Hans von Sagan was a heroic figure from East Prussian folklore. Königsberg, Hans von Sagan, Schlacht bei Rudau 1370, Fahnenträger des XVII

Hans was said to be a journeyman

shoemaker Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or cobblers (also known as '' cordwainers''). In the 18th century, dozens or even hundreds of masters, journeymen ...

from the

Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was name ...

town of

Kneiphof Coat of arms of Kneiphof Postcard of Kneiphöfsche Langgasse Reconstruction of Kneiphof in Kaliningrad's museum Kneiphof (russian: Кнайпхоф; pl, Knipawa; lt, Knypava) was a quarter of central Königsberg (Kaliningrad). During the ...

. At a crucial point during the 1370

Battle of Rudau The Battle of Rudau (german: Schlacht bei Rudau, lt, Rūdavos mūšis) was a medieval pitched battle fought between the Teutonic Knights and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania on 17 or 18 February 1370 near Rudau village, north of Königsberg (now Me ...

between the

Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians o ...

and the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Lit ...

, Hans picked up the fallen standard of

Henning Schindekop Henning Schindekop (also Schindekopf) (ca. 1330 – 17 February 1370) was a high-ranking official of the Teutonic Knights. A native of Westphalia in the Holy Roman Empire, Schindekop was mentioned as a Teutonic brother in Königsberg in 1348 ...

and rallied the Teutonic forces to victory. When Grand Master

Winrich von Kniprode Winrich von Kniprode was the 22nd Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. He was the longest serving Grand Master, holding the position for 31 years (1351–1382). Winrich von Kniprode was born in 1310 in Monheim am Rhein near Cologne. He served a ...

asked Hans what he would like for a reward, the shoemaker requested that the burghers of Kneiphof annually receive beer from

Königsberg Castle The Königsberg Castle (german: Königsberger Schloss, russian: Кёнигсбергский замок, Konigsbergskiy zamok) was a castle in Königsberg, Germany (since 1946 Kaliningrad, Russia), and was one of the landmarks of the East Prussi ...

. This beer, traditionally granted on Ascension Day, became popularly known through Königsberg as ''Schmeckbier''.Albinus, p. 119 The Hans-Sagan-Denkmal was a memorial built before Kneiphof Town Hall, while an image of Hans was also used as a weathervane atop Königsberg Castle. The street Hans-Sagan-Straße ran from Stresemannstraße to Samitter Alle in Königsberg's northern

Tragheimer Palve Tragheimer Palve was first a suburb of and then a quarter of northern Königsberg, Germany. Its territory is now part of the Leningradsky District of Kaliningrad, Russia. Named after the Old Prussian village Tragheim, Tragheimer Palve was onc ...

district. In the 1870s a lifesize statue of Hans von Sagan was built before a shoemaker's house near Bremen town hall. Like

Hans Sachs Hans Sachs (5 November 1494 – 19 January 1576) was a German ''Meistersinger'' ("mastersinger"), poet, playwright, and shoemaker. Biography Hans Sachs was born in Nuremberg (). As a child he attended a singing school that was held in the churc ...

and

St. Crispin Saints Crispin and Crispinian are the Christian patron saints of cobblers, curriers, tanners, and leather workers. They were beheaded during the reign of Diocletian; the date of their execution is given as 25 October 285 or 286. History Born ...

Hans von Sagan is a figure of identification of the shoemaker's guild. The inspiration for Hans von Sagan was probably Duke Balthasar of Sagan, who led auxiliary troops of the Teutonic Knights against rebellious Kneiphof in 1455 during the Thirteen Years' War. A legend developed associating an inspirational standardbearer not with Königsberg's painful civil war of 1455, but with the Knights' victory at Rudau in the previous century.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hans von Sagan 14th-century German people German folklore Medieval legends People from Königsberg People from the State of the Teutonic Order Shoemakers Legendary German people