Jakob Meyer zum Hasen (1482 in

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

– 1531 in

Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population o ...

) was the

bürgermeister Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief m ...

of the city of

from 1516 to 1521. A

money changer A money changer is a person or organization whose business is the exchange of coins or currency of one country for that of another. This trade was a predecessor of modern banking. The advent of paper money in the mid-17th century and the develop ...

by profession, he was the first bürgermeister of Basel to be a tradesman, belonging to a

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

rather than a member of the aristocracy or a wealthy family. He is known as a patron of the painter

Hans Holbein the Younger Hans Holbein the Younger ( , ; german: Hans Holbein der Jüngere; – between 7 October and 29 November 1543) was a Germans, German-Swiss people, Swiss painter and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style, and is considered o ...

, having commissioned the

Darmstadt Madonna The ''Darmstadt Madonna'' (also known as the ''Madonna of Jakob Meyer zum Hasen'') is an oil painting by Hans Holbein the Younger. Completed in 1526 in Basel, the work shows the Bürgermeister of Basel Jakob Meyer zum Hasen, his first wife (wh ...

and a double portrait from him.Nikolaus Meier: ''Die Krone der Maria''. In: Bodo Brinkmann: ''Der Bürgermeister, sein Maler und seine Familie: Hans Holbeins Madonna im Städel''. Petersberg 2004, pp. 63–77.

Biography

He was born in Basel as the son of a merchant. He used to change money in the House "''To the Rabbit''" (dt. Zum Hasen), which was situated at the location of the tower of the current town hall. From 1503 onwards he was accepted as a member several guilds, such as the guild of the Hausgenossen like all money changers, then also the one of the wine merchants and then the one of the locksmiths. By 1508 he was so rich that he purchased the Castle of Gross Gundeldingen in the suburbs of Basel. From 1510 and 1515 he was the Master of the Guild zu Hausgenossen. In 1515, the Grand Council of Basel cancelled the tradition according to which the mayor had to be of the local aristocracy. and Meyer became the mayor of Basel in 1516. In the same year, he commissioned a double portrait with his second wife Dorothea Kannengießer from

. As the mayor of Basel, he sacked the castle of Pfeffingen. He remained the mayor of Basel until 1521, the year he was accused of receiving secret pensions from France. Von Hasen and six other grand councillors were expelled form the Grand Council following which he was imprisoned. After his release he re-entered the Grand Council of Basel, where he was a member of the Catholic Party. In later years he went into voluntary exile to Freiburg im Breisgau, where he died in 1531.

Military career

In his twenties he was a member of the Swiss soldiers in service of the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Papal The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

nobility which was a lucrative business at the time. In 1507 he joined Amboise to reconquer

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

. Later in his foreign military service, he often changed sides. First he fought for France, then for

Pope Julius II Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or th ...

against France. In 1510 he served

Matthäus Schiner Matthäus Schiner (or ''Schinner'', c. 1465 – 1 October 1522) was a bishop of Sion, Cardinal and diplomat. He was a military commander in several battles in northern Italy. Biography He was born in Mühlebach (in what is now the Swiss cant ...

Ferrara Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...

. He led a contingent of Basler warriors in the conquest of

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

in 1512 and the same year was also the leader of the Swiss emissaries who instated

Maximilian Sforza Maximilian Sforza (Italian: ''Massimiliano Sforza''; 25 January 1493 – 25 May 1530) was a Duke of Milan from the Sforza family, the son of Ludovico Sforza. He was installed as a ruler of Milan in 1512 after the capture of Milan by the Holy ...

as the

Duke of Milan The following is a list of rulers of Milan from the 13th century to 1814, after which it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by the Congress of Vienna. Before elevation to duchy Until 1259, Milan was a free commune that elect ...

Personal life

He was married twice and his grandchild Rosa Irmi would marry Remigius Faesch, another mayor of Basel.''Die Malerfamilie Holbein in Basel''.

Kunstmuseum Basel The Kunstmuseum Basel houses the oldest public art collection in the world and is generally considered to be the most important museum of art in Switzerland. It is listed as a heritage site of national significance. Its lineage extends back to t ...

. 1960. p. 173.

References

External links

Biography of Meyer on www.altbasel.ch
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meyer Zum Hasen, Jakob Politicians from Basel-Stadt 1482 births 1531 deaths Swiss politicians Swiss Roman Catholics Swiss mercenaries

Biography

Military career

Personal life

References

Further reading

External links