Saxon feud

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The dispute between the East Frisian Count Edzard I and Georg von Sachsen in the years 1514–1517 is called the Saxon feud . The acts of war took place mainly on East Frisian soil and destroyed entire areas.

prehistory

Count Edzard I around 1520/30. Painting by Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen .
George the Bearded between 1534 and 1539. Workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder .

In 1488, Duke Albrecht the Brave of Saxony (Meißen) went to the liberation of the Roman-German King Maximilian I, who had been captured by the citizens of Bruges , against the rebellious Flanders . Maximilian had then given him the governorship of the Netherlands . In 1498, as a reward for coping with the same and as a replacement for the costs incurred , he had received the heirloom ownership of Friesland , which he had demanded , but whose sub-areas from Westergo to Sylt he would have had to subjugate by force of arms. Only Count Edzard von Ostfriesland had paid homage to him in October 1499, after he had previously promised not to touch the county of Ostfriesland.

From then on Albrecht concentrated on asserting his claim to power over the Frisians between the mouth of the Emsm and the Zuiderzee as well as the city of Groningen and the surrounding area.

While he had rushed to Leipzig to attend a state parliament , the Frisians living west of the Ems rose again and besieged his second son, Heinrich , who had been left behind in Franeker . Albrecht rushed to the head of an army, freed Heinrich, but died on September 12, 1500 in Emden after the conquest of Groningen . Heinrich then inherited Friesland, but signed a two-year contract with his brother Georg on April 27, 1501 . In it they agreed the joint government of East Frisia. In 1503 Georg took over sole government and in 1504 he was paid homage to all Frisian lands by the estates, to which he presented his brother's deed of assignment, as governor ( eternal governor ). On May 30, 1505, Heinrich finally renounced the land in a contract with his brother and contented himself with ruling over two offices in the Ore Mountains .

Above all in Groningen , however, there was resistance to the rule of George. The city did not submit to Saxony, which led to Georg's power base also crumbling in Westlauwerschen Friesland (today's province of Friesland ). Together with his ally Edzard, he besieged the city from April 1505. A year later, the siege was still going on. In the meantime, however, the blockade had an effect, so that the residents were starving. In order to blow up the siege ring, they made an alliance with Edzard on April 25, 1506 and offered him to place themselves under his suzerainty. The Ommelande also submitted to the East Frisians - an offer that Edzard gladly accepted, breaking his previous alliance with the Saxon Wettins , as he had been planning for some time to expand his domain towards the west. He explained to Georg that he would take over the rule in the name of the "hilligen Rykes", although he had no commission. In order to weaken Georg further, he instigated the Westlauwerschen Frisians to revolt against the Saxons.

When this became known in 1512, George urged the emperor, the imperial ban and excommunication to impose Edzard. After a long hesitation, Maximilian complied with this request in autumn 1513. Georg then began planning a campaign against the East Frisians. He won Count Johann von Oldenburg and the Dukes of Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Wolfenbüttel as the most important ally. This was only superficially a matter of implementing the imperial ban. Rather, Edzard's policy of conquest stood in opposition to her ambitions to secure rule over Frisian coastal areas.

course

The Saxon feud began on January 17, 1514, when a coalition of 24 German dukes and counts under the leadership of Duke Heinrich von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel marched into the Frisian lands with their troops.

Since the Dukes of Saxony initially waived the military enforcement of their claims to the Frisian territories east and northeast of East Frisia and Edzard had to prepare for an attack on East Frisia, Count Johann V of Oldenburg, who was also allied with Georg, had the opportunity to meet his County to provide access to the North Sea. Edzard found himself exposed to a two-front war that he could not possibly survive. He therefore focused on securing his power base in the west while leaving the areas in the east, particularly Butjadingen and Stadland , to their own devices. In 1514 Johann V von Oldenburg attacked the Butjadinger Frisians and finally defeated them in the battle of the Hartwarder Landwehr . There were around 1,100 Frisians and around 6,200 fighters from the Welfisch-Oldenburg associations (including around 2,200 Oldenburg soldiers). After bloody battles, the Frisians finally withdrew to Langwarden , where they were finally defeated.

On January 20, 1514, Georg's military leader Hugo von Leisnig, bypassing the well-protected cities of Groningen and Appingedam, invaded East Frisia with a large part of his army and had several places plundered there. For the time being, however, he avoided a direct confrontation with Edzard, as he was still waiting for reinforcements from Braunschweig troops, who had since returned to the Oldenburger Land. Bad weather hindered the advance of George, so that he did not arrive in Oldenburg until February 5, 1514 and there united his troops with those of his allies. A small part of George's troops, a total of around 1,800 men, had stayed in the Aduard Monastery , located about eight kilometers northwest of the city, and threatened Groningen. Nevertheless, the citizens refused a request from the emperor to renounce Edzard and open their gates to the Saxons.

