First Battle of Langensalza
Encyclopedia
The First Battle of Langensalza was fought on 9 June 1075 between forces of German King Henry IV
and several rebellious Saxon
noblemen on the River Unstrut
near Langensalza. The battle was a complete success for Henry, resulting in the subjugation of Saxony shortly before the Investiture Controversy
commenced. The battle is known in Germany as the Schlacht bei Homburg an der Unstrut ("Battle of Homburg on the Unstrut").
, and efforts to extend the crownlands in general as well as the increased demands laid upon the fisc
were opposed. A policy of building castle
s, continued from the time of his father, implemented by the King fostered resentment among multiple groups. In particular, the Harzburg
became a symbol of Imperial tyranny and was seen as impeding on traditional Saxon rights. Like his father, Henry desired to set Goslar
as the fixed capital of the German Kingdom. Henry had already had to put down a rebellion led by Otto of Nordheim
and Magnus Billung
(1070–1071). The King kept Magnus prisoner at the Harzburg, even after the latter succeeded his father to the Duchy of Saxony
in 1072. This heightened tensions between the royal court and the Saxons; Magnus' subsequent release in exchange for seventy Swabia
ns captured in Lüneburg
did little to encourage a thaw in relations. In anger, the King rejected several Saxon petitions for redress.
In 1073 several bishops and nobles organized a resistance. Several castles were besieged, and the King was forced to escape from the Harzburg to Hessewech. In February 1074 he proceeded to Gerstungen
, where the insurrection, numbering twice the size of his forces, met him; he agreed to several concessions, reasoning that the Saxons would break their end of the deal eventually. The freedmen, who felt betrayed by the nobles due to the peace treaty, sacked the Harzburg in a frenzy, destroyed the castle, and committed such acts of sacrilege (tossing the bones of members of the royal family, along with those of an abbot and St. Anastasius) that they shocked the local population and the religious authorities. Henry used the destruction as a pretext for renewed hostilities. He gained the support of several bishops, the lower feudality and city burghers. While Henry was conducting a campaign against the Magyars on the one hand, papal legates were attempting to create support for the Saxon rebels on the other. In 1075 Otto of Nordheim
, together with the count palatine
in Saxony and Bishop Burckhard II of Halberstadt
openly declared their hostility, using Henry's violations of the Treaty of Gerstungen
as an excuse. They gained many Saxon and Thuringia
n freedmen, but many nobles and peasants did not join.
The King made camp in Bredingen, and managed to gain the defections of some lower Saxon nobles with promises to listen to their grievances. In June, he moved to Langensalza.
The Saxon army contained several thousand men, but in typical Saxon tradition, most of them were on foot. Their ranks consisted of nobles and their vassals, along with freedmen and some serfs. Many of them were poorly trained, described by their opponent as "an inept rabble accustomed to agriculture rather than military service, who, compelled not by a military spirit but by fear of their leaders, had entered battle contrary to their customs and traditions." .
Henry IV's army advanced in five ranks, despite the open terrain south of the River Unstrut. The Saxons rushed out of their castle at Homburg all on horseback, apparently leaving their foot soldier
y behind in their haste.
The engagement that followed was less of a battle than a rout. A charge by the Swabians under Duke Rudolf almost instantly destroyed the Saxon centre. The Saxon leaders took to their horses and fled, but the foot soldiers were slaughtered. It was reported that several thousand died when they drowned in the Unstrut. Many spoils were gained by Henry's army.
Thompson, James (1928). Feudal Germany. ISBN 0-404-18601-7
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
and several rebellious Saxon
Duchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
noblemen on the River Unstrut
Unstrut
The Unstrut is a river in Germany and a left tributary of the Saale. It originates in northern Thuringia near Dingelstädt and its catchment area is the whole of the Thuringian Basin...
near Langensalza. The battle was a complete success for Henry, resulting in the subjugation of Saxony shortly before the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
commenced. The battle is known in Germany as the Schlacht bei Homburg an der Unstrut ("Battle of Homburg on the Unstrut").
Background
From the start of his reign, Henry had suffered numerous setbacks in Saxony. Attempts to restore royal rights over the forests were not received well by the Saxon freedmenFreedman
A freedman is a former slave who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves became freedmen either by manumission or emancipation ....
, and efforts to extend the crownlands in general as well as the increased demands laid upon the fisc
Fisc
Under the Merovingians and Carolingians, the fisc applied to the royal demesne which paid taxes, entirely in kind, from which the royal household was meant to be supported, though it rarely was...
were opposed. A policy of building castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s, continued from the time of his father, implemented by the King fostered resentment among multiple groups. In particular, the Harzburg
Harzburg
The Harzburg, also called Großer Harzburg, is a former imperial castle on the edge of the Harz mountains directly above the spa resort of Bad Harzburg in Goslar district in the German state of Lower Saxony....
became a symbol of Imperial tyranny and was seen as impeding on traditional Saxon rights. Like his father, Henry desired to set Goslar
Goslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
as the fixed capital of the German Kingdom. Henry had already had to put down a rebellion led by Otto of Nordheim
Otto of Nordheim
Otto of Northeim was Duke of Bavaria from 1061 until 1070. He was one of the leaders of the Saxon revolt against Emperor Henry IV....
and Magnus Billung
Magnus, Duke of Saxony
Magnus was the duke of Saxony from 1072 to 1106. Eldest son and successor of Ordulf and Wulfhild of Norway, he was the last member of the House of Billung.-Rebellion:...
