Battle of Dürnkrut and Jedenspeigen
Encyclopedia
The Battle on the Marchfeld (i.e. Morava Field; Czech
: Bitva na Moravském poli) at Dürnkrut
and Jedenspeigen
took place on August 26, 1278 and was a decisive event for the history of Central Europe
for the following centuries. The opponents were the Bohemian (Czech) army led by king Ottokar II of Bohemia
and the Imperial
army led by Rudolph I of Habsburg
in alliance with King Ladislaus IV of Hungary. The Hungarian army included heavy cavalry as well as Cuman
horse archers.
The deposition of emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen
by Pope Innocent IV
in 1245 created a grave crisis for the Holy Roman Empire
, as in the following decades several nobles were elected as Rex Romanorum
and Emperor-to-be, none of whom were able to gain actual governing power upon the Emperor's death in 1250. That same year, Ottokar II, son of king Wenceslaus I of Bohemia, moved into the princeless Duchies of Austria
and Styria
, where he was proclaimed Duke by the estates one year later.
In 1253 Ottokar II became Bohemian king after the death of his father; his gain in power was viewed with suspicion by King Béla IV of Hungary
, who campaigned in Styria and Austria but was finally defeated at the 1260 Battle of Kressenbrunn
. In 1268 Ottokar signed a contract of inheritance with the last Carinthian
duke of the House of Sponheim
, Ulric III, and acquired Carinthia including the March of Carniola
and the Windic March
one year later. At the height of his power he aimed at the Imperial crown, but the Princes, distrustful of his steep rise, elected the "little count" Rudolph of Habsburg Rex Romanorum on September 29, 1273.
at Würzburg
. By not appearing before the Diet, Ottokar set the events of his demise in motion. He was placed under the imperial ban and had all his territorial rights revoked, including even his Bohemian inheritance.
Meanwhile, Rudolph was gathering allies and preparing for battle. He achieved two of these alliances through the classic Habsburg style – marriage. First, he married his son Albert to Elisabeth of Gorizia-Tyrol. In return, her father Count Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol
received the Duchy of Carinthia as a fief. Second, he established an - unstable - alliance with Duke Henry I of Lower Bavaria
by offering him his daughter Katharina as wife for his son Otto
in addition to the region of present-day Upper Austria
as a pledge for her dowry. He also concluded an alliance with King Ladislaus IV of Hungary, who intended to settle old scores with Ottokar.
Rudolph, so strengthened, besieged Ottokar at Vienna
in 1276. Ottokar was forced to renounce all of his acquisitions and received Bohemia and Moravia only as a fief by King Rudolph. So heavily deprived, he attempted to regain his territories, contracted an alliance with the Margraves of Brandenburg
and in 1278 campaigned in Austria. Ottokar first laid siege to the towns of Drosendorf
and Laa an der Thaya
, while Rudolph left Vienna to face him in an open pitched battle where the Cuman cavalry of King Ladislaus could easily join his forces.
After three hours of continued fighting Ottokar's knights in their heavy armour were exhausted. At noon Rudolph ordered a fresh Austrian and Hungarian heavy cavalry regiment he had concealed behind nearby hills and woods to attack the flank of Ottokar's troops. Though such ambushes were commonly regarded as dishonourable in warfare, the attack from the rear prevailed in stampeding the Bohemian troops, resulting in a decisive victory of Rudolph and his allies. Ottokar's camp was plundered, and he himself was found slain on the battlefield.
Rudolph assured his possession of the Duchies of Austria and Styria, the heartland and foundation of the rise of the House of Habsburg. In 1282 he installed his sons Albert and Rudolf II
as Austrian dukes. However in Bohemia Rudolph acted cautiously and reached an agreement with the nobility and Ottokar's widow Kunigunda of Slavonia
on the succession of her son Wenceslaus II to the throne. On the same occasion he reconciled with the Brandenburg margraves, ceding them the guardianship over the minor heir apparent. King Ladislaus IV exerted himself in the christianization
of the Cuman warriors, before he was assassinated in 1290.
The tragedy König Ottokars Glück und Ende
written by Franz Grillparzer
in 1823 is based on the rise and fall of king Ottokar II. This drama was originally inspired by the life of Napoleon
, though Grillparzer, fearing Metternich's censorship, chose to write the play about Ottokar, in whose story he found many parallels. It nevertheless was immediately forbidden and could not be performed until 1825.
The opera The Brandenburgers in Bohemia composed by Czech composer Bedřich Smetana
in 1863 was inspired by this battle and following events as well.