During this time, the Bishop Erich von Münster, together with his brother Johannes , the Bishop of Hildesheim , two mayors of Münster and other men, started a first attempt at mediation between the warring parties. However, the meeting they organized failed on March 3rd in Meppen. The acts of war continued meanwhile. While the Groningers attacked a neighboring monastery, which had served the Saxons as a base for attack and destroyed the infrastructure in the area, the Saxons moved over the Jeverland to East Frisia. There they plundered several villages before setting up camp in Wittmund. Edzard wanted to attack them there, but was greeted by cannon shots from Wittmund Castle as they approached. His old ally Hero Ohmken clearly showed him that he had changed sides. Edzard then had to retire to Aurich.

In the months that followed, the opponents continued their argument with undiminished severity, without seeking direct confrontation. While the Saxons were conquering the Friedeburg, Edzard initially had Jever plundered and pillaged, as his opponents had organized their supplies through the rule. While his opponents let the fighting rest during Easter, Edzard used the ceasefire for extensive troop movements. He crossed the Ems with 800 mercenaries and 2,000 men of his own on 40 ships and recaptured lost ground there. When the city of Groningen organized raids in the area again, the Saxons withdrew to Aduard. During this time, an attempt to mediate by the imperial commissioner Georg Eberhard von Königstein failed. In April 1514 the emperor took the Groninger under imperial ban.

Edzard meanwhile followed the Saxons to Aduard, whom he wanted to attack. After minor skirmishes, however, he realized that the monastery was well secured and was also manned by a well-trained troop. He then retired to Emden to organize the resistance against the Saxons from there. Meanwhile, his opponents gathered at Jever. At the gates of the city they gathered a huge army, which according to Ubbo Emmius was around 20,000 men strong, and made their way to Aurich. The castle crew there fled from the attackers, but had the city burned down beforehand to prevent the enemy from establishing themselves there.

Meanwhile, the opponents pressed Edzard from all sides. While the Brunswick troops plundered through the Auricher and Moormerland in the direction of Stickhausen Castle , the combined Oldenburg, Esensian and Jeveran troops settled in Detern and Velde. The Count of Oldenburg and Hero Omken took Großsander Castle . Hero Omken moved on and destroyed all three castles in Dornum . The fortress Stickhausen went so lost. Edzard had to withdraw and had the Meerhusen monastery set on fire to cover his retreat .

On another front, Black Guard farmhands robbed the Coming Dune Broek . This was followed by the destruction of the Burmönken , Tjüchen , Leerhafe and Rispel . Altgödens Castle was destroyed and Kniphausen Castle was taken. In June the north was sacked and Bargebur, Lütetsburg and Berum plundered. The "Black Guard" then turned to Oldersum , where on June 14, 1514, a first battle took place. Under the leadership of the Junkers Ulrich von Dornum and Hicko von Oldersum , however, the defense of the patch succeeded. A second attempt to take the village failed on August 16, 1514. Georg meanwhile hurried from victory to victory in Westlauwerschen Friesland.

The siege of Leerort

Edzard's position became more and more difficult. Much of his county was now looted. Only Leer had so far been spared major acts of war. Edzard's opponents now set about occupying this spot too. Above all, however, their plans of attack were aimed at Leerort fortress . Attackers and defenders prepared for a longer siege. While Heinrich ordered of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel his troops on Plytenberg and at the Leda jumps to apply, the commander of the fort had two cannon to the opposite Emsufer create where Confederate soldiers under cover of a dike collected. In the following twelve days, the Braunschweiger shelled the fortress with 18 large guns. On June 22, 1514, the commandant of the fortress, Johann von Soest, was asked to surrender. The next day it seemed as if the Braunschweiger were preparing for the storm of the plant. In order to support their beleaguered compatriots in the fortress, the East Frisians opened fire from the other bank of the Ems. In the middle of the battle, the son of the gunner Sieke (or Schicke), Johann Jacobs, asked if he could fire one of the guns, a field snake . He set up the cannon, fired it and happened to fatally hit Heinrich von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. The Braunschweig troops, which had become leaderless as a result, then withdrew from East Frisia.

