Foelke Kampana (1355 – c. 1418), also known as Foelke the Cruel, was a Frisian noble. She served as regent for the Frisian territories Oldeborg,

Brokmerland The Brokmerland is a landscape and an historic territory, located in western East Frisia, which covers the area in and around the present-day communities of Brookmerland and Südbrookmerland. The Brokmerland borders in the east on the Harlingerl ...

Auricherland The Auricherland was an historic region, in central East Frisia, which covered a large area around the town of Aurich in north Germany. The Auricherland bordered in the west on the Brokmerland, in the north on the Norderland and the Harlingerland ...

and

Emsigerland The Emsigerland, or Emderland was a historic region on the western edge of East Frisia by the Wadden Sea, which covered a wide area around the town of Emden. The Emsigerland borders in the north on the Federgau, in the northeast on the Brokmerland ...

East Frisia East Frisia or East Friesland (german: Ostfriesland; ; stq, Aastfräislound) is a historic region in the northwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is primarily located on the western half of the East Frisian peninsula, to the east of West Frisia ...

in 1400 during the absence of her son Keno II and in 1417 during the minority of her grandson Ocko II. Born in

Hinte Hinte is a village and a municipality in the district of Aurich, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 20 km south of Norden Norden is a Scandinavian and German word, directly translated as "the North". It may refer to: Pl ...

, Foelke was the daughter of Frisian Kempo von Hinte, chief of Westerburg van Hinte, and married in 1377 to Frisian knight

Ocko I tom Brok Ocko I tom Brok (de Broke) (about 1345–1389) followed his father Keno I tom Brok as chieftain of the Brokmerland and the Auricherland in East Frisia, a former territory on Germany's North Sea coast. According to tradition, he lived in the 1370s ...

(d. 1389), lord of Oldeborg, and chief of Brockmerland, Auricherland and Emsigerland in East Frisia. In 1389, her spouse fell in battle fighting on the side of the count of Holland. Foelke had tried to assist them, and raised her own army to aid him, but when she arrived, he was already dead. During her absence,

Aurich Aurich (; East Frisian Low Saxon: ''Auerk'', West Frisian: ''Auwerk'', stq, Aurk) is a town in the East Frisian region of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Aurich and is the second largest City in East Frisia, both i ...

was captured by an enemy, who barricaded himself in the church. Foelke retook Aurich with her army and executed two hundred prisoners. Because her son Keno was still a minor, Widzel tom Brok, an older illegitimate son of her late spouse, succeeded his father as chieftain. During his ten-year rule, he aligned himself with Folkmar Allena, a traditional enemy of his father. Widmer died in a feud in April 1399. Her son, Keno II, was by then of legal majority. Foelke acted as his political adviser, until Keno's death in 1417. She then briefly became regent until her grandson Ocko came of age that same year. Foelke died soon after in Aurich and was buried there.Martha Kist
Kampana, Foelke
in ''Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland.'' The court historian

Eggerik Beninga Eggerik Beninga (1490–1562), also known as Eggeric(k) Benninga or Benynga, was an East Frisian chronicler and steward of the Leerort Fortress. From 1540 to 1556 he was also counselor to Anna of Oldenburg. He wrote an account of the history of the ...

(1490–1562), who was related to the Allena family, who competed for power with the Tom Brok family, introduced a number of legends about her in his ''Chronica der Fresen'' which led to her becoming an icon of cruelty. Some of the stories appear to be based on real atrocities committed by Keno II, which were transferred to his strong-willed mother.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kampana, Foelke 1355 births 1418 deaths 14th-century women rulers 15th-century women rulers Foelke People from Aurich (district) Women in medieval European warfare Women in 15th-century warfare 14th-century people of the Holy Roman Empire 15th-century people of the Holy Roman Empire