The Mainz Diocesan Feud (german: Mainzer Erzstiftsfehde), also known as the Baden-Palatine War (''Badisch-Pfälzischer Krieg''), took place in 1461/1462 and was a warlike conflict for the throne of the
Electorate of Mainz
The Electorate of Mainz (german: Kurfürstentum Mainz or ', la, Electoratus Moguntinus), previously known in English as Mentz and by its French name Mayence, was one of the most prestigious and influential states of the Holy Roman Empire. In the ...
.
Background
![Schedelsche Weltchronik - Mainz](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Schedelsche_Weltchronik_-_Mainz.jpg)
In 1459 the ''
Domkustos
The ''Domkustos'' of a cathedral in German-speaking countries is responsible for its physical maintenance, furniture, decoration and security, including the safekeeping of the cathedral treasure, as well as arranging for cleaning, preparation for t ...
'',
Diether of Isenburg
Diether von Isenburg ( 14127 May 1482) was twice Archbishop (1459–1461 and 1475–1482) and founder of the University of Mainz. As Archbishop of Mainz, he was ''ex officio'' Elector and Lord Chancellor of Germany.
Biography
Diether was a son ...
, was elected, with a small majority, beating
Adolph of Nassau to become the new
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...
. Diether immediately had to join the so-called anti-Palatinate alliance which had fallen into a dispute in 1458 with the Count Palatine,
Frederick I Frederick I may refer to:
* Frederick of Utrecht or Frederick I (815/16–834/38), Bishop of Utrecht.
* Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine (942–978)
* Frederick I, Duke of Swabia (1050–1105)
* Frederick I, Count of Zoller ...
. Diether forged an alliance and marched to war against the Count Palatine, but lost the decisive battle of
Pfeddersheim in July 1460.
Because Diether was able to achieve his papal confirmation only with some difficulty and by paying a large amount of money (''Servitiengeld'', 20,000
guilder
Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' "gold penny". This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Roman Empir ...
s), he opposed the political, legal, and financial demands of both Emperor and Pope. Pope
Pius II
Pope Pius II ( la, Pius PP. II, it, Pio II), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini ( la, Aeneas Silvius Bartholomeus, links=no; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August ...
thus sought his replacement by Adolph of Nassau who had been defeated in the 1459 election. He
banished Banished may refer to:
* ''Banished'' (TV series), a 2015 drama television series
* ''Banished'' (film), a 2007 documentary
* ''Banished'' (video game), a city-building strategy game by Shining Rock Software
* Banished (Halo), an alien faction ...
Diether on 21 August 1461 and declared him deposed, citing Diether's oppositional attitude towards the Church and Emperor
Frederick III, Diether's reform efforts, and his demands for abolition of papal
annates
Annates ( or ; la, annatae, from ', "year") were a payment from the recipient of an ecclesiastical benefice to the ordaining authorities. Eventually, they consisted of half or the whole of the first year's profits of a benefice; after the appropr ...
. Adolph of Nassau was appointed by the Pope as the new Archbishop of Mainz and enthroned on 1 October 1461. The city of
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...
, however, continued to support Diether, who refused to vacate the archbishop's throne.
Course
Adolph allied himself with the Archbishop of
Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
,
John II of Baden
John II of Baden (1434 at Hohenbaden Castle in Baden-Baden – 9 February 1503 in Ehrenbreitstein) was a titular Margrave of Baden and was Archbishop and Elector of Trier as ''John II of Baden'' from 1456 until his death in 1503.
John II of ...
; the Bishop of Metz,
George of Baden George of Baden (1433 – February 11, 1484) was Bishop of Metz.
He was the fourth son of Jacob, Margrave of Baden-Baden and Catherine de Lorraine (1407–1439).
He entered the church in 1445 and studied in Erfurt, Pavia and Cologne. In 1456, he ...
; the Bishop of Speyer,
Johann II Nix of Hoheneck
Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name ''Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious" ...
; and Count
Ulrich V of Württemberg Ulrich (), is a German given name, derived from Old High German ''Uodalrich'', ''Odalric''. It is composed of the elements ''Othala rune, uodal-'' meaning "(noble) heritage" and ''-rich'' meaning "rich, powerful". Attested from the 8th century as th ...
. Margrave
Charles I of Baden at first tried to mediate between the warring factions, then took the side of his brother, Bishop George of
Metz
Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...
, who was in Adolph's camp, thus precipitating the Baden-Palatinate war, an attempt to seize the disputed bishopric by force.
On Diether's side were the city council of Mainz, his brother Louis, and Prince-Elector
Frederick I of the Palatinate
Frederick I, the Victorious (''der Siegreiche'') (1 August 1425, Heidelberg – 12 December 1476, Heidelberg) was a Count Palatine of the Rhine and Elector Palatine from the House of Wittelsbach in 1451–1476.