1515-1516

In 1515 the tide turned in favor of Edzard I. He recaptured Großsander Castle, while his follower Fulf von Kniphausen was able to take the Gutzwarden fortress in Butjadingen. George of Saxony sold his governorship for 100,000 guilders to the future German Emperor, Duke Karl of Burgundy . However, the conflict dragged on until 1517. In 1516 the hill near Detern was lost.

1517

At the beginning of 1517 Edzard I succeeded in retaking the Friedeburg. Charles V took up his rule in the Netherlands. The later emperor released Edzard from the imperial ban and renewed his enfeoffment with East Friesland, which ended the Saxon feud, as Edzard considered it hopeless to take up the fight with a Habsburg .

Effects

Edzard was forced to vacate Groningen and end his expansion plans. Inside he was now busy pacifying the chiefs. In terms of foreign policy, the Zeteler Peace between Duke Heinrich II of Braunschweig-Lüneburg , Count Johann V of Oldenburg and Edzard, Count of East Frisia, came about on December 3, 1517 , whereby the Frisian Wehde (Zetel, Driefel and Schweinbrück) finally came to Oldenburg. The Jeverans paid homage to Edzard and it was agreed to unite the Jeverland with the county of East Friesland. His son Enno II was supposed to marry Maria von Jever for this purpose . He lost Jeverland forever for East Frisia by not keeping his father's promise to marry.

Aurich had been completely destroyed during the turmoil of the Saxon feud. The city has now been rebuilt as planned. Aurich's position as an important cattle market was taken into account by moving it from today's Schlossplatz to the newly created (for a city of Aurich's size, unusually large) market square, which is still the center of the old town due to city extensions.

The conflict with Hero Omken continued until his death in 1522. Edzard tried to enforce the claims assured by the emperor on the Harlingerland and robbed the Harlingerland, which was only crowned with moderate success by the well-developed fortifications of Wittmund and Esens .

After the failure of the attempt to unite East Friesland with the province of Groningen, the Dutch and German parts of Friesland remained separate to this day.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Paul Baks: Albrecht the brave as hereditary governor and potentate of Friesland. Motives and course of his Frisian "adventure" . In: André Thieme (ed.): Duke Albrecht der Beherzte (1443–1500). A Saxon prince in the empire and in Europe . Cologne / Weimar / Vienna 2002, p. 105
  2. ^ Karl Cramer: The history of East Frisia: An overview . Oldenburg 2003. ISBN 3-89598-982-7 . P. 21
  3. ↑ Eckart Krömer; Heino Schmidt; Hajo van Lengen: East Frisia . Lower Saxony. State Center for Polit. Education, Hanover 1987 (series of publications by the Lower Saxony State Center for Political Education 5). P. 53.
  4. ^ Johann Samuelansch and JG Gruber: (Hrsg.): General Encyclopedia of Sciences and Arts edited in alphabetical order by the authors mentioned . Second section (HN). Leipzig 1828.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f Ingo Hashagen: 500 years ago: The Saxon feud . Part 1. In: Jeversches Wochenblatt , January 22, 2014
  6. ↑ Eckart Krömer; Heino Schmidt; Hajo van Lengen: East Frisia . Lower Saxony. State Center for Polit. Education, Hanover 1987 (series of publications by the Lower Saxony State Center for Political Education 5). P. 53.
  7. ↑ Gisela Möncke: The "beautiful Frisian war" of 1514 in contemporary journalism: pamphlets and song prints . P. 52. In: Yearbook of the Society for Fine Arts and patriotic antiquities to Emden . Volume 73/74 (1993/1994). Aurich 1994.
  8. ↑ Eckart Krömer; Heino Schmidt; Hajo van Lengen: East Frisia . Lower Saxony. State Center for Polit. Education, Hanover 1987 (series of publications by the Lower Saxony State Center for Political Education 5). P. 54.
  9. ↑ a b c d e f Ingo Hashagen: 500 years ago: The Saxon feud . Part 2. In: Jeversches Wochenblatt , February 4, 2014
  10. ^ Onno Klopp : History of East Frisia . Rümpler, Hanover 1854–1858. Volume 1. pp. 281f .
  11. ^ Johann Samuelansch and JG Gruber: (Hrsg.): General Encyclopedia of Sciences and Arts edited in alphabetical order by the authors mentioned . First section (AG). Leipzig 1828. p. 152.
  12. ↑ Ukfe Cremer: North through the ages. 1955. Reprint: Soltau-Kurier-Norden, Norden 2000., p. 34.

literature

  • HFW Perizonius : History of East Frisia. Edited from the best sources . 4 volumes. Risius, Weener 1868–1869, (reprint: Schuster, Leer 1974, ISBN 3-7963-0068-5 ).

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