House of Falkenstein
The Lords of Falkenstein in the Höllental (
History
The Falkensteins, named after their castle above the Höllental, were closely related to, and probably descended from, the lords of Weiler, who had their centre of gravity in a predecessor building of today's Schloss Weiler in
"We can guess that the Zähringens, in opening up the Black Forest, gave the Falkensteins the task of clearing the area around the
- James of Falkenstein (died 1298), to whom the advocacy and fief, when they sold the patronage of the Kirchzarten parish church of St. Gallus in 1297 to