Schlachtschwertierer (of Horn) 2016-10-05

SaibotLieh;14066309 said:

The Schlachtschwertierer are a traditional club within the Schützengesellschaft Horn. Its foundation goes back to an event that, as the legend goes, took place around 1485. Today they form a so-called Rott in Horn's Schützengesellschaft, made of around 16 swordsman, one hammerbearer (as a reminder of the hammer that was used to smash the prison door open) and a count. They wear dark, Tricorn-like shaped felt hats, garments of coarse linen, chainmail and boot covers. Most impressive are their about two meters long swords in the form of a Bidenhänder. The group is accompanied by a captain, a Rottmeister, a Fähnrich, and four drummers.

According to legend, around 1485 the Duke William of Brunswick and Count Bernhard of Lippe were involved in a feud, during which the Count of Lippe got captured at Schwalenberg. The Duke had him put in captivity in the strong castle Calenberg and demanded a ransom of 200,000 guilders, an unaffordable sum at that time. The citizens of Horn decided to raid the castle to liberate their count. Under the leadership of the knights Carl von Blomberg and Hans von Hammerstein, the well armed young men from Horn moved towards castle Calenberg. They managed to invade the castle. The smith struck the iron door of the prison open and thus Count Bernhard was freed. They returned in triumph to Horn. As loot they took the bell of the castle, swords, armor and chainmails. Count Bernhard was delighted by the courageous act of the faithful Horn's citizens and promised them to reside in their city for the rest of his life. He permitted the inhabitants of Horn many freedoms. For example, the Horner are since allowed to pick up and use any wood from the count's forests that was fallen in storms. The wood privilege, the bell of the town hall tower and the two-handed swords and mail shirts are today owned by Horn's Schützengesellschaft and are allegedly from the time of the liberation of Count Bernhard.

As early as 1868 the veracity of this legend was questioned by the editor of the Lippische Regesten, who conducted extensive investigations. It turned out that the huge two-handed swords could not have been produced before 1550. Also there are no historically evidence about any captivity of a count of Lippe in castle Calenberg.

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