Ludwig V of Lichtenberg

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Grave slab depicting Ludwig V.

Ludwig V. von Lichtenberg (* May 12, 1417 ; † February 25, 1471 ) was a member of the noble house of Lichtenberg and exercised - initially together with his older brother, Jakob von Lichtenberg (1416–1480) - the government over the rule of Lichtenberg out.

family

Ludwig was the son of Ludwig IV of Lichtenberg (1396-1434) and his wife, Margravine Anna von Baden (* March 15, 1399; ⚭ May 11, 1409; † after December 6, 1421), the second son from this marriage born.

Since the father of Jakob and Ludwig V died in 1434 and had previously been seriously ill for five years, a guardianship was initially set up for the two brothers - there were no other siblings - under Count Friedrich von Saar Werden , Jakob's future father-in-law which lasted until 1436.

government

Family conflict

As the younger son of his older brother, Jakob von Lichtenberg, he was the one with the greater political talent. Jacob, on the other hand, was more inclined to study alchemy and astrology . However, at first he was keen to keep his position as older brother without being able to fill it. This led to internal arguments between the brothers several times. The first is recorded for 1435. This should end a division of rule, which was brokered in 1440 by Margrave Jacob I of Baden . But that didn't prevent their relationship from being very conflict-prone throughout their lives.

However, when there was a threat of external interference in their rule, the brothers always stood together. B. in a feud that they led with the Counts of Leiningen for the office of Brumath in 1450/1451. The fight for the rights in and at Brumath was won by the Lichtenbergers in a battle near Reichshofen , capturing their opponents, Count Scharfried von Leiningen and Georg von Ochsenstein , and thus politically eliminating both for a long time. In addition, they had to cede areas to the rule of Lichtenberg, according to Ochsenstein: Pfaffenhofen , Niedermodern , Eckwersheim , the Mark Maursmünster and the castles Geroldseck and Scharrachbergheim. The Leiniger Count, who was therefore imprisoned until 1463, refused for a long time, but then had to cede the castles Gutenberg and Minfeld , the village of Wolfisheim and others to the Lichtenberg rule.

From the middle of the 15th century, Jakob increasingly withdrew from politics, so that Ludwig V practically exercised sole rule for about 20 years. Jacob's wife died in 1450 and he turned to the - not equal - Bärbel von Ottenheim . This now actually exercised Jacob's rights and thus became politically the opponent of Ludwig V. This led to the so-called women's war of Buchsweiler in 1462, as a result of which Bärbel had to leave the country. Jacob's reaction to seeking political closeness to the French king in 1463 responded to Ludwig V by allying himself with powers on the Upper Rhine, whose possibilities of influence were much closer than those of the French king. As a result, in 1466 Jakob had to cede the last powers to rule to his brother, who in return provided him with an annual pension.

Imperial politics

In 1454 Ludwig V represented the rule of Lichtenberg at the Reichstag in Regensburg .

Ludwig V cultivated relations with noble families in southwest Germany, but also with the court of the Duke of Burgundy , Philip the Good and Charles the Bold , where he was given an honorary position in 1465.

Ludwig V's personal attitude and church policy were shaped by a religiosity typical of the time: he relied on the veneration of relics and indulgences . He also made a pilgrimage to Rome in 1450 .

Territorial policy

From 1437 Ludwig V succeeded again and again in expanding the rule of Lichtenberg.

Settlement of the rule

From 1468/69, the sources of his political activities decrease drastically and a turn of his interests to the memorial cult of his family becomes clear. On the one hand this may have been due to health reasons (he dies in 1471) and on the other hand it was foreseeable that the Lichtenberg house would die out with him (he only had daughters) and his brother Jakob (whose marriage remained childless). That made a distinctive memorial for his family all the more urgent. In particular, it can be observed that he turned intensely to the cult of the patron saint of his family, Saint Adelphus . In 1468 he had the saint's tomb opened by Bishop Ruprecht of Strasbourg and had him confirm the completeness and authenticity of the relics. The abbot of the monastery, Hugo von Fegersheim , who had the power to dispose of the relics , prevented a further expansion of the cult of the saint by Ludwig V, for which he planned to remove the skull from the grave .

He also regulated his inheritance. In 1470 Ludwig V fell seriously ill and at the end of the year he tried to find a reconciliation with his brother, which was also achieved in early 1471, a few days before his death, and was widely recognized. An agreement was also reached to pass on the inheritance to the two sons-in-law of Ludwig V, Count Philipp I (the elder) of Hanau-Babenhausen and Count Simon Wecker of Zweibrücken-Bitsch , and to share it between them. Jakob organized an impressive burial for his brother: a total of 350 masses were read in all the churches in Strasbourg , seven of which were sung in the Strasbourg Cathedral , where the high mass also took place. These eight masses were celebrated by the noble abbots of the eight monasteries that were committed to the rule of Lichtenberg. The guests included the Elector and Count Palatine Philip , Margrave Karl I of Baden, an envoy of the Duke of Lorraine and the two sons-in-law of Ludwig V. The meal for the occasion was held for the nobles present at 26 tables in the Lichtenberger Hof , 1,500 in need in the City was fed and clothed on this occasion. Ludwig V was buried in the Neuweiler collegiate church of St. Adelphus. A tombstone depicting him in full armor is preserved in the Musée de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame in Strasbourg.

Even after the death of Ludwig V, Jacob no longer took over the de facto rule, but rather delegated it to his brother's two sons-in-law.

family

In 1441 Ludwig V married Elisabeth von Hohenlohe , daughter of Count Albrecht von Hohenlohe and Countess Elisabeth von Hanau . From this marriage there were two daughters:

  • Anna (1442–1474), married to Count Philipp I (the elder) von Hanau-Babenhausen, founder of the Hanau-Lichtenberg family and
  • Elisabeth (1444–1495), married to Count Simon Wecker von Zweibrücken-Bitsch.

literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ See for example the example given by Probst, p. 30, on the rescue of Westhofen .
  2. ↑ Gengenbach Abbey , Kloster Neuburg (at Hagenau), Kloster Ettenheimmünster , Abbey Neuweilerstrasse , Maursmünster , Kloster Stürzelbronn , Kloster Schwarzach and Schuttern Abbey .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Freytag von Loringhoven, p. 90.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Probst, p. 30.
  3. ↑ a b Eyer, p. 33.
  4. ↑ Eyer, p. 97ff.
  5. ↑ a b c d Probst, p. 32.
  6. ↑ Eyer, p. 34.
  7. ↑ Eyer, p. 35.
  8. ↑ Eyer, p. 74.
  9. ↑ Eyer, p. 75.
  10. ↑ Eyer, p. 35f.
  11. ↑ a b c Eyer, p. 36.
  12. ↑ a b c d e Probst, p. 31.
  13. ↑ Eyer, pp. 73ff.
  14. ↑ Probst, p. 33ff.
  15. ↑ Eyer, p. 37.
personal data
SURNAME Ludwig V of Lichtenberg
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Alsatian nobleman, Lord von Lichtenberg
DATE OF BIRTH May 12, 1417
DATE OF DEATH February 25, 1471