Biography
He was a son of Louis II ...
, originally an enemy of Diether's. For his assistance, Frederick was given the towns of
Lorsch
Lorsch is a town in the Bergstraße district in Hessen, Germany, 60 km south of Frankfurt. Lorsch is well known for the Lorsch Abbey, which has been named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Geography
Location
Lorsch lies about 5 km wes ...
,
Heppenheim
Heppenheim (Bergstraße) is the seat of Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, lying on the Bergstraße on the edge of the Odenwald. It is best known for being the birthplace of 4-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel.
Geography ...
, and
Bensheim
Bensheim () is a town in the Bergstraße district in southern Hessen, Germany. Bensheim lies on the Bergstraße and at the edge of the Odenwald mountains while at the same time having an open view over the Rhine plain. With about 40,000 inhabita ...
.
Initially the Baden troops devastated the Palatine estates left of the Rhine, then advanced alongside those from Speyer and Württemberg up the eastern side of the Rhine and rampaged through the Palatine lands there too.
In summer 1462, those on the side of the alliance under Adolph of Nassau believed rumours that Count Palatine Frederick and his troops were holding on in Bavaria in order to stand by the Duke in a
feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...
against the
Margrave of Ansbach
The Principality or Margraviate of (Brandenburg-)Ansbach (german: Fürstentum Ansbach or ) was a principality in the Holy Roman Empire centered on the Franconian city of Ansbach. The ruling Hohenzollern princes of the land were known as margrave ...
. Under the assumption that the Palatinate was therefore undefended, Baden and Württemberg troops marched from
Bretten
Bretten (; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Bredde'') is a town in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route.
Geography
Bretten lies in the centre of a rectangle that is formed by Heidelber ...
with 8,000 men and invaded the state. They advanced, burning and plundering, from Speyer over the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
to
Seckenheim. Because Frederick I had, however, not stayed in Bavaria, Adolph's forces were surprised and heavily defeated in the forest near Seckenheim by Frederick I and the counts of
Leiningen and
Katzenelnbogen, because the mounted vanguard of the alliance had felt so unthreatened that they had strayed too far ahead of their foot soldiers. Margrave Charles I and his brother, Bishop George of Metz, were wounded and taken prisoner. With the capture of Count Ulrich V of Württemberg soon afterwards by this phase of the war came to an end. His victory in the
Battle of Seckenheim
The Battle of Seckenheim (June 1462) saw the army of the Electoral Palatinate led by Frederick I, Elector Palatine and his ally Dieter von Isenburg face an invading army led by Charles I, Margrave of Baden-Baden, Ulrich V, Count of Württemberg, Lo ...
earned Frederick the nickname "the Victorious" (''der Siegreiche''). The name of the settlement of
Friedrichsfeld ("Frederick's field"), built on the site and now a district of
Mannheim
Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's 2 ...
, commemorates that event.
Frederick I had the prisoners taken to his castle at
Heidelberg
Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...
and put in chains until the ransoms demanded by him were paid. Margrave Charles had to pay 25,000
guilder
Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' "gold penny". This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Roman Empir ...
s, hand over
Sponheim
Sponheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate in western Germany.
History
Sponheim was the capital of the County of Sponheim.
Sponheim Abbey
There was a Benedictine abbey which was founded in 1101 by Step ...
as a pledge and agree
Pforzheim
Pforzheim () is a city of over 125,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany.
It is known for its jewelry and watch-making industry, and as such has gained the nickname "Goldstadt" ("Golden City") ...
as a
fief
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...
of the
Electorate of the Palatinate
The Electoral Palatinate (german: Kurpfalz) or the Palatinate (), officially the Electorate of the Palatinate (), was a state that was part of the Holy Roman Empire. The electorate had its origins under the rulership of the Counts Palatine of ...
. The Bishop of Metz had to pay 45,000 guilders for his release. Most importantly for Frederick, though, the victory had sealed the long-term security of his position as
prince-elector
The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, la, Princeps Elector), or electors for short, were the members of the electoral college that elected the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
From the 13th century onwards, the prince ...
.
But the diocesan feud did not end there. Further battles cost many lives and resulted in the devastation of all the settlements, and the town of Mainz itself suffered severe damage. In the night of 28 October 1462, as a result of the betrayal of some of Mainz's citizens, Adolph of Nassau broke into the town through the gate called the ''Gautor'' with 500 men and, after 12 hours of street fighting took possession of the town. 400 men lost their lives and Adolph's people plundered and sacked parts of the town including the former Dominican monastery. As a punishment for its support of Diether, Adolph removed the town's privileges of freedom and thus its status as a
free town
Free may refer to:
Concept
* Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything
* Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism
* Emancipate, to proc ...
