Marx Röist

Marx Röist (born July 29, 1454 in Zurich ; † June 15, 1524 there ) was a Zurich mayor and the second in command of the Papal Swiss Guard .

Life

Born as the son of Heinrich Röist and Verena Kuon, he belonged to Zurich's rich political elite. The family originally came from Kilchberg and had been naturalized in Zurich since the 14th century. Röist was married twice. He married his first wife, Anna Meyer von Knonau, on August 6, 1500. The marriage resulted in two children, both of whom died at a young age. With his second wife Elisabeth Klingler he had six children, including his son Kaspar, who later succeeded him as commander of the papal guard in Rome. Röist began his political career in 1476 as mayor of the city court. In the same year he was knighted after the battle of Murten . From 1489 he represented the Konstaffel in the Grand Council and from 1493 he was Seckelmeister . He was also a member of the Small Council and was Imperial Bailiff of Altstetten from 1498 .

In 1505, like his father before him, Röist was elected mayor of Zurich and was now at the head of the city. He was involved in the majority of the federal diets and conferences that took place in Zurich between 1500 and 1520. Internationally, in 1499 he led a federal embassy to the court of Louis XII. where he negotiated a new mercenary alliance with France . In 1512 he led another delegation to Pope Julius II with the same goal and the same result. Röist played an important role militarily or politically in all federal campaigns. He commanded the federal troops at the Battle of Marignano in 1515. When the defeat of the Confederates was certain, it was Röist, himself also wounded, who commanded and directed the orderly retreat.

After the death of the first commandant, Pope Leo X. wanted Röist to succeed the Swiss Guard. His choice was not accidental. Until the Reformation, Zurich was one of the few cities that reliably supported papal politics in Switzerland. The ulterior motive was that with the election of Röist, Zurich should be tied even closer to the Papal States. Röist initially did not want to accept because of his old age. By persuading the Pope, his legates and the Grand Council of Zurich, he finally accepted the appointment. His condition was that he could remain mayor of Zurich, which he was granted. In addition, he only wanted to hold the office for a short time, after which it was to be passed on to one of his sons. Röist never made it to Rome, however . During his trip there, he had to turn back in Chur for health reasons. His son Kaspar Röist took over the post of captain, Marx Röist remained titular commander until his death.

With Huldrych Zwingli , Röist agreed on most religious questions of the Reformation in Zurich, with the exception of the veneration of images . Removing the pictures from the church was out of the question for him. Röist died on June 15, 1524. On the same day, the Zurich Council issued the mandate that led to the iconoclasm , which Zwingli advocated.

literature

• Remo Ankli: Kaspar Röist and the Swiss Guard in the Sacco di Roma: bodyguards of the Pope from the Zwingli city. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung, May 6, 2002. NZZ Online .
• Urban Fink: Shepherd's staff and halberd. The Pontifical Swiss Guard in Rome 1506–2006. Theological Verlag, Zurich 2006, ISBN 978-3-290-20033-6 , pp. 77-78.
• Martin Lassner: Röist, Marx. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
• Paul M. War: The Swiss Guard in Rome. Verlag Räber & Cie AG, Lucerne 1960, pp. 30–31.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Fink: Shepherd's staff and halberd. P. 77.
2. ^ War: Swiss Guard in Rome p. 31.
3. ↑ Lassner: Marx Röist.
4. ^ War: Swiss Guard in Rome p. 30.
5. ^ Ankli: Swiss Guard .
6. ^ War: Swiss Guard in Rome p. 30.
7. ^ Ankli: Swiss Guard .
8. ↑ Lassner: Marx Röist.