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Landsknecht 101:
Reenacting 16th Century Mercenaries
Julie SticklerFounding member Das Geld Fhnlein and 16th century history nerd
Who were the Landsknecht?
(Cartoon courtesy of Korwin Briggs, www.VeritableHokum.com)
Slash and Puff Fashion
152515301537
Where Holy Roman Empire
When 14851600 Age of the Landsknecht
1494 1498 First Italian War (King Charles VII)1499 1504 Second Italian War (King Louis XII)1508 1516 -War of the League of Cambrai1521 1529 Italian Wars / Franco-Hapsburg War1525 Battle of Pavia1526 1530 War of the League of Cognac1527 Sack of Rome1536 1538 Italian War1542 1546 Italian War1551 1550 Italian War1562 1598 Huguenot Wars1568 1648 Eighty Years War
Why?
Money
Primogeniture
Adventure
Religion
But really, MONEY.
Emperor Maximilian I 1459 - 1519
1483 Starts ruling jointly with his father, Frederick III Holy Roman Emperor
1486 King of the Romans
1493 Holy Roman Emperor (never crowned)
1499 Swiss win Battle of Dornach, force Maximilian to grant the Swiss Confederacy independence from the Holy Roman Empire
Birth of the Landsknecht
Late 13th century - Swiss Reislufer (one who goes to war) Companies of pike and halberd (some crossbows & firearms).
Until roughly 1490, the Swiss had a virtual monopoly on pike-armed mercenary service.
1480s Maximilian I forms first companies of Landsknecht mercenaries (servant of the land). Companies of mostly pike, with Zweihander and arquebus.
George von Frundesberg 1473 - 1528
Father of the Landsknecht
Fought against the Swiss in 1499
Personally knighted by Maximilian I
1509 - appointed "Highest Field Captain" of the Landsknecht Regiment
Fahnlein Unit Structure
Hauptmann (Captain)
400 soldiers 25% Dopplesoldner (Zweihander or halberd) or arquebusier (matchlock)
75% Sold/Speitrager
Feldweibel (field sergeant In charge of skill at arms)
Hurenweibel (Sergeant in command of the baggage train)
Leutnant (Lieutenant)
Faehnrich (Ensign - carries the company flag/banner/standard)
Weibel (Sergeant - In charge of a small unit)
Rottmeister (corporal In charge of a rank or file)
Weapons - Pikes
Pikes were 14 22 feet long. You want to be the army with the longer pikes.
Weapons Katzbalger, Daggers
Weapons
HalberdZweihanderArquebus
Weapons
1519 Picking A New Emperor
1509 Henry VIII crowned King of England
1515 Francis I crowned King of France
1516 - Charles I crowned of Spain
1519 - Electors vote on a Emperor when Maximilian I dies.
Three ecclesiastical Electors: The Archbishop of Mainz (Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg)
The Archbishop of Trier (Richard von Greiffenklau zu Vollrads)
The Archbishop of Cologne (Hermann of Wied)
Four secular Electors: The King of Bohemia (Louis II of Hungary)
The Count Palatine of the Rhine (Louis V)
The Duke of Saxony (George the Bearded)
The Margrave of Brandenburg (Frederick II of Brandenburg)
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
Heir of three European dynasties: Houses of Valois-Burgundy (Netherlands), Habsburg (Holy Roman Empire) and Trastamara (Spain).
At war most of his reign.
Most of his wealth came from Spain and Spanish holdings in the New World.
Martin Luther 1483 - 1546
Opposed selling indulgences
1517 Ninety- Five theses
1520 Papal bull Exsurge Domine ("Arise, O Lord")
1521 Excommunicated
1521 Diet of Worms
1522 German New Testament
1534 Complete German Bible (Old and New Testaments)
Peasant Wars 1524 - 1525
1524 1536 German Peasants War
Armies of 4,000 18,000 peasants
Peasant armies adopted Landsknecht organization
Many groups wrote articles or charters that listed their beliefs and demands
Landsknecht fought on both sides
Estimates up to 100,000 peasants killed
Battle of Pavia 1525
Battle between the Hapsburg Imperial army and the French.