; the town came under the rule of a
vicedominus
Vidame () was a feudal title in France, a term descended from mediaeval Latin . Like the ''avoué'' or ''advocatus'', the ''vidame'' was originally a secular official chosen by the bishop of the diocese—with the consent of the count—to p ...
appointed by the Archbishop. The following day the citizens were summoned to the ''Dietmarkt'' market place. All 800 citizens who appeared were driven out of the town; about 400 of them were released again some time later and allowed to remain in Mainz.
Conclusion
The diocesan feud itself ended only after several attempts at mediation in October 1463. Diether of Isenburg stood down and recognised Adolph as his successor in the
Treaty of Zeilsheim
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal perso ...
. He himself was paid off with a considerable sum of money and a small principality, created from the Mainz estate, consisting of the towns of
Höchst,
Steinheim, and
Dieburg
Dieburg () is a small town in southern Hesse, Germany. It was formerly the seat of the district ("Kreis") of Dieburg, but is now part of the district of Darmstadt-Dieburg.
History
The town of Dieburg was first named in 1492 in the tax books of the ...
.
The alliances of both contenders for the archbishop's throne had been bought at considerable cost to both their personal and the archiepiscopal estate. A number of castles and towns were transferred to the Palatinate, Hesse and, briefly, even Saxony. The settlement of that debt remained a dominant issue in the Archbishopric in the coming years.
After the death of Adolph in 1475, Diether of Isenburg was once more elected as archbishop by the Mainz cathedral chapter and confirmed by Pope
Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...
. Diether reigned without further conflict until his death in 1482.
See also
*
Diether von Isenburg
Diether von Isenburg ( 14127 May 1482) was twice Archbishop (1459–1461 and 1475–1482) and founder of the University of Mainz. As Archbishop of Mainz, he was ''ex officio'' Elector and Lord Chancellor of Germany.
Biography
Diether was a son ...
*
Adolph II of Nassau
Adolph II (or III) of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein (German: Adolf II. von Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein) (c. 1423 – 6 September 1475) was Archbishop of Mainz from 1461 until 1475.
Adolph was a son of Count Adolph II of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein.
In 14 ...
*
Bavarian War (1459–63) Bavarian War may refer to:
* Bavarian War (1420–1422), a conflict between Louis VII of Bavaria-Ingolstadt and Henry XVI of Bavaria-Landshut
* Bavarian War (1459–1463), a conflict between Albert Achilles of Brandenburg and Louis IX of Bavaria- ...
Literature
*
* Karl Menzel: ''Die Verträge zwischen den Grafen Adolf von Nassau und Diether von Isenburg-Büdingen zur Beilegung des Streits um das Erzstift Mainz.'' In ''Annalen des Vereins für Nassauische Altertumskunde und Geschichtsforschung.'' Vol. 10, 1870,
digitalised
*
Konrad Repgen
Konrad Repgen (5 May 1923 – 2 April 2017) was a German historian and a professor emeritus (retired) at the University of Bonn. He was revered for his work on contemporary church history.Karl-Joseph Hummel, Michael Kißener (Ed.): ''Die Katholike ...
: ''Antimanifest und Kriegsmanifest. Die Benutzung der neuen Drucktechnik bei der Mainzer Stiftsfehde 1461/63 durch die Erzbischöfe Adolf von Nassau und Diether von Isenburg.'' In: Johannes Helmrath, Heribert Müller (eds.): ''Studien zum 15. Jahrhundert. Festschrift für Erich Meuthen.'' Vol. 2. Oldenbourg, Munich, 1994, , .
* Kai-Michael Sprenger: ''Die Mainzer Stiftsfehde 1459–1463.'' In
Franz Dumont
Franz Dumont (22 January 1945 – 3 November 2012) was a German historian.
Life
Born in Waldbröl, Dumont lived in Mainz from 1954 onwards and took his Abitur at the Rabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium in Mainz in 1964. During his school years, he had al ...
,
Ferdinand Scherf
Ferdinand Scherf (born in 1943 in Mayen), is a German professor and historian. From 1970 to 2007 he was a teacher at the Rabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium in Mainz and editor of local historical works.
Life
After studying history and German language and ...
,
Friedrich Schütz (eds.): ''Mainz. Die Geschichte der Stadt.'' 2nd edition by Zabern, Mainz, 1999, , .
* Aloys Schmidt: ''Zur Mainzer Stiftsfehde 1462.'' In ''Jahrbuch für das Bistum Mainz.'' Vol. 3, 1948, , .
External links
*
{{Authority control
Diocesan feuds
15th-century conflicts
Margraviate of Baden
History of Mainz