(1070–1071). The King kept Magnus prisoner at the Harzburg, even after the latter succeeded his father to the Duchy of Saxony
Duchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
in 1072. This heightened tensions between the royal court and the Saxons; Magnus' subsequent release in exchange for seventy Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
ns captured in Lüneburg
Lüneburg
Lüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...
did little to encourage a thaw in relations. In anger, the King rejected several Saxon petitions for redress.
In 1073 several bishops and nobles organized a resistance. Several castles were besieged, and the King was forced to escape from the Harzburg to Hessewech. In February 1074 he proceeded to Gerstungen
Gerstungen
Gerstungen is a municipality in the Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany.-History:Between 1945 and 1990 Gerstungen served as East German inner German border crossing on the Thuringian Railway...
, where the insurrection, numbering twice the size of his forces, met him; he agreed to several concessions, reasoning that the Saxons would break their end of the deal eventually. The freedmen, who felt betrayed by the nobles due to the peace treaty, sacked the Harzburg in a frenzy, destroyed the castle, and committed such acts of sacrilege (tossing the bones of members of the royal family, along with those of an abbot and St. Anastasius) that they shocked the local population and the religious authorities. Henry used the destruction as a pretext for renewed hostilities. He gained the support of several bishops, the lower feudality and city burghers. While Henry was conducting a campaign against the Magyars on the one hand, papal legates were attempting to create support for the Saxon rebels on the other. In 1075 Otto of Nordheim
Otto of Nordheim
Otto of Northeim was Duke of Bavaria from 1061 until 1070. He was one of the leaders of the Saxon revolt against Emperor Henry IV....
, together with the count palatine
Count palatine
Count palatine is a high noble title, used to render several comital styles, in some cases also shortened to Palatine, which can have other meanings as well.-Comes palatinus:...
in Saxony and Bishop Burckhard II of Halberstadt
Bishopric of Halberstadt
The Bishopric of Halberstadt was a Roman Catholic diocese from 804 until 1648 and an ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire from the late Middle Ages...
openly declared their hostility, using Henry's violations of the Treaty of Gerstungen
Treaty of Gerstungen
The Treaty of Gerstungen was concluded on 2 February 1074 in Gerstungen Castle on the River Werra in what is now Germany. It required King Henry IV to restore the Duke Otto of Northeim to the Duchy of Bavaria. In 1073 the latter had successfully headed the rebellion of the Saxons...
as an excuse. They gained many Saxon and Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
n freedmen, but many nobles and peasants did not join.
The King made camp in Bredingen, and managed to gain the defections of some lower Saxon nobles with promises to listen to their grievances. In June, he moved to Langensalza.
The battle
Henry's move to Langensalza put him closer to the Saxon encampment. The two sides met for battle at Homburg on 9 June.The Saxon army contained several thousand men, but in typical Saxon tradition, most of them were on foot. Their ranks consisted of nobles and their vassals, along with freedmen and some serfs. Many of them were poorly trained, described by their opponent as "an inept rabble accustomed to agriculture rather than military service, who, compelled not by a military spirit but by fear of their leaders, had entered battle contrary to their customs and traditions." .
Henry IV's army advanced in five ranks, despite the open terrain south of the River Unstrut. The Saxons rushed out of their castle at Homburg all on horseback, apparently leaving their foot soldier
Foot Soldier
The term foot soldier may refer to:* A generic term for members of the infantry* Characters in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series belonging to the Foot Clan* The Foot Soldiers, a comic book originally published by Dark Horse Comics...
y behind in their haste.
The engagement that followed was less of a battle than a rout. A charge by the Swabians under Duke Rudolf almost instantly destroyed the Saxon centre. The Saxon leaders took to their horses and fled, but the foot soldiers were slaughtered. It was reported that several thousand died when they drowned in the Unstrut. Many spoils were gained by Henry's army.
The aftermath
The defeat was stunning. It shocked the Saxons, and the supporters of the rebellion became frantic. The Archbishop of Mainz threatened excommunication against the Thuringians in order to gain funds to finance the insurrection. Unfortunately, Henry and his army ravaged the Saxon and Thuringian countryside, bringing starvation. The Archbishop of Magdeburg eventually conceded and requested the terms to which the King would hold the rebels. Henry demanded a short imprisonment for all the leaders, as well as confiscation of their fiefs and their redistribution among loyal Imperial partisans. As harsh as the terms were, the complete victory Henry gained at Langensalza convinced them to accept. In a humiliating gesture, the rebel bishops, nobles and peasants walked barefoot between the ranks of the King's army and submitted to him. The King then convened a meeting of princes at Goslar on Christmas to determine the future of Saxony; he ended up freeing Otto of Nordheim and making him his viceroy to Saxony. Henry considered the Saxon question settled, but the Investiture conflict would quickly undo the peace.Sources
Haverkamp, Alfred. Medieval Germany 1056-1273 (Oxford University Press, 1988)Thompson, James (1928). Feudal Germany. ISBN 0-404-18601-7