Jürgen Wullenwever
Encyclopedia
Jürgen Wullenwever was burgomaster
of Lübeck
from 1533 to 1535, a period of religious, political and trade turmoil.
in 1492. Settling in Lübeck as a merchant he took some part in the risings of the inhabitants in 1530 and 1531, being strongly in sympathy with the democratic ideas in religion and politics which inspired them. Having joined the governing council of the city and become leader of the democratic party, he was appointed burgomaster early in 1533 and threw himself into the movement for restoring Lübeck to her former position of influence.
Preparations were made to attack the Dutch
towns, the principal trading rivals of Lübeck, when the death of Frederick I
, king of Denmark
, in April 1533 changed the position of affairs. The Lübeckers objected to the bestowal of the Danish crown upon any prince favorable to the Empire or the Roman Catholic religion, and Wullenwever went to Copenhagen
to discuss the matter. At length an alliance was concluded with Henry VIII of England
; considerable support was obtained in North Germany
; and in 1534 an attack was made on Christian, duke
of Holstein
, afterwards King Christian III
, who claimed the throne.
At first the Lübeckers gained several successes, but Christian of Holstein appeared before Lübeck; the efforts of Wullenwever to secure allies failed; and the citizens were compelled to make peace. The imperial court of justice at Speyer
restored the old constitution
, and in August 1535 the aristocratic party returned to power. Soon afterwards Wullenwever was seized by Christopher of Brunswick-Lüneburg, archbishop of Bremen, and handed over to his brother Henry II, duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Having been tortured and sentenced to death as a traitor and an Anabaptist
, he was beheaded at Wolfenbüttel.
by Heinrich Kruse and Karl Ferdinand Gutzkow, and a novel
by Ludwig Köhler.
Burgomaster
Burgomaster is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or chairman of the executive council of a sub-national level of administration...
of Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
from 1533 to 1535, a period of religious, political and trade turmoil.
Biography
Wullenwever was probably born at HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
in 1492. Settling in Lübeck as a merchant he took some part in the risings of the inhabitants in 1530 and 1531, being strongly in sympathy with the democratic ideas in religion and politics which inspired them. Having joined the governing council of the city and become leader of the democratic party, he was appointed burgomaster early in 1533 and threw himself into the movement for restoring Lübeck to her former position of influence.
Preparations were made to attack the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
towns, the principal trading rivals of Lübeck, when the death of Frederick I
Frederick I of Denmark
Frederick I of Denmark and Norway was the King of Denmark and Norway. The name is also spelled Friedrich in German, Frederik in Danish, and Fredrik in Swedish and Norwegian...
, king of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, in April 1533 changed the position of affairs. The Lübeckers objected to the bestowal of the Danish crown upon any prince favorable to the Empire or the Roman Catholic religion, and Wullenwever went to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
to discuss the matter. At length an alliance was concluded with Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
; considerable support was obtained in North Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
; and in 1534 an attack was made on Christian, duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
of Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
, afterwards King Christian III
Christian III of Denmark
Christian III reigned as king of Denmark and Norway. He was the eldest son of King Frederick I and Anna of Brandenburg.-Childhood:...
, who claimed the throne.
At first the Lübeckers gained several successes, but Christian of Holstein appeared before Lübeck; the efforts of Wullenwever to secure allies failed; and the citizens were compelled to make peace. The imperial court of justice at Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
restored the old constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, and in August 1535 the aristocratic party returned to power. Soon afterwards Wullenwever was seized by Christopher of Brunswick-Lüneburg, archbishop of Bremen, and handed over to his brother Henry II, duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Having been tortured and sentenced to death as a traitor and an Anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
, he was beheaded at Wolfenbüttel.
Legacy
Wullenwever, who was long regarded as a popular hero in Lübeck, inspired tragediesTragedy
Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
by Heinrich Kruse and Karl Ferdinand Gutzkow, and a novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Ludwig Köhler.