Battle of Pfeddersheim
| date | 23 ./ 24 . June 1525 |
|---|---|
| place | near Pfeddersheim (Worms) |
| output | Victory for the princely troops |
| consequences | Hard conditions for the farmers |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
|
Palatinate peasant heaps |
|
| Commander | |
|
(without) |
|
| Troop strength | |
| The troop strengths were roughly equal. | |
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The Battle of Pfeddersheim was a battle during the German Peasants' War that took place near Pfeddersheim in June 1525 . Several thousand farmers lost their lives.
prehistory
In and around Worms , peasant and civil unrest began at the end of April 1525. They reached their climax in May of that year. In 13 articles, the city authorities had to bow down and make concessions within four days.
These articles related to three areas: On the one hand, the religious area, which demanded a fair and unadulterated preaching of the Gospel and the free choice of pastors and preachers by parishioners. On the other hand, on the economic area, where it was demanded that interest , pensions and other goods that were to be paid to the clergy should be deemed to have been redeemed if the main sum had been paid in triplicate. The farmers also demanded permission to hunt , fish and remove wood from the forests and commons . The constitutional article finally demanded that the RCAUTION was lifted in 1519 and the documents would be destroyed. All privileges of the clergy, even if they came from emperors, kings and popes, were declared extinguished. The clergy now also had to take over or pay hat , watch , treasury , cash and department store money. In Pfeddersheim, the clergy , the nobility and monasteries held a good third of the arable fields. The clergy in particular owned the most valuable arable land.
The farmers in the region had previously joined the southwest German uprising due to excessive taxes and attacked, plundered and devastated numerous aristocratic and monastic estates. The citizens of Pfeddersheim were inclined to take part in the uprisings. It was hoped that the social situation would improve. So it was very easy for the rebellious peasants to take possession of Pfeddersheim.
Elector Ludwig V of the Palatinate, for his part, returned to his rule with his army as quickly as possible after the conquest of Würzburg in order to put an end to the movement here as well.
battle
Troops and armaments
Both armies were numerically about the same, but the farmers were significantly weaker in terms of equipment and military training. They were armed with lances , morning stars , spears , cans and farm implements ( pitchforks , scythes , flails ). Some peasants also had captured artillery with them. They had no military leader who could coordinate the troops and give them direction, aim, and thrust. There were leaders among the peasants, but they could not assert themselves beyond the borders of their homeland.
The princely army had access to armories . The princely mercenaries were militarily trained and better armed. They performed several Kartaunen , Sharp Metzen , Notschlangen, culverins , half snakes and falconets with it. In addition, Elector Ludwig had several rider flags of 150 men each.
Before the battle
After the princely troops had moved to Pfeddersheim, Marshal Wilhelm von Habern and Schenk Eberhard von Erbach had artillery and infantry take up position on a hill in the north a short distance from the city. Then the defense systems of Pfeddersheim were shelled. The insurgents responded with their artillery. The mutual shelling was fruitless.
The Palatinate Army then set up observation posts to find out what the farmers would do next. Cannons, which were otherwise used in the background of the battle, were placed relatively close around the city. Small flags were also formed, which were posted on a hill southwest of Pfeddersheim to watch the farmers.
After troops were set up both in the north and in the south-west, the siege ring around Pfeddersheim closed almost completely with the construction of the camp in the west . The east was not besieged because there was no exit from the city. An additional camp, in which the cook, the food truck and later Elector Ludwig settled, was set up outside the siege ring. The servants settled between this camp and the Pfrimm River .
Course of the battle
Shortly after the last camp was occupied, a small troop of farmers came out of the west gate of the city. Then another 7,000 men stormed out of the gate and invaded the western apron, possibly in order to be able to easily defeat the cavalry troops encamped there. When that did not succeed because they exceeded the troop strength and fighting power of the peasants, they withdrew to the Wingartberg, from where they fired at the main cavalry forces with artillery. Since the princely troops did not know where the farmers would go from the mountain, they waited first.
When the peasant troops then stormed from the southern slope of the mountain towards the main power of the prince, Marshal von Habern came to the command of the field captain and placed his troops behind the main power. The regrouped artillery immediately fired at the attackers. Since the peasants again saw themselves inferior, they tried to flee into the city. The princely troops used cavalry squadrons and sticks to prevent this, so that numerous farmers were unable to escape into the city. A total of almost 4,000 farmers were stopped, who were either stabbed or strangled on the spot. Farmers also tried to get into the city through other city gates. Some farmers tried to escape to Worms. In the final phase of the fight, many farmers holed up in the St. Georgenberg monastery , which was therefore completely devastated.
As night fell, three pennants, 1,500 servants and 1,000 twigs were set up around Pfeddersheim. The next morning guns were set up near the town and bombardment began. After three hours and 262 shots fired, the peasants capitulated and the princely army had won the battle.
After the battle
On June 25th, all peasants who were not subjects of the Palatinate should leave the city unarmed. About 3,000 obeyed the order. Despite warning, many seized the first opportunity to escape for fear of punishment. The attempt to escape failed, however, and the soldiers caused another bloodbath that killed 800 people. 30 ringleaders were immediately beheaded, the other farmers were released back home with strict conditions.
Then the princely troops occupied the city. The remaining farmers had to assemble in the churchyard , 180 leaders were locked in the church . The Pfeddersheim citizens had to guard them. For every peasant who escaped, they were warned, a citizen had to give his life. The residents had to surrender all those who were in hiding by the next morning. 24 leaders were executed. All other peasants were released against payment.
The Pfeddersheimers were also severely punished. Four of their leaders were beheaded. The city was subject to severe conditions: it had to pay high taxes, hand over all weapons and forego its letters of freedom .
memory
Even today, the road that leads from Pfeddersheim to the north in the direction of Mörstadt (Georg-Scheu-Strasse) is popularly known as "Bluthohl". The name comes from the fact that it is said that the battle raged on the higher fields in such a way that the blood of the fallen had congealed over this path into the city.
literature
- Manfred Bensing , Siegfried Hoyer : The German Peasants' War 1524–1526 . 4th edition. Military publishing house of the GDR, Berlin 1982, ( Brief military history. Wars ).
Individual evidence
- ^ Julius Bernhard Engelmann: The renewed Merian or prehistory and present on the Rhine , Heidelberg, 1826, p. 252; Scan from the source
- ^ City of Worms: Great German Peasants' War 1525; The Battle of Pfeddersheim , accessed on Jul 17, 2020