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
: Bitva na Moravském poli) at Dürnkrut
Dürnkrut, Austria
Dürnkrut is a town in the district of Gänserndorf in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. The Castle Dürnkrut is the well known icon of the town. The town is largely agricultural with several noteworthy businesses. Crops grown in the flatter areas are Raps, Corn, Sunflowers and Sugar Beets...
and Jedenspeigen
Jedenspeigen
Jedenspeigen is a town in the district of Gänserndorf in the Austrian state of Lower Austria....
took place on August 26, 1278 and was a decisive event for the history of Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
for the following centuries. The opponents were the Bohemian (Czech) army led by king Ottokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II , called The Iron and Golden King, was the King of Bohemia from 1253 until 1278. He was the Duke of Austria , Styria , Carinthia and Carniola also....
and the Imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
army led by Rudolph I of Habsburg
Rudolph I of Germany
Rudolph I was King of the Romans from 1273 until his death. He played a vital role in raising the Habsburg dynasty to a leading position among the Imperial feudal dynasties...
in alliance with King Ladislaus IV of Hungary. The Hungarian army included heavy cavalry as well as Cuman
Cumans
The Cumans were Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation. After Mongol invasion , they decided to seek asylum in Hungary, and subsequently to Bulgaria...
horse archers.
Background
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
by Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
in 1245 created a grave crisis for the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, as in the following decades several nobles were elected as Rex Romanorum
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
and Emperor-to-be, none of whom were able to gain actual governing power upon the Emperor's death in 1250. That same year, Ottokar II, son of king Wenceslaus I of Bohemia, moved into the princeless Duchies of Austria
Archduchy of Austria
The Archduchy of Austria , one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire, was the nucleus of the Habsburg Monarchy and the predecessor of the Austrian Empire...
and Styria
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
, where he was proclaimed Duke by the estates one year later.
In 1253 Ottokar II became Bohemian king after the death of his father; his gain in power was viewed with suspicion by King Béla IV of Hungary
Béla IV of Hungary
Béla IV , King of Hungary and of Croatia , duke of Styria 1254–58. One of the most famous kings of Hungary, he distinguished himself through his policy of strengthening of the royal power following the example of his grandfather Bela III, and by the rebuilding Hungary after the catastrophe of the...
, who campaigned in Styria and Austria but was finally defeated at the 1260 Battle of Kressenbrunn
Battle of Kressenbrunn
The Battle of Kressenbrunn was fought in July of 1260 near Groissenbrunn in Lower Austria between the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Kingdom of Hungary for the possession of the duchies of Austria and Styria...
. In 1268 Ottokar signed a contract of inheritance with the last Carinthian
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
duke of the House of Sponheim
House of Sponheim
The House of Sponheim or Spanheim was a noble family of the Holy Roman Empire in the High Middle Ages. They were Dukes of Carinthia from 1122 until 1269 and Counts of Sponheim until 1437...
, Ulric III, and acquired Carinthia including the March of Carniola
March of Carniola
The March of Carniola was a southeastern state of the Holy Roman Empire in the High Middle Ages, the predecessor of the Duchy of Carniola. It corresponded roughly to the central Carniolan region of present-day Slovenia...
and the Windic March
Windic march
The Windic march or marca Vindica was a province of the Holy Roman Empire in the Middle Ages, corresponding more or less to modern Lower Carniola in Slovenia. In Medieval German language, the term "Windisch" was a common name for some Slavic peoples The Windic march or marca Vindica was a...
one year later. At the height of his power he aimed at the Imperial crown, but the Princes, distrustful of his steep rise, elected the "little count" Rudolph of Habsburg Rex Romanorum on September 29, 1273.
Preparations
As the election had taken place in his absence, Ottokar did not acknowledge Rudolph as King. Rudolph himself had promised to regain the "alienated" territories which had to be conferred by the Imperial power with consent of the Prince-electors. He claimed the Austrian and Carinthian territories for the Empire and summoned Ottokar to the 1275 ReichstagReichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
at Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
. By not appearing before the Diet, Ottokar set the events of his demise in motion. He was placed under the imperial ban and had all his territorial rights revoked, including even his Bohemian inheritance.
Meanwhile, Rudolph was gathering allies and preparing for battle. He achieved two of these alliances through the classic Habsburg style – marriage. First, he married his son Albert to Elisabeth of Gorizia-Tyrol. In return, her father Count Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol
Meinhard, Duke of Carinthia
Meinhard II from the House of Meinhardin was ruling Count of Gorizia from 1258 until 1271 and Count of Tyrol from 1258 until his death...
received the Duchy of Carinthia as a fief. Second, he established an - unstable - alliance with Duke Henry I of Lower Bavaria
Henry XIII, Duke of Bavaria
Henry XIII of Bavaria, member of the Wittelsbach dynasty was Duke of Lower Bavaria. As Duke of Lower Bavaria he is also called Henry I.- Family :...
by offering him his daughter Katharina as wife for his son Otto
Otto III, Duke of Bavaria
Otto III of Bavaria , member of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was Duke of Lower Bavaria from 1290 to 1312 and disputably King of Hungary and Croatia between 1305 and 1307 as Béla V.-Family:...
in addition to the region of present-day Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
as a pledge for her dowry. He also concluded an alliance with King Ladislaus IV of Hungary, who intended to settle old scores with Ottokar.
