Battle of Meiningen
| date | June 3, 1525 |
|---|---|
| place | near Meiningen and Drei 30acker |
| output | Victory of the Princely Troops |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
|
Princely troops |
|
| Commander | |
|
Hans Schnabel |
Elector Johann the Steadfast |
| Troop strength | |
| 7,000 | about 10,000 |
| losses | |
|
> 240 |
unknown |
The Battle of Meiningen was a battle between the Bildhäuser Haufen and princely troops as part of the German Peasants' War in the Würzburg monastery on a plateau near Meiningen and Drei 30acker in what is now southern Thuringia .
course
prehistory
During the Peasants 'War from mid-April 1525, the Würzburg town of Meiningen was allied with the farmers' army Bildhäuser Haufen , which included farmers from the northern bishopric of Würzburg and the county of Henneberg as well as citizens from Meiningen and other cities in the region. In mid-April, another peasant army , coming from Salzungen with almost 10,000 rebels, moved up the Werra valley with the Werrahaufen . On April 24th, the Werrahaufen appeared in Frauenbreitungen , plundered the nunnery there, and the Herrenbreiter monastery was also taken without a fight. The farmers in the surrounding villages now saw their chance to destroy the Frankenberg and Wallenburg forts . On April 27, the army, strengthened by further influx, stood in front of the walls of the city of Schmalkalden. The city was in a state of defense, but the majority of the councilors did not want to agree to a siege, secretly they hoped to achieve the status of a free imperial city after defeating the Henneberg and Hessian rulers . Therefore, with the disempowerment and expulsion of the bailiffs in Schmalkalden, there was a one-day inner-city revolt, which was initially directed against the Jewish bankers and merchants living in the city (promissory notes had to be paid); At the same time, some of the dispossessed residents gained access to the Augustinian monastery at Schmiedhof and plundered the estates and courtyards of the collegiate clergy. As the heap's rent master, the Schmalkalder sickle smith Stefan Mann judged unpopular citizens in standing trials. Mayor Christoph Müller joined the peasant army as a captain and strengthened the armed forces with firearms and ammunition from the city armory. On April 30th, the Schmalkalder Council recognized the 12 articles of Memmingen . The withdrawal of the Werra heap, with an armed force that had grown to around 13,000 men, began on the morning of May 1, 1525.
On May 2, 1525, the Werrahaufen arrived at the “Lower Gate” of the town of Meiningen and stopped here, as the town was already allied with the Bildhäuser Haufen. One day later they forced the sovereign of the county of Henneberg, Count Wilhelm IV of Henneberg-Schleusingen (1478–1559) to recognize the farmers' “12 articles”. The Werra heap then dissolved. After the battle at Frankenhausen was won , a strong royal army led by Elector Johann the Steadfast moved south via Eisenach and Meiningen with the aim of Coburg , in order to protect the nobles who had fled there and to put down the uprisings in the Franconian areas .
The battle
On June 2, 1525, the princely troops reached Walldorf north of Meiningen. Because of this threatening situation, the Meiningen people called the Bildhäuser Haufen stored near Mellrichstadt for help, which then immediately moved to Meiningen with 7,000 men. On June 3, 1525, near Drei 30acker, west of the town of Meiningen, an advance guard with numerous transport and wine wagons was attacked by units of Count Wilhelm IV von Henneberg. They killed over 40 insurgents and then fled to Walldorf with several captured wagons from the approaching peasant army.
The peasant army, warned by the large number of princely troops, hurriedly began building a wagon castle on the “Bielstein” hill near Meiningen in order to entrench themselves. Before they were completed, they were attacked by the princely troops who reached the plateau through the Haßfurtgrund . The Bildhäuser Haufen had only 17 light artillery pieces at their disposal, with the help of which the peasants withstood the hostile superiority with their cavalry and heavy artillery for a long time. They killed numerous sticks and the chief gunner of the princely army. In the evening, however, after the loss of over 200 men and many hundreds of injuries, caused in particular by the heavy princely artillery, the peasant army had to retreat behind the protective walls of the town of Meiningen, leaving behind some artillery. Chief Captain Schnabel wanted to leave the city with his army the following night, but was persuaded by his comrades to stay. In view of the overwhelming strength of the princely troops and the hopeless situation, the city of Meiningen had to surrender two days later on June 5, 1525.
consequences
A delegation of city councils and representatives of the peasant army asked Elector Johann for his protection for the city and the peasants, which he also granted. The picture houses heap then quickly dissolved. To put the elector in a mild mood, citizens of Meiningen appointed Captain Hans Schnabel as well as Hans Scharr and other leaders. They were handed over by the elector to Count Wilhelm, who held them prisoner in Maßfeld Castle in the county of Henneberg. As an act of punishment, the Meiningen municipal council was deposed by Würzburg Bishop Konrad II von Thüngen and replaced by his authorities, with the result that the city lost its independence. High claims for damages and punishments were made against the towns and farmers involved. The fallen of the peasant army found their final resting place in the Drei 30backer Friedhof.
Executions
After the suppression of the Peasant War in the Würzburg monastery , Bishop Konrad II von Thüngen held criminal courts against the leaders of the rebels in numerous cities under his rule. On June 30, 1525, the following 14 people, including the Meiningen pastor, were executed in Meiningen :
- Sess Hanns
- Fleming Claus
- Kellermann Michel
- Pfennfer Philips
- Marolt Petter
- Rothemel Hans
- Munck Georg
- Curlew Petter
- Eckstain Dietz
- Diemar Mychel
- Landlord Hans
- Schnartz Georg
- Pfannenschmidt from Nuremberg
- Fritz Georg von Vachdorf
The leaders of the Bildhäuser Haufen, Hans Schnabel and Hans Scharr, were executed on July 3, 1525 in Mellrichstadt .
literature
- Lorenz Fries : The History of the Peasant War in East Franconia . Publishing house of the historical association of Lower Franconia, Würzburg 1883.
- Wilhelm Zimmermann, Wilhelm Blos (ed.). Great German Peasants' War. Publishing house by JBW Dietz, Stuttgart 1891.
- Count Wilhelm IV von Henneberg-Schleusingen: Correspondence and letters from May / June 1525. Meiningen State Archives.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Wilhelm Zimmermann, Wilhelm Blos (eds.). Great German Peasants' War. Publishing house by JBW Dietz, Stuttgart 1891.
- ↑ a b Meiningen City Archives
- ^ Walter Clemen: Schmalkalden in the peasant war . In: Schmalkalder history sheets. Schmalkalden 1994, No. 1, pp. 43-45.
- ↑ a b Lorenz Fries: The history of the peasant war in East Franconia . Publishing house of the historical association of Lower Franconia, Würzburg 1883.
Coordinates: 50 ° 34 ′ 20.1 ″ N , 10 ° 23 ′ 59 ″ E