Wilhelm von Grumbach
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm von Grumbach was a German
adventurer, chiefly known through his connection with the so-called Grumbach feuds (Grumbachsche Händel), the last attempt of the Imperial Knight
s to prevail against the power of the territorial Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
.
n noble family von Grumbach (a branch of the Wolfskeel Uradel
family), he was born in Rimpar
near Würzburg
, and having passed some time at the court of the Hohenzollern
margrave Casimir of Bayreuth
, fought alongside the princes during the German Peasants' War
in 1524 and 1525.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Frankenhausen
, the peasant leader Florian Geyer
was one of the last survivors of Thomas Müntzer's army. During the night of 9 June 1525, he was contacted in Würzburg by two servants of his brother-in-law Wilhelm von Grumbach (reportedly including Christoph Kretzen of the Grumbach-Zobel affair below), who had the stated intention of helping him rekindle the rebellion. While travelling together, they stabbed Geyer to death in the Gramschatz Forest near Grumbach's hometown.
, whom he served both in peace and war. As a landholder, Grumbach was a vassal of the Würzburg Bishops
and had held office at the court of Conrad von Bibra
, who was elected Prince-Bishop
in 1540. Just before his death in 1544, Conrad gave Grumbach 10,000 gold florins as a gift, without obtaining the consent of the cathedral chapter
. When the new Prince-Bishop Melchior Zobel von Giebelstadt asked for the money back from Grumbach, he paid, but the harmonious relationship between lord and vassal were destroyed. Unable to free himself and his associates from the suzerainty of the bishop by appealing to the imperial courts he decided to adopt more violent measures, and his friendship with Margrave Albert was very serviceable in this connection.
After the conclusion of the Peace of Passau
in 1552, Grumbach assisted Albert in his career of plunder in Franconia during the Second Margrave War
and was thus able to take some revenge upon his enemy, Melchior Zobel. Albert's career, however, was checked by his defeat at the Battle of Sievershausen
in July 1553 and his subsequent flight to France
, while the Würzburg bishop took advantage of this state of affairs to seize Grumbach's lands. The knight obtained an order of restitution from the Imperial Chamber Court
(Reichskammergericht), but he was unable to carry this into effect. In 1558 Zobel (like Florian Geyer earlier) was seized and killed by Grumbach’s henchman Christoph Kretzen who interestingly was married to Katherine Biber, Zobel's predecessor Conrad von Bibra
's natural daughter. Grumbach declared he was innocent of this crime, but his story was not believed, and he fled to France.
, he pleaded his cause in person before the Reichstag
at Augsburg
in 1559, but without success. Meanwhile he had found a new patron in the Wettin duke John Frederick II of Saxony
, whose father, John Frederick I had been obliged by the 1547 Capitulation of Wittenberg
to surrender the electoral dignity to the Albertine cadet branch of his family. Chafing under this deprivation the duke listened readily to Grumbach's plans for recovering the lost dignity, including a general rising of the German knights and the deposition of Frederick II of Denmark
. Magical charms were employed against the dukes enemies, and communications from angels were invented which helped to stir up the zeal of the people.
In 1563 Grumbach attacked Würzburg, seized and plundered the city and compelled the chapter and the bishop to restore his lands. He was consequently placed under the imperial ban, but John Frederick II refused to obey the order of Emperor Maximilian II
to withdraw his protection from him. Grumbach gained time, as Maximilian adjourned the case to the next Reichstag to be held in 1566 at Augsburg; meanwhile he sought to compass the assassination of John Frederick's rival, Elector Augustus of Saxony
. Proclamations were issued calling for assistance and alliances both without and within the Empire were concluded.
Nevertheless at the Augsburg diet in March 1566 even the Lutheran estates
of the former Schmalkaldic League
as well as his younger brother John William
let down John Frederick II. He was placed under the ban while the ban against Grumbach had been renewed and signed by Emperor Maximilian II on May 13. Elector Augustus, prime mover in the damnation of his cousin, marched against John Frederick's residence at Gotha
. Assistance was not forthcoming, and a mutiny instigated by Augustus led to the capitulation of the town. Grumbach and his confederates were delivered to their foes and had to face trial for their misdeeds. Grumbach, after being tortured, was executed by dismemberment
at Gotha on April 18, 1567.
John Frederick II's castle was razed, he was deposed by his brother John William and spent the rest of his life in prison at Dresden
, Wiener Neustadt
and Lamberg Castle in Steyr
, where he died on May 19, 1595.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
adventurer, chiefly known through his connection with the so-called Grumbach feuds (Grumbachsche Händel), the last attempt of the Imperial Knight
Imperial Knight
The Free Imperial Knights, or the Knights of the Empire was an organisation of free nobles of the Holy Roman Empire, whose direct overlord was the Emperor, remnants of the medieval free nobility and the ministeriales...
s to prevail against the power of the territorial Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
The term Prince of the Holy Roman Empire denoted a secular or ecclesiastical Imperial State, who ruled over an immediate fief directly assigned by the Holy Roman Emperor...
