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