Rudolph, so strengthened, besieged Ottokar at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1276. Ottokar was forced to renounce all of his acquisitions and received Bohemia and Moravia only as a fief by King Rudolph. So heavily deprived, he attempted to regain his territories, contracted an alliance with the Margraves of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
and in 1278 campaigned in Austria. Ottokar first laid siege to the towns of Drosendorf
Drosendorf-Zissersdorf
Drosendorf-Zissersdorf is a town in the district of Horn in Lower Austria, Austria....
and Laa an der Thaya
Laa an der Thaya
Laa an der Thaya is a town in Lower Austria, Austria near the Czech border. The population in 2001 was 6137.In June 2005, about 250 townspeople and 80 visitors from the US, Israel and Europe with historical family links to former Jewish citizens of Laa an der Thaya assembledwith Mayor Fass to...
, while Rudolph left Vienna to face him in an open pitched battle where the Cuman cavalry of King Ladislaus could easily join his forces.
The battle
Ottokar abandoned the siege and on August 26 Ottokar met the troops of Rudolph and Ladislaus near Dürnkrut. When he arrived his enemies had already taken the opportunity to explore the topography of the future battleground. The Bohemian troops were embroiled in heavy attacks by the Cuman forces in the morning. As the battle wore on, Ottokar's cavalry seemed to gain the upper hand, when even Rudolph's horse was killed under him and the 60-year-old narrowly escaped with his life.After three hours of continued fighting Ottokar's knights in their heavy armour were exhausted. At noon Rudolph ordered a fresh Austrian and Hungarian heavy cavalry regiment he had concealed behind nearby hills and woods to attack the flank of Ottokar's troops. Though such ambushes were commonly regarded as dishonourable in warfare, the attack from the rear prevailed in stampeding the Bohemian troops, resulting in a decisive victory of Rudolph and his allies. Ottokar's camp was plundered, and he himself was found slain on the battlefield.
Aftermath
Rudolf II, Duke of Austria
Rudolph II of Austria , the younger son of King Rudolph of Habsburg and Gertrude of Hohenburg, was Duke of Austria and Styria from 1282 until 1283, jointly with his elder brother Albert I, who succeeded him....
as Austrian dukes. However in Bohemia Rudolph acted cautiously and reached an agreement with the nobility and Ottokar's widow Kunigunda of Slavonia
Kunigunda of Slavonia
Kunigunda Rostislavna was Queen consort of Bohemia and its Regent from 1278 until her death. She was a member of the House of Chernigov, and a daughter of the ruler of Slavonia....
on the succession of her son Wenceslaus II to the throne. On the same occasion he reconciled with the Brandenburg margraves, ceding them the guardianship over the minor heir apparent. King Ladislaus IV exerted himself in the christianization
Christianization
The historical phenomenon of Christianization is the conversion of individuals to Christianity or the conversion of entire peoples at once...
of the Cuman warriors, before he was assassinated in 1290.
Battle on the Marchfeld in art and popular culture
The battle was depicted in art especially during the 19. century, when it was viewed as the example of tradional cooperation between Habsburg dynasty (Austria) and Kingdom of Hungary from one side and the tradional tension between Habsburg dynasty and Bohemia from the Czech side.The tragedy König Ottokars Glück und Ende
König Ottokars Glück und Ende
König Ottokars Glück und Ende is a tragedy in five acts written by Franz Grillparzer in 1823. Based on the historical events surrounding the life of Ottokar II of Bohemia, the play deals with the fall of the king from the height of his powers to his death, having lost most of his supporters and...
written by Franz Grillparzer
Franz Grillparzer
Franz Seraphicus Grillparzer was an Austrian writer who is chiefly known for his dramas. He also wrote the oration for Ludwig van Beethoven's funeral.-Biography:...
in 1823 is based on the rise and fall of king Ottokar II. This drama was originally inspired by the life of Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, though Grillparzer, fearing Metternich's censorship, chose to write the play about Ottokar, in whose story he found many parallels. It nevertheless was immediately forbidden and could not be performed until 1825.
The opera The Brandenburgers in Bohemia composed by Czech composer Bedřich Smetana
Bedrich Smetana
Bedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style which became closely identified with his country's aspirations to independent statehood. He is thus widely regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music...
in 1863 was inspired by this battle and following events as well.