.
Florian Geyer
A member of the old FranconiaFranconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
n noble family von Grumbach (a branch of the Wolfskeel Uradel
Uradel
The German and Scandinavian term Uradel refers to nobility who can trace back their noble ancestry at least to the year 1400 and probably originates from leadership positions during the Migration Period.-Divisions of German nobility:Uradel : Nobility that originates from leadership positions held...
family), he was born in Rimpar
Rimpar
Rimpar is a market town in the district of Würzburg in the German state of Bavaria. It is located about 10 km north of the City of Würzburg. The municipality includes the villages of Gramschatz and Maidbronn, incorporated in 1978....
near 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....
, and having passed some time at the court of the Hohenzollern
House of Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
margrave Casimir of Bayreuth
Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Casimir of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was Margrave of Bayreuth from 1515 to 1527.- Family background :...
, fought alongside the princes during the German Peasants' War
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt was a widespread popular revolt in the German-speaking areas of Central Europe, 1524–1526. At its height in the spring and summer of 1525, the conflict involved an estimated 300,000 peasants: contemporary estimates put the dead at 100,000...
in 1524 and 1525.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Frankenhausen
Battle of Frankenhausen
The Battle of Frankenhausen was fought on 15 May 1525. It was the final act of the German Peasants' War: joint troops of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse and Duke George of Saxony defeated the peasants under their Anabaptist leader Thomas Müntzer near Frankenhausen in the County of Schwarzburg .On April...
, the peasant leader Florian Geyer
Florian Geyer
Florian Geyer , also known as "Florian Geier from Giebelstadt", was a Franconian nobleman, diplomat and knight...
was one of the last survivors of Thomas Müntzer's army. During the night of 9 June 1525, he was contacted in Würzburg by two servants of his brother-in-law Wilhelm von Grumbach (reportedly including Christoph Kretzen of the Grumbach-Zobel affair below), who had the stated intention of helping him rekindle the rebellion. While travelling together, they stabbed Geyer to death in the Gramschatz Forest near Grumbach's hometown.
Grumbach-Zobel Affair
About 1540 Grumbach became associated with Margrave Casimir's son, the turbulent Albert Alcibiades of BayreuthAlbert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Albert Alcibiades was a Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, also known as Brandenburg-Bayreuth.Because of his bellicose nature Albert received the cognomen Alcibiades after his death; during his lifetime Albert was known as Bellator .He was a member of the Franconian branch of the House of...
, whom he served both in peace and war. As a landholder, Grumbach was a vassal of the Würzburg Bishops
Bishopric of Würzburg
The Bishopric of Würzburg was a prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire, located in Lower Franconia, around the city of Würzburg, Germany. Würzburg was a diocese from 743. In the 18th century, its bishop was often also Bishop of Bamberg...
and had held office at the court of Conrad von Bibra
Conrad von Bibra
Conrad von Bibra , Duke in Franconia was Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1540 to 1544. -Biography:...
, who was elected Prince-Bishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
in 1540. Just before his death in 1544, Conrad gave Grumbach 10,000 gold florins as a gift, without obtaining the consent of the cathedral chapter
Cathedral chapter
In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...
. When the new Prince-Bishop Melchior Zobel von Giebelstadt asked for the money back from Grumbach, he paid, but the harmonious relationship between lord and vassal were destroyed. Unable to free himself and his associates from the suzerainty of the bishop by appealing to the imperial courts he decided to adopt more violent measures, and his friendship with Margrave Albert was very serviceable in this connection.
After the conclusion of the Peace of Passau
Peace of Passau
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V had won a victory against Protestantism in the Schmalkaldic War of 1547. Many Protestant princes were unhappy with the religious terms of the Augsburg Interim imposed after this victory. In January 1552, led by Maurice of Saxony, many formed an alliance with Henry II of...
in 1552, Grumbach assisted Albert in his career of plunder in Franconia during the Second Margrave War
Second Margrave War
The Second Margrave War was a conflict in the Holy Roman Empire between 1552 and 1555. Instigated by Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth, it involved numerous raids, plunderings and the destruction of many towns and castles in the empire, especially in...
and was thus able to take some revenge upon his enemy, Melchior Zobel. Albert's career, however, was checked by his defeat at the Battle of Sievershausen
Battle of Sievershausen
The Battle of Sievershausen occurred on 9 July 1553 in Sievershausen , between the Catholic Imperial troops and those of the Protestant Schmalkaldic League. 4,000 soldiers were killed, including Maurice, Elector of Saxony, the Protestant commander of the Catholic side...
in July 1553 and his subsequent flight to France
Early Modern France
Kingdom of France is the early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century...
