Hans Müller (farmer's guide)

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Hans Müller von Bulgenbach after an engraving

Hans Müller , called von Bulgenbach , (* in the 15th century in Bulgenbach ; † August 12, 1525 in Laufenburg ) was a peasant leader in the German Peasants' War . The chronicler Andreas Lettsch describes him in his chronicle.

origin

The exact year of birth of Hans Müller is unknown, it can probably be dated between 1485 and 1495; Bulgenbach , a district of Grafenhausen not far from the Schluchsee, is considered to be the place of birth . The building known as his home, a thatched roof house from 1428, was destroyed by lightning on August 23, 1911. At first Müller had been in the imperial service and fought as a mercenary in France . When the peasants rose up in his homeland, the Landgraviate of Stühlingen , in 1524, they elected the war-experienced and apparently rhetorical miller as their captain in June.

Beginning of the peasant war

On June 23, 1524, the Stühlinger oath was taken . The farmers also formed a flag in the St. Blasien area , an armed troop of 150 to 500 men. As a banner they chose the colors red and white and the words Alt-Österreich . But the regent Ferdinand from the front of Austria was convinced by his landlords to put down the uprising. On July 14, 1524 around 60 knights, counts and bailiffs gathered to assist Count Sigmund von Hohenlupfen . There were several meetings and farewells , but these were not accepted by the farmers. At the end of July, Hans Müller moved to Waldshut with his little ensign (which comprised around 600 men) . On August 24th, other farmers were also present in Waldshut, it was the day of the Waldshut Chilbi , when Count Sigmund heard of the large crowd, he believed no more negotiations. A final day of negotiations was called on September 7th in Ewattingen , but the conditions for a peace settlement seemed too harsh for the insurgents, so the last thing they asked for was a kneeling and penance.

After the event in Ewattingen, Hans Müller teamed up with Oswald Meder , who put together a new flag in Brigachtal , the Brigachtaler Haufen . But the troops received only a weak influx, so that in the following year on December 14, 1525, the small troop on the imperial side faced a great superiority of Villingen and Hüfinger citizens in Pfaffental near Donaueschingen and fled into the night. Ferdinand had Hans Müller summoned , but he did not comply, but went to Balthasar Hubmaier in Waldshut for assistance . With a manifesto of the "Evangelical Brotherhood", Hans Müller went from village to village. Ferdinand had become one on 4 March 1526 charter sought, the Count of Lupfen sat Ferdinand command his local knowledge servant Stefan Wierdale on him. Nevertheless, the peasants ran to Hans Müller in droves. The entire southern Black Forest with the Baar, Hegau and Klettgau , with the exception of the cities of Villingen and Radolfzell, stood on Hans Müller's side. Duke Ulrich von Württemberg , who fled to the Hohentwiel fortress he had acquired in 1521 , also joined the "Evangelical Brotherhood".

Soon the monastery of St. Blasien and the castle Gutenburg were in the hands of the farmers. The entire northern foreland of Lake Constance was in turmoil and in February and March 1525 three army clusters , the Seehaufen , the Baltringer Haufen and the Allgäuer Haufen, formed . Müller took over command of around 12,000 farmers. In March the assault of the peasants, who presented a political program in the Twelve Articles, still appeared successful . As early as April, the defeat at Laupheim showed how endangered the movement was, which nevertheless expanded northwards to Württemberg and Franconia. On May 23, Müller and his band succeeded in taking the city of Freiburg im Breisgau , where the city council was forced to join the “Christian Association” of farmers. This success does not hide the fact that the triumphant advance was drawing to a close. In those days the farmers at Böblingen in Württemberg, in Königshofen , at Saverne by Duke Anton II and at Frankenhausen in Thuringia were decisively defeated in the battle of Frankenhausen . The situation became increasingly difficult for the troops in the southern Black Forest. Müller tried to take Radolfzell with his group . However, he had to break off the siege on July 1, 1525 due to dwindling support (around 10,000 men against a cavalry of 8,000 men under the leadership of Mark Sittich von Hohenems ). Around 24 villages in Hegau were then killed. Requested help together with Ulrich Albrecht by means of a letter of appeal to the confederates remained unsuccessful.

Hans Müller was able to escape again and hid himself on the Hohentwiel . When trying to get closer to the Klettgauer he was captured in Schaffhausen , but was soon released again. In Schopfheim he consulted with the Markgräflern and the Breisgauer. A little later, Müller was captured by Vogt Ulrich von Hapsberg on his way to the Klettgau in the Habsburg town of Laufenburg . After 40 days of imprisonment and torture, he was executed on August 12, 1525 by an executioner from Schaffhausen whom the Vogt had asked for.

He did not live to see the suppression of the peasant uprising in Grießen on November 4, 1525. After the suppression of all Aufbegehrungen who had to subjects of the Landgrave on July 12, 1525 Ewattingen the Atonement afford their Lord and worship .

Others

  • Hans Müller is the main character in Wolfgang Ernst Mildenberger's story Der Hauptmann vom Walde , which was printed in 1954 by the Volksbund für Dichtung .
  • Günter Koppenhöfer's novel “Hans Müller from Bulgenbach”, published in 1993, also records Müller's life story in free re-poetry.
  • The short sword of the folk hero was formerly bought by the poet, collector and local researcher Ferdinand Hasenfratz , restored and kept in an iron-studded chest on a red cloth surrounded by snail shells (which symbolize the beginning of the peasant uprising). It is still preserved today.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Website of the Hans-Mueller-Bulgenbach Association
  2. ↑ Richard van de Sandt: The southern Black Forest and its neighboring landscapes. Traveler's Notes. P. 114 ff.
  3. ↑ Richard van de Sandt: The southern Black Forest and its neighboring landscapes. Traveler's Notes. P. 114 ff.
  4. ↑ Richard van de Sandt: The southern Black Forest and its neighboring landscapes. Traveler's Notes. P. 114 ff.
  5. ^ Website of the Hans-Mueller-Bulgenbach Association
personal data
SURNAME Müller, Hans
ALTERNATIVE NAMES from Bulgenbach
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Peasant leaders in the German Peasants' War in 1525
DATE OF BIRTH around 1490
PLACE OF BIRTH Bulgenbach
DATE OF DEATH August 12, 1525
Place of death near Laufenburg (Baden) and Laufenburg AG , (at that time they belonged together)