaid , Hirschberg , Koßwitz (3), Kotzau (2), including the Hof captain Heinrich von Kotzau , Künsberg ( 2), Maschwitz zu Weißdorf , Mengersreuth (4), Marschalk von Kunstadt , Mosen (2), Seckendorff , Planitz , Plassenberg (2), Rabensteiner zu Döhlau , Sack , Sparneck (4), Trützschler zu Gattendorf , Vasmann (3), Waldenfels (2), Wallenrode , Weißelsdorf zu Köditz , Wolfstriegel (2), Zedtwitz .
On the side of the margraves and bailiffs: Bergau, Blankenberg (2), Brandenberg , Briesnitz, Döhlen (3), Flans zu Langenorla (3), Hain (3), Jößnitz (2), Köckritz (2), Maschwitz (2 ), Neuberg , Obernitz, Raschau, Sack (2), Schenk von Siemau , Selmnitz , Sparnberg , Tann , Tosse zu Adorf , Truchseß von Borna , Wolfersdorff , Zange.
literature
- Eckard Lullies: The feud of Guttenberg against the bailiffs and the noble feud against Eger (= series of publications "Die Plassenburg" for local history research and cultural maintenance in East Franconia. Vol. 50). Friends of Plassenburg, Kulmbach 1999, ISBN 3-925162-19-4 .