, while the Würzburg bishop took advantage of this state of affairs to seize Grumbach's lands. The knight obtained an order of restitution from the Imperial Chamber Court
Reichskammergericht
The Reichskammergericht or Imperial Chamber Court was one of two highest judicial institutions in the Holy Roman Empire, the other one being the Aulic Council in Vienna. It was founded in 1495 by the Imperial Diet in Worms...
(Reichskammergericht), but he was unable to carry this into effect. In 1558 Zobel (like Florian Geyer earlier) was seized and killed by Grumbach’s henchman Christoph Kretzen who interestingly was married to Katherine Biber, Zobel's predecessor Conrad von Bibra
Conrad von Bibra
Conrad von Bibra , Duke in Franconia was Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1540 to 1544. -Biography:...
's natural daughter. Grumbach declared he was innocent of this crime, but his story was not believed, and he fled to France.
Grumbachsche Händel
Returning to the Holy Roman EmpireHoly 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...
, he pleaded his cause in person before the Reichstag
Reichstag (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 Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
in 1559, but without success. Meanwhile he had found a new patron in the Wettin duke John Frederick II of Saxony
John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony
John Frederick II of Saxony , was duke of Saxony, and briefly, Elector of Saxony .He was the eldest son of John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, and Sybille of Cleves.-Reign and military ambitions:...
, whose father, John Frederick I had been obliged by the 1547 Capitulation of Wittenberg
Capitulation of Wittenberg
The Capitulation of Wittenberg was a treaty in 1547 by which John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, was compelled to resign the electoral dignity. The Electorate of Saxony and most of his territory, including Wittenberg, passed from the elder, Ernestine line to the cadet branch, the Albertine line...
to surrender the electoral dignity to the Albertine cadet branch of his family. Chafing under this deprivation the duke listened readily to Grumbach's plans for recovering the lost dignity, including a general rising of the German knights and the deposition of Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he...
. Magical charms were employed against the dukes enemies, and communications from angels were invented which helped to stir up the zeal of the people.
In 1563 Grumbach attacked Würzburg, seized and plundered the city and compelled the chapter and the bishop to restore his lands. He was consequently placed under the imperial ban, but John Frederick II refused to obey the order of Emperor Maximilian II
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
to withdraw his protection from him. Grumbach gained time, as Maximilian adjourned the case to the next Reichstag to be held in 1566 at Augsburg; meanwhile he sought to compass the assassination of John Frederick's rival, Elector Augustus of Saxony
Augustus, Elector of Saxony
Augustus was Elector of Saxony from 1553 to 1586.-First years:Augustus was born in Freiberg, the youngest child and third son of Henry IV, Duke of Saxony, and Catherine of Mecklenburg. He consequently belonged to the Albertine branch of the Wettin family...
. Proclamations were issued calling for assistance and alliances both without and within the Empire were concluded.
Nevertheless at the Augsburg diet in March 1566 even the Lutheran estates
Imperial State
An Imperial State or Imperial Estate was an entity in the Holy Roman Empire with a vote in the Imperial Diet assemblies. Several territories of the Empire were not represented, while some officials were non-voting members; neither qualified as Imperial States.Rulers of Imperial States were...
of the former Schmalkaldic League
Schmalkaldic League
The Schmalkaldic League was a defensive alliance of Lutheran princes within the Holy Roman Empire during the mid-16th century. Although originally started for religious motives soon after the start of the Protestant Reformation, its members eventually intended for the League to replace the Holy...
as well as his younger brother John William
John William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
John William , was a duke of Saxe-Weimar. He was also the last Duke of Saxony and Landgrave of Thuringia.He was the second son of John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, and Sybille of Cleves....
let down John Frederick II. He was placed under the ban while the ban against Grumbach had been renewed and signed by Emperor Maximilian II on May 13. Elector Augustus, prime mover in the damnation of his cousin, marched against John Frederick's residence at Gotha
Gotha (town)
Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
. Assistance was not forthcoming, and a mutiny instigated by Augustus led to the capitulation of the town. Grumbach and his confederates were delivered to their foes and had to face trial for their misdeeds. Grumbach, after being tortured, was executed by dismemberment
Dismemberment
Dismemberment is the act of cutting, tearing, pulling, wrenching or otherwise removing, the limbs of a living thing. It may be practiced upon human beings as a form of capital punishment, as a result of a traumatic accident, or in connection with murder, suicide, or cannibalism...
at Gotha on April 18, 1567.
John Frederick II's castle was razed, he was deposed by his brother John William and spent the rest of his life in prison at Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, Wiener Neustadt
Wiener Neustadt
-Main sights:* The Late-Romanesque Dom, consecrated in 1279 and cathedral from 1469 to 1785. The choir and transept, in Gothic style, are from the 14th century. In the late 15th century 12 statues of the Apostles were added in the apse, while the bust of Cardinal Melchior Klesl is attributed to...
and Lamberg Castle in Steyr
Steyr
Steyr is a town, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Steyr and Enns. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and simultaneously the 3rd largest town in Upper Austria....
, where he died on May 19, 1595.