Waldenfels feud

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The Waldenfels Feud was a feud between family members of the von Waldenfels against the imperial cities of Nuremberg , Windsheim and Rothenburg in the years 1441 to 1446.

Occasion and attack on Nuremberg property

The feud was triggered by a dispute that broke out in the Bamberg drinking room. Fritz von Waldenfels († 1450), son of Caspar von Waldenfels and brother of Hans († 1470), was insulted and threatened in the presence of the Bamberg bishop von Windsheimer and Rothenburg councilors and opened the feud. On the way he captured Windsheim citizens and made booty. Despite mediation efforts by Margrave Johann , the Windsheim prisoners at Lichtenberg Castle were not released for the ransom demanded. Even King Friedrich III. set a court day because he did not tolerate the action of Fritz von Waldenfels against the imperial cities. It is not known whether the court was held; in any case, there was no result. Fritz von Waldenfels attacked a train of goods that he had brought to Wartenfels Castle . Now Nuremberg announced that it was a co-owner of this goods train. Fritz von Waldenfels also sent a feud letter to Nuremberg because he himself wanted to assert open claims to the Imhoff family by selling a house in Kulmbach .

In addition to the brothers Fritz and Hans von Waldenfels, Balthasar von Watzdorf , Friedrich von Landsberg, Hans von Streitberg , Nickel von Dorbenck and other Upper Franconian and Vogtland nobles joined the feud against Nuremberg. The attack on Nuremberg property was mainly directed against various farms that were pillaged. Followers of the spoon wood in Wisent and Wotzendorf were also affected . Even Georg von Waldenfels, who was wealthy in the Brandenburg area, seized Nuremberg merchants in Frankfurt an der Oder .

Counterattack from Nuremberg

Nuremberg was preparing for a counterattack that would penetrate into the Waldenfels original area and damage localities and fortifications considerably. Aside from Windsheim and Rothenburg, inquiries from Nuremberg found no further supporters, especially from the neighboring imperial cities. Local nobles from what is now Upper Franconia offered their services in anticipation of a profitable business, but only a few opening contracts were signed by Nuremberg .

On February 26, 1444, 168 riders set off from Nuremberg, well equipped with wagons, military equipment and other accompanying persons, including cooks, trumpeters, a farrier and a doctor. The captains were Werner von Parsberg , Erhard Schürstab the Younger , Mathäs von Mengersreuth and Nicklas Grieß, who originally lived in Lichtenberg. On the way, a few peasants were made to do military service.

In Stadtsteinach , the Waldenfels castle was robbed. Wartenfels Castle , which was only guarded by three servants, was captured, looted and razed together with the tower. The war people reached Lichtenberg via Naila along the Selbitz . Several farms were set on fire along the way.

In Lichtenberg, Hans von Waldenfels was able to push back the attackers with 70 riders. In the city, the residents lit fires in various places so as not to give the Nuremberg residents any booty, supplies or bases, and they withdrew to the castle. The people of Nuremberg set up camp on the way to Steben . The castle was besieged and shot at, even with heavy equipment from the ruins of the church. The siege finally had to be abandoned: the supply of food that had to be brought from Hof was laborious. The troops were not prepared for the heavy snowfall and the cold. The forcibly recruited farmers fled. Meanwhile, Fritz von Waldenfels had also raised troops in Eger and was approaching for relief. Objects of siege were left in the city. In the Teutsches Paradeis , Will wrote an 11-stanza long mocking poem about the inglorious withdrawal .

Further course and effects

In Nuremberg, aristocrats who had been wrongly affected by the fighting, filed claims for damages, including family members of those von Waldenfels who were previously uninvolved, but who were not considered. While Hans and Fritz von Waldenfels undertook further raids and were declared outlawed in Nuremberg , Waldenfels scouts were tortured and executed. They were judged with the sword and placed on the wheel . Other nobles in Nuremberg credibly assured that they had not been involved, while others spoke out of the Waldenfelsers.

In 1445 Hans and Fritz were taken prisoner by the Bamberg bishop near Forchheim . Duke Wilhelm of Saxony and several counts unsuccessfully campaigned for their release. With the mediation of the Landgrave of Hesse and the Margraves Johann and Albrecht, the brothers in Schweinfurt vowed Urfehde and went into the fiefdom of Brandenburg-Kulmbach . In margravial services, Fritz von Waldenfels became bailiff at Hohenberg Castle and Hans became captain of the court .

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Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Müllner: The Annals of the Imperial City of Nuremberg (...) . P. 369.