False Waldemar
Encyclopedia
The False Waldemar, also known as the Wrong Woldemar († 1356 in Dessau
) was an impostor
who from 1348 to 1350 was invested with the Mark Brandenburg
by Charles IV.
was buried in 1319. After this supposed extinction of the Brandenburg House of Ascania, the Wittelsbach Emperor Louis the Bavarian
awarded the Mark of Brandenburg to his own son Louis
in 1320. Twenty-eight years later, in the summer of 1348 (or, according to Carlyle, twenty-five years in 1345) an elderly man claiming to be a returning pilgrim presenting himself to the Archbishop of Magdeburg
Otto as the old Brandenburg Margrave Woldemar. He claimed the burial of 1319 had been staged, and that he had in the meantime been on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land
. This False Waldemar was allegedly Jacob Roebuck or Rehbuck, possibly a journeyman miller. Thomas Carlyle
wrote that he might have been in real Waldemar's employ where he could have learned his master's manners. This and other rumors are not more than speculation by contemporaries and chroniclers. His true identity is still unknown.
False Woldemar quickly gained adherents, especially among the rivals of the Wittelsbach royals. He posed as a representative of the ancestral Ascanian Princely House, which he promised to help against the foreign and unpopular Bavaria. Within weeks the False Waldemar was able to convince a large portion of the Mark. Emperor Charles IV
, on the defensive, invested the Wrong Woldemar on 2 October 1348 with the Mark Brandenburg. Only a few towns held on to the Wittelsbach. It was from this period that the town of Treuenbrietzen
gained its prefix meaning faithful.
Two years later, in April 1350, the False Woldemar was exposed as a cheat. Charles deposed him as because of an agreement with the Wittelsbach (Treaty of Eltville). From this time on, Woldemar held an Ascanian court at Anhalt-Dessau
, where he retained courtly honor all his life, before he died in 1356 of natural causes.
in his History of Friedrich II of Prussia
called False Waldemar "the wickedest and worst trouble of their [Ascanian] raising", "a new goblin
, where already there were plenty, in the dance round poor Ludwig [Louis the Bavarian]". Willibald Alexis
wrote his novel Der falsche Woldemar (The False Woldemar) in 1842. A more recent novel is Der letzte Askanier (The Last of Ascanians) by Horst Bosetzky (1999), which explores the events around the Wrong Woldemar, with the author adding his own theory as to the identity of the alleged Ascanian.
Dessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
) was an impostor
Impostor
An impostor or imposter is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but just as often for purposes of espionage or law enforcement....
who from 1348 to 1350 was invested with the Mark 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....
by Charles IV.
Life
The legitimate Waldemar, Margrave of Brandenburg-StendalWaldemar, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal
Waldemar of Brandenburg was Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal, the last from the Ascanian House.-Life:He was a son of Conrad, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal and Constance, daughter of Przemysł I of Greater Poland...
was buried in 1319. After this supposed extinction of the Brandenburg House of Ascania, the Wittelsbach Emperor Louis the Bavarian
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
awarded the Mark of Brandenburg to his own son Louis
Louis V, Duke of Bavaria
Louis V, Duke of Bavaria, called the Brandenburger was Duke of Bavaria and as Louis I also Margrave of Brandenburg and Count of Tyrol. Louis V was the eldest son of Emperor Louis IV and his first wife Beatrix of Świdnica...
in 1320. Twenty-eight years later, in the summer of 1348 (or, according to Carlyle, twenty-five years in 1345) an elderly man claiming to be a returning pilgrim presenting himself to the Archbishop of Magdeburg
Archbishopric of Magdeburg
The Archbishopric of Magdeburg was a Roman Catholic archdiocese and Prince-Bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire centered on the city of Magdeburg on the Elbe River....
Otto as the old Brandenburg Margrave Woldemar. He claimed the burial of 1319 had been staged, and that he had in the meantime been on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
. This False Waldemar was allegedly Jacob Roebuck or Rehbuck, possibly a journeyman miller. Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
wrote that he might have been in real Waldemar's employ where he could have learned his master's manners. This and other rumors are not more than speculation by contemporaries and chroniclers. His true identity is still unknown.
False Woldemar quickly gained adherents, especially among the rivals of the Wittelsbach royals. He posed as a representative of the ancestral Ascanian Princely House, which he promised to help against the foreign and unpopular Bavaria. Within weeks the False Waldemar was able to convince a large portion of the Mark. Emperor Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
, on the defensive, invested the Wrong Woldemar on 2 October 1348 with the Mark Brandenburg. Only a few towns held on to the Wittelsbach. It was from this period that the town of Treuenbrietzen
Treuenbrietzen
Treuenbrietzen is a town in the Bundesland of Brandenburg, Germany.-History:The town has existed since the Middle Ages and the first written evidence about it is from 1217. During the Reformation, Martin Luther came in 1537 to preach in the town, but his way to the church was blocked...
gained its prefix meaning faithful.
Two years later, in April 1350, the False Woldemar was exposed as a cheat. Charles deposed him as because of an agreement with the Wittelsbach (Treaty of Eltville). From this time on, Woldemar held an Ascanian court at Anhalt-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau was a principality and later a duchy located in Germany. It was created in 1396 following the partition of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst. The capital of the state was Dessau. Anhalt-Dessau experienced a number of partitions throughout its existence with Anhalt-Köthen being...
, where he retained courtly honor all his life, before he died in 1356 of natural causes.
In Literature
Thomas CarlyleThomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
in his History of Friedrich II of Prussia
History of Friedrich II of Prussia
History of Friedrich II of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great was a biography of Friedrich II of Prussia written by Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle...
called False Waldemar "the wickedest and worst trouble of their [Ascanian] raising", "a new goblin
Goblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
, where already there were plenty, in the dance round poor Ludwig [Louis the Bavarian]". Willibald Alexis
Willibald Alexis
Willibald Alexis, the pseudonym of Georg Wilhelm Heinrich Häring , was a German historical novelist.-Life:...
wrote his novel Der falsche Woldemar (The False Woldemar) in 1842. A more recent novel is Der letzte Askanier (The Last of Ascanians) by Horst Bosetzky (1999), which explores the events around the Wrong Woldemar, with the author adding his own theory as to the identity of the alleged Ascanian.