Twice ToldGeorg Schwarzerdt, Erzelung der belegerung der statt Bretten, 1504 (Mone 1854): provisions, water and the end of the siege
- Language
- German
- Reading
- transcribed from the page image
- Translation
- ours
- Retrieved
- 10 October 2026
Spelling as printed in Mone’s edition (Fraktur; Mone replaces a doubled “m” or “n” of the 16th century with a single letter, and puts the section numbers and headings in square brackets, which are Mone’s, not Schwarzerdt’s). The four extracts are marked by their page: [p. 6], [p. 10] and [p. 15]. Gaps inside a passage are marked […]. “Ulrich” is Duke Ulrich of Württemberg; “Ludwig” is Duke Ludwig, the elector’s son.
[p. 6] 11. [Rüstung der Stadt Bretten.] Nuhn aber der hochloblich churfürst pfaltzgrave Philips het die statt dermassen mit geschütz, pulver, pley und proviandt versehen, daß sie daran kheinen mangel hetten, ließ ein gemeine kuchin im stainhauß uffschlagen, alda jederman möchte speisung holen.
[p. 10] [Albrecht Schedel, captain of the Landsknechte, to his mutinous men:] […] so hetten sie weder an essen, trincken, pulfer, bley, wasser und was zu solchen sachen dinstlich, gar khein billich klag noch mangel […]
[p. 15] […] daß dritt fiel bei dem grossen bolwerck neben dem Weißhover thor in den stattgraben, kunth auch khein schaden thon, doch entsetzten sich die burger hart darob, dan es war heisse zeit und wenig wassers in der statt, darum sie grossen vleiß mit wachen und an alle ort wasser zu tragen heiten.
[p. 15] 38. [Unterhandlung des Friedens.] Also da der krieg am hertisten war, gewan er ein loch, wie gemeinlich beschicht, dan uff unser frawen heimsuchung tag wart ein fried geschriehen, daß man zu baiden thailn rugig war, doch plieb iederman in seiner ordnung, dan sie dem friden nitt zuvil vertrawen wolten.
Uff das kam hertzog Ludwig pfaltzgraff, hertzog in Bayern, deß churfürsten sohn, so nach absterben seines herren vatters churfürst wardt, eigner persohn in des hertzogen leger, handelt mit im fridens halb, darnoch ritt er aller erst in die statt, besichtigt, wie die thürn und mauern zerschossen und zerbrochen waren, auch waß für pastelen, greben, schüttin und darriß in der eil gebaut waren, daß gefiel im wol. […] demnoch wardt in der sach getheidingt, also daß hertzog Ulrich mit seinem heer uff freytag den achtisten tag, nachdem man im in die schantz gefallen war, abzög.
Translation
Ours.
[p. 6] 11. [Preparations for the defence of Bretten.] The most praiseworthy Elector Count Palatine Philip had supplied the town so well with guns, powder, lead and provisions that they lacked nothing of it, and had a common kitchen set up in the Steinhaus, where anyone could fetch food.
[p. 10] [Albrecht Schedel, captain of the Landsknechte, to his mutinous men:] […] they lacked neither food, nor drink, nor powder, lead, water or anything else of that kind, and so had no fair complaint or want at all […]
[p. 15] […] the third fell by the big bulwark beside the Weißhofer gate into the town ditch and could do no harm either, but the citizens were badly frightened by it, because it was a hot season and there was little water in the town, and so they took great pains with keeping watch and with carrying water to every place.
[p. 15] 38. [Negotiation of peace.] Just when the war was at its hardest it began to come to an end, as often happens, for on Our Lady’s Visitation day a peace was proclaimed, so that both sides were quiet, though everyone stayed in his post, because they did not want to trust the peace too much.
After that Duke Ludwig, Count Palatine, duke in Bavaria, the elector’s son, who became elector after the death of his lord father, came in person to the duke’s camp and negotiated peace with him. Only then did he ride into the town and inspect how the towers and walls were shot to pieces and broken, and what bastions, ditches, earthen embankments and ramparts had been built in a hurry; he liked it well. […] Then an agreement was reached, so that Duke Ulrich left with his army on the Friday, the eighth day after his sconce had been stormed.
Notes
What it is. “Erzelung der belegerung der statt Bretten im jare M.D.IIII”, the account of the siege by Georg Schwarzerdt, Melanchthon’s younger brother and Schultheiss of Bretten, edited by F. J. Mone from a manuscript he bought at an auction at Halle for the Karlsruhe archive. Mone writes that Schwarzerdt was about four years old in 1504 and so reports from the people who were there, “and for the facts his report is reliable”, while his opinions belong to him and his time. The account is dedicated to Count Palatine Christoph.
What it says on food. The elector’s preparations (section 11) and the captain’s words (section 21) both say the town was not short of food, drink, powder or lead; the one shortage he mentions is water, on the day of the fire-balls (section 37). Section 21 is a captain’s speech to men who want their pay, so it shows what he told them, not what every household had.
How the siege ends. By a peace made on the Visitation of Our Lady (2 July) and an agreement negotiated by Duke Ludwig, not by any trick. Nothing in the OCR text of the whole narrative (its poor quality means we cannot rule out a missed word) mentions a dog sent out of the town; the only dog is a simile at the end of section 37 (pp. 14 to 15), where the citizens and soldiers become “fraydig und gehertzt wie ein jaghundt, der ob dem wilprecht gebaißt”: bold and fierce like a hunting hound that has bitten into game.
“pulfer” in section 21 is printed as “pulfer”, which we read as a variant of “pulver” (powder).