Wernher von Homberg
Encyclopedia
Wernher von Homberg was a knight in the service Emperor Henry VII
, and later of Frederick the Fair. His Minnesang
poems are recorded in the Codex Manesse
.
He was a member of the house of Frohburg
in what is now the Swiss
canton of Solothurn
.
His father was Louis I of Homberg (d. 1289), and his mother Elisabeth of Rapperswil
(d. 1309).
At the death of her husband, Elisabeth gave her estates in Rapperswil to her children. Wernher inherited territories that today form the northern part of the canton of Schwyz
.
Beginning in 1302, king Albert I of Germany
laid claim to these territories, prompting Wernher to enter a pact with the people of Schwyz.
In 1303, Wernher sold Homberg castle and the city of Liestal
to the bishop of Basel
.
In 1304 he joined the Livonian crusade
of the Teutonic order, in 1309 he was given the position of reeve
of Schwyz.
Wernher entered the service of king Frederick in 1314.
In 1315, he married the widow of his step-father, Maria von Oettingen (d. 1369)
He died in a campaign in Genua.
Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VII was the King of Germany from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first emperor of the House of Luxembourg...
, and later of Frederick the Fair. His Minnesang
Minnesang
Minnesang was the tradition of lyric and song writing in Germany which flourished in the 12th century and continued into the 14th century. People who wrote and performed Minnesang are known as Minnesingers . The name derives from the word minne, Middle High German for love which was their main...
poems are recorded in the Codex Manesse
Codex Manesse
The Codex Manesse, Manesse Codex, or Große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift is a Liederhandschrift , the single most comprehensive source of Middle High German Minnesang poetry, written and illustrated between ca. 1304 when the main part was completed, and ca...
.
He was a member of the house of Frohburg
Trimbach, Switzerland
Trimbach is a municipality in the district of Gösgen in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland.-Geography:Trimbach has an area, , of . Of this area, or 23.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 52.4% is forested...
in what is now the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
canton of Solothurn
Canton of Solothurn
Solothurn is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the northwest of Switzerland. The capital is Solothurn.-History:The territory of the canton comprises land acquired by the capital...
.
His father was Louis I of Homberg (d. 1289), and his mother Elisabeth of Rapperswil
Rapperswil
Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Besides Rapperswil and Jona, which were separate municipalities until 2006, the municipality includes Bollingen, Busskirch, Curtiberg, Kempraten-Lenggis, Wagen, and Wurmsbach.-Today:On...
(d. 1309).
At the death of her husband, Elisabeth gave her estates in Rapperswil to her children. Wernher inherited territories that today form the northern part of the canton of Schwyz
Canton of Schwyz
Schwyz is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne in the east and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz....
.
Beginning in 1302, king Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
laid claim to these territories, prompting Wernher to enter a pact with the people of Schwyz.
In 1303, Wernher sold Homberg castle and the city of Liestal
Liestal
Liestal is the capital of the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland, south of Basel.It is an industrial town with a cobbled-street Old Town.-History:...
to the bishop of Basel
Prince-Bishopric of Basel
The Prince-Bishopric of Basel was a historical feudal state within the Holy Roman Empire, from 1032 ruled by Prince-Bishops, whose seat was at Basel until 1528 and in Porrentruy until 1792...
.
In 1304 he joined the Livonian crusade
Livonian Crusade
The Livonian Crusade refers to the German and Danish conquest and colonization of medieval Livonia, the territory constituting modern Latvia and Estonia, during the Northern Crusades...
of the Teutonic order, in 1309 he was given the position of reeve
Vogt (Switzerland)
thumb|left|[[Franz Rudolf Frisching]], [[bailiff]] in the [[Vallemaggia |Vallemaggia]] in 1770, in the uniform of an officer of the [[Bernese]] Huntsmen Corps with his [[Berner Laufhund]], painted by [[Jean Preudhomme]] in 1785...
of Schwyz.
Wernher entered the service of king Frederick in 1314.
In 1315, he married the widow of his step-father, Maria von Oettingen (d. 1369)
He died in a campaign in Genua.