Knight of the Golden Spur

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Spurs on a knight epitaph in Milan, 15th century

The knights of the golden spur , lat. (Singular) eques auratus , more rarely miles auratus (literally: "gilded" or "gold decorated knight", complete: eques auratus Sancti Romani Imperii ), plural equites or milites aurati , were in the Holy Roman Empire , persons made a knight by the ruler. It was an elite of officials, consisting mainly of members of the lower nobility, but also of members of the bourgeoisie and the nobility.

history

Gold spurs, depiction from the 15th century
Papal Order of the Golden Spur with attached gold spur
Franz Joseph of Austria at the investiture of the Knights of the Golden Spur at his Hungarian coronation, 1867
Hungarian commemorative symbol of the Knights of the Golden Spur , 1918

In the Holy Roman Empire and many other European countries, people who were raised to knights by the ruler by means of a sword or accolade were called knights of the golden spur or knights of the golden spur from ancient times . Usually the status was raised on the occasion of a ceremony, such as the coronation or a Reichstag. The name refers to the golden spurs that the knight was now allowed to wear and were, so to speak, his identification mark . In addition, the people had the right to wear gold-plated armor and a gold chain ( collar ) around their necks. Those so honored received the rank not necessarily because of their knighthood, but because of special achievements. It was always a personal honor that was not inheritable, the title holders did not form an order. In addition to the emperor or king, a specially authorized imperial count palatine (“Comes palatinus Caesareus”) was able to raise the rank to “eques auratus” . In the free imperial cities , this honor was also increasingly available to members of the bourgeois patriciate consisting of long-distance traders, bankers and councilors, as there was no competition there from the nobility for this form of honor. The heyday of this knightly relationship network is based on current knowledge of research in the first half of the 16th century under Emperor Charles V .

For the first time one learns of the knights of the golden spur under King Charles I of Anjou , who in 1266, after the victorious battle of Benevento , founded an order of the knights of the golden spur , which, however, came back after his death and of which the sign of the order is not known. Regardless of the formal foundation, the golden spurs were considered to be outstanding insignia of the knighthood and provided the name of the order as early as the 13th century.

At the same time, the popes also awarded this title to Germans and foreigners. Paul III (1468–1549) granted his nephews, the dukes of Sforza , counts of Santa Fiora , the privilege of appointing knights of the golden spur . The regular papal order of the golden spur , with its own sign of the order, also existed around that time ; today the second highest order for services to the Roman Catholic Church . As 300 years before, with the Knightly Order of the Golden Spur of Charles of Anjou, this order designation is based on the golden spurs as a symbol of the knighthood and a golden spore is therefore attached to the cross below.

In the Holy Roman Empire, knights of the golden spur were appointed until its dissolution (1806) . The bearers of the earlier title were recognized as knights in the successor state of Austria (May 14, 1817), but the title " Knight of the Holy Roman Empire " was prohibited (April 10, 1816, October 6, 1847). In the Habsburg Monarchy , the old elevation to knight of the golden spur was continued , as was common in the Roman-German Empire. At the coronation ceremony for King of Hungary , knights of the golden spur were regularly appointed, the last time in 1916. As in the old empire, this was a personal survey and the knights did not form a formal religious society with statutes. For the 47 knights of the golden spur named in 1916 , Emperor and King Karl of Austria donated a portable commemorative badge on April 21, 1918 in order to make the granted knighthood recognizable. It was called the Memorial Sign for the Knights of the Golden Spur and was framed by a golden spore. It was expressly emphasized that it was not a question of a medal, but only of the external identification of the knighthood awarded.

Another occurrence

Great Britain

In Great Britain especially in the 16./17. Century the knight bachelor raised to the personal nobility the title "Eques auratus" (Eq. Aur.) , Z. B. Thomas Bodley , Isaac Newton or Christopher Wren . Originally, the award was associated with the privilege of being able to gild the armor.

Sweden

In Sweden, the knights of the North Star Order , founded in 1748, bear the title "Eques auratus de stella polari" , e.g. B. Carl von Linné .

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Robert von Spalart, Jakob Kaiserer: Attempt on the costume of the most excellent peoples of antiquity , 3rd part, p. 58 u. 59, Vienna, 1804; (Digital scan)
  2. ^ Hermann Meynert : History of the War and the Army Constitutions in Europe , Volume 1, p. 285, Vienna, 1868; (Digital scan)
  3. ^ Johann Samuelansch , Johann Gottfried Gruber : General Encyclopedia of Sciences and Arts , First Section, 73rd Part, p. 240, Leipzig, Brockhaus Verlag, 1861; (Digital scan)
  4. ↑ Ibid
  5. ^ Gustav Andreas Tammann and Engelbert Hommel: The medals and decorations of Konrad Adenauer , Stiftung Bundeskanzler-Adenauer-Haus, Verlag Gottschalk-Graphik, Bad Honnef, 1999, pp. 90–93, ISBN 3-9806090-1-4
  6. ↑ Elek Fényes: Hungary in the Vormärz: After basic forces, constitution, administration and culture , Leipzig, 1851, p. 178; (Digital scan)