Nuremberg (Germany) -- Description and travel; Nuremberg (Germany) -- History
(3) The Burgomeister and judges are given complete control over the
markets, trade, and means of preserving order.
(4) The Burg is not to be separated from the town.
Generally, one may say, this Charter confirms and extends the
self-governing privileges of the town. The magistrate is still an
imperial officer, but his position is in acknowledged dependence on the
Council, into whose hands the regulation of trade and the preservation
of order are entrusted. Moreover, in another provision, the citizens are
clearly protected against trial by outside authorities, and against
arbitrary imprisonment.
Scarcely had he marked his appreciation of Nuremberg in this way, when
Henry was poisoned whilst besieging Siena. On his death, discord broke
out in Germany. We will avoid, as far as possible, stepping on to the
quaking bog of Reich's history. Suffice it to say that one party elected
Frederick, the beautiful son of Albert, and grandson of Rudolph von
Hapsburg. The other and stronger party chose Ludwig von Baiern, of the
Wittelsbach family. Nuremberg stood by Ludwig. A long war ensued, till
the great battle of Mühldorf ended the struggle. Ludwig's victory was in
great part attributable to the timely arrival of the Nuremberg cavalry,
under Burggraf Frederick IV.
"To us this is the interesting point: At one turn of the battle,
tenth hour of it now ending, and the tug of war still desperate,
there arose a cry of joy over all the Austrian ranks: 'Help coming!
Help!'--and Friedrich noticed a body of horse in Austrian
cognisance (such the cunning of a certain man), coming in upon his
rear. Austrians and Friedrich never doubted but it was brother
Leopold just getting on the ground; and rushed forward doubly
fierce; and were doubly astonished when it plunged in upon them,
sharp-edged, as Burggraf Friedrich of Nürnberg,--and quite ruined
Austrian Friedrich! Austrian Friedrich fought personally like a
lion at bay; but it availed nothing. Rindsmaul (not lovely of lip,
_Cowmouth_ so-called) disarmed him: 'I will not surrender except to
a Prince!'--so Burggraf Friedrich was got to take surrender of him;
and the fight, and whole controversy with it was completely
won."--_Carlyle._
It was after this battle that the Kaiser, when eggs were found to be the
only available provision in a country eaten to the bone, distributed
them with the legendary phrase that still lives on the lips of every
German child--
"Jedem Mann ein Ey
Dem frommen Schweppermann zwey."
"To every man one egg and to the excellent Schweppermann two."
Schweppermann was one of his generals, and it seems probable that he
was a Nuremberg citizen.
The story of how Ludwig shared his kingdom with his noble prisoner and
united with him in such cordial affection that they ate at the same
table and slept in the same bed, forms one of the best known and most
romantic episodes in German history.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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