Notable for two things, the capture of the French king, and the destruction of the Black Legion.
Sack of Rome 1527
Castel Sant'Angelo
Swiss Guards
16th century20th century
Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
Magdalena Von Wissersdorf
Former peasant, from village of Wissersdorf, about 3 kilometers northwest of Reischach in Bavaria.
Mother of five children, only two still living (Lucas and Maria).
Widow of Hans Von Wissersdorf, Hurenweibel for Das Geld Fahnlein
Sutlerin for Das Geld Fahnlein
Speaks German, English, a little French. Reads German. Illiterate.
Who are Das Geld Fahnlein?
This attractive bunch
Dressing the part
Recreating History
Recreating History
Recreating History
Recreating History
Recreating History
What we do as reenactors
EncampmentHauptmans tent
Officers, soldiers, medical tent
Military demonstrations
Medical demonstrations
Camp skillsCooking and brewing
Woodworking, rope skills, crafting
Encampment
Encampment
Weapons Demonstrations
Military Demonstrations
Medical Demonstrations
Amputation Demonstration
Cooking Demos
Cooking Demos
Brewing Demo
Napping Demo
The most popular things in camp
Building a Landsknecht Persona
Name
Occupation/ Position in the Fahnlein
Home town (Northern or Southern, Swiss?)
Religion (Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jew)
Reason for leaving home/joining the Fahnlein
Skills they bring to the Fahnlein
Personality (family, marital status, past history, dreams for the future, etc.)
Building Relationships
Great Chain of Being
Family interactions (spouses, siblings)
How did we first meet?
Guided visualizations of camp life
Immersion weekends with scenariosFleeing a battle
Pilgrimage to a shrine to give thanks
What about that funny accent?
The Bavarian accent is an STD.
Speaking German is only semi optional.
Before you know it, you will have about the same German vocabulary as your average dog (your name, sit, stay, come, food items, etc.)
Drill Commands are in German
Einfallen = (Fall in) - Gather in rank and file
Einfallen mit Waffen = Fall in with weapons
Bereitstellt fur der Marsch = (Prepare to March)
Vorwrts marschiert = (March On)
Auff die Achlen, traget den Spie (Pick up your Pike)
Niderstellt den Spie (Put your Pike on the ground)
Spinrad zu Rechts (Wheel to the right)
Spinrad zu Lincks (Wheel to the left)
Bereitstellt fur der Halt = (Prepare to stop)
Aus treten (Fall out) - Take your ease
Bereitstellt fur der Halt = (Prepare to stop)
Aus treten zum Wasser (Fall out) Take your ease and get a drink
Einfallen mit Hunger = Fall in for chow (and bring your appetite)
Basic German Vocabulary
You should know words for the foods that we eat:Bread = das BrotButter = die ButterCheese= der KseApples = der Apfel, die pfelSoup = die SuppeBeef = das RindfleischChicken = das HuhnFish = der Fisch, die FischeSausage = die Wurst
And words for the clothes we wear: Hemd (chemise, shirt, smock) Unterhosen (under hose, stockings) Uberhosen (over hose, pants) Schuh (shoe) plural Schuhe Kleid (gown) or Rock (skirt)Wams (doublet or jacket)Handschuh (glove) plural Handschuhe Gollar (capelet)Shaube (outer robe, coat)
Recruiting Pitch Goes Here
Why reenacting?ITS FUN
Playing dress up for grownups
Learn new skills
Appreciate modern conveniences that we take for granted
Sleepovers at historic sites!
Evenings around a camp fire
Research opportunities for you nerds
Feeling of accomplishment overcoming challenges
Questions?
Contact Information
E-mail (personal) - MsStickler@gmail.com
pinterest.com/fraumagda/
E-mail (Guild) DasGeldFahnlein@gmail.com
Web Page - http://www.landsknechtguild.com/
Faceboook - https://www.facebook.com/landsknechtguild/
Good Night!
Resources Osprey Books
Resources Marion McNealy
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