John of Falkenberg or Johannes Falkenberg (born in
Falkenberg
Falkenberg is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Falkenberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 27,813 inhabitants in 2019 (out of a municipal total of about 45,000). It is located at the mouth of river Ätran (river), Ätra ...
,
Pomerania
Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...
, date unknown; died about 1418 in Italy — or, according to other accounts, in his native town) was a German
Dominican theologian and writer.
His prominence in medieval history is due partly to the share he took in the
Western Schism
The Western Schism, also known as the Papal Schism, the Vatican Standoff, the Great Occidental Schism, or the Schism of 1378 (), was a split within the Catholic Church lasting from 1378 to 1417 in which bishops residing in Rome and Avignon bo ...
, but chiefly to his involving himself in the long-standing disputes 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 on ...
of
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
on one side and the allied
Kingdom of Poland
The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to:
Historical political entities
*Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031
*Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exist ...
and
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 Li ...
on the other. He is known as one of the first thinkers to advocate
genocide
Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...
of another nation.
Life
Little is known about his early life, save that he entered the
Order of St. Dominic and spent his novitiate in the convent at
Kammin. The fact that he was a master in Sacred Theology indicates that for a number of years he taught philosophy and theology in his order.
In opposition to many of his brethren and the general of his order, Bernard de Datis, who were firm adherents of the antipopes
Alexander V
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
and
John XXIII
Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...
, Falkenberg was an adherent of
Pope Gregory XII
Pope Gregory XII ( la, Gregorius XII; it, Gregorio XII; – 18 October 1417), born Angelo Corraro, Corario," or Correr, was head of the Catholic Church from 30 November 1406 to 4 July 1415. Reigning during the Western Schism, he was oppose ...
. He carried his opposition so far as to refuse publicly in the
Council of Constance
The Council of Constance was a 15th-century ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418 in the Bishopric of Constance in present-day Germany. The council ended the Western Schism by deposing or accepting the res ...
to acknowledge Bernard as his superior.
Works
In the conflict between the Teutonic Knights on the one side, and Polish King
Jogaila and Lithuanian Duke
Vytautas
Vytautas (c. 135027 October 1430), also known as Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian: ', be, Вітаўт, ''Vitaŭt'', pl, Witold Kiejstutowicz, ''Witold Aleksander'' or ''Witold Wielki'' Ruthenian: ''Vitovt'', Latin: ''Alexander Vitoldus'', O ...
on the other, Falkenberg supported the Knights, who waged a 100-year crusade against the
pagan
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
At the time both sides submitted the dispute for mediation to the
Council of Constance
The Council of Constance was a 15th-century ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418 in the Bishopric of Constance in present-day Germany. The council ended the Western Schism by deposing or accepting the res ...
.
Falkenberg wrote a book, ''Liber de doctrina'', published 1416, opposing Polish scholar
Paulus Vladimiri. ''Liber de doctrina'' argued that the King of Poland and his adherents were
idolators
''Idolators'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Walter Edwards and starring Louise Glaum, George Webb, and Dorcas Matthews.Connelly p. 365
Cast
* Louise Glaum as Viola Strathmore
* George Webb as Curtis de Forest Ralston
* Do ...
, and unbelievers; that the opposition against them was noble and praiseworthy. In ''Liber de doctrina'' Falkenberg justified the
tyrannicide
Tyrannicide is the killing or assassination of a tyrant or unjust ruler, purportedly for the common good,
and usually by one of the tyrant's subjects. Tyrannicide was legally permitted and encouraged in the Classical period. Often, the term tyran ...
advocated by the
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
Jean Petit. Falkenberg concluded that it was lawful to kill the King of Poland and his associates.
Falkenberg also argued, in ''Liber de doctrina'', that "the Emperor has the right to slay even peaceful infidels simply because they are pagans (...). The Poles deserve death for defending infidels, and should be exterminated even more than the infidels; they should be deprived of their sovereignty and reduced to slavery."
Stanislaus F. Belch in his work ''Paulus Vladimiri and his Doctrine concerning International Law and Politics'' wrote that he was the first writer to formulate
justification of genocide
Genocide justification is the claim that a genocide is morally excusable or necessary, in contrast to genocide denial, which rejects that genocide occurred. Perpetrators often claim that the genocide victims presented a serious threat, meaning t ...
.
Falkenberg also published ''Satira'' in 1412, further attacking the Poles and King
Jogaila. At this time King Jogaila was Christian, as was
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
. Falkenberg called King Jogaila a "mad dog," unworthy to be king.
[ In a later work ''Tres tractatuli'', published in 1416] Falkenberg attempted to refute Jean Gerson
Jean Charlier de Gerson (13 December 1363 – 12 July 1429) was a French scholar, educator, reformer, and poet, Chancellor of the University of Paris, a guiding light of the conciliar movement and one of the most prominent theologians at the Co ...
, Pierre d'Ailly
Pierre d'Ailly (; Latin ''Petrus Aliacensis'', ''Petrus de Alliaco''; 13519 August 1420) was a French theologian, astrologer and cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.
Academic career
D'Ailly was born in Compiègne in 1350 or 1351 of a prospero ...
, and other doctors of the University of Paris
, image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of Arms
, latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis
, motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin)
, mottoeng = Here and a ...
, who had condemned the works of Jean Petit. In this work, moreover, he denied the bishops the right to declare his book or any part of it heretical
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
, claiming that in matters of faith the pope and general councils alone are infallible.
By order of Nicolaus, Archbishop of Gniezno, Falkenberg was imprisoned. The Poles demanded the conviction of Falkenberg for heresy, but in vain. His works were condemned by the Council of Constance
The Council of Constance was a 15th-century ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418 in the Bishopric of Constance in present-day Germany. The council ended the Western Schism by deposing or accepting the res ...
as scandalously libelous, but not heretical.[ A similar verdict was given by the Dominican Order, assembled at ]Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
from May to June 1417, which also condemned the author to life imprisonment. On his return to Rome, Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V ( la, Martinus V; it, Martino V; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Otto (or Oddone) Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. Hi ...
took Falkenberg with him, and kept him for several years in close confinement. Whether he eventually regained his liberty or died there is uncertain.
References
;In-line
;Attribution
* This entry cites:
** Quetif and Échard, Script. Ord. Praed. I, 760;
**Allgem. Deut. Biogr., VI, 554–5;
**Schulte, Gesch. Canon. Rechts, Ii, (1877), 381–2;
**Hubler, Die Konstanzer Reformation (Leipzig, 1867), 263;
**Dlugoss, Hist. Poloniae, I (Leipzig, 1711, 2, 376.
{{authority control
15th-century German writers
1418 deaths
German Dominicans
Genocide
Year of birth unknown
Anti-Polish sentiment
15th-century Latin writers