Schwickart the Younger of Sickingen (german: Schwickart der Jüngere von Sickingen) (–1478), also written Schweikart, Schweickart or Swicker, was an

imperial knight The Free Imperial knights (german: link=no, Reichsritter la, Eques imperii) were free nobles of the Holy Roman Empire, whose direct overlord was the Emperor. They were the remnants of the medieval free nobility (''edelfrei'') and the ministeri ...

and, from 1459, held the office of ''

Amtmann __NOTOC__ The ''Amtmann'' or ''Ammann'' (in Switzerland) was an official in German-speaking countries of Europe and in some of the Nordic countries from the time of the Middle Ages whose office was akin to that of a bailiff. He was the most seni ...

'' (akin to a

bailiff A bailiff (from Middle English baillif, Old French ''baillis'', ''bail'' "custody") is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. Bailiffs are of various kinds and their offi ...

) in the

Electoral Palatine 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 ...

Amt Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...

'' of

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 ...

Family

Schwickart was the son of Schwickart VI of Sickingen (died before 1468) and Elisabeth Landschad of Steinach. He married Anna Spet of

Zwiefalten Zwiefalten is a municipality in the district of Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany located halfway between Stuttgart and Lake Constance. The former Zwiefalten Abbey dominates the town. The former monastery is considered one of the finest exa ...

, daughter of Albert Spet of Zwiefalten and Clara of Ehestetten. Their marriage produced a son, Conrad, who was appointed as advocate, or ''

Vogt During the Middle Ages, an (sometimes given as modern English: advocate; German: ; French: ) was an office-holder who was legally delegated to perform some of the secular responsibilities of a major feudal lord, or for an institution such as ...

'', of Bretten from 1504 to 1508.

Life

Schwickart of

Sickingen Franz von Sickingen (2 March 14817 May 1523) was an Imperial Knight who, with Ulrich von Hutten, led the so-called "Knights' Revolt," and was one of the most notable figures of the early period of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation. Sickin ...

came from an old

Kraichgau The Kraichgau () is a hilly region in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Odenwald and the Neckar to the North, the Black Forest to the South, and the Upper Rhine Plain to the West. To the east, its boundary is c ...

aristocratic family Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteris ...

. His duties as ''amtmann'' are recorded in a

deed In common law, a deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, affirms or confirms an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions, sealed. It is commonly associated with transferring ...

as follows: he is to vouchsafe legal protection for all the townsfolk and inhabitants of the ''Amt''. He is also to provide escorts free of charge for all tradesmen, pilgrims and travellers on the "escort roads" (''Geleitstraßen'') - part of a law known as the ''

Geleitrecht The ''Geleitrecht'' ("right of escort") in the Holy Roman Empire was the escorting of travellers or goods guaranteed by the right holder (''Geleitherr'' or "escort lord") within a specified territory or on specific routes. It was a way of providin ...

'' - and only accept voluntary donations in return. His income was 150

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 and the use of ten

morgens Morgens, morgans, or mari-morgans are Welsh and Breton water spirits that drown men. Etymology The name may derive from Mori-genos or Mori-gena, meaning "sea-born. The name has also been rendered as Muri-gena or Murigen. The name may also be cogn ...

of pasture, a herb garden, wood and right to the "small

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...

". He died on 4 August 1478.

Literature

* Otto Beuttenmüller: ''Die Vögte im Oberamt Bretten''. In: ''Brettener Jahrbuch'', Vol. 5, 1972/73, pp. 89–96. * Bernd Breitkopf: ''Die alten Landkreise und ihre Amtsvorsteher. Die Entstehung der Landkreise und Ämter im heutigen Landkreis Karlsruhe - Biographien der Oberamtmänner und Landräte von 1803 bis 1997'',

Ubstadt-Weiher Ubstadt-Weiher is a municipality in northern Karlsruhe district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route The Bertha Benz Memorial Route is a German tourist and theme route in Baden-Württemberg and membe ...

1997, p. 21, {{ISBN, 3-929366-48-7. 1478 deaths House of Sickingen Imperial Knights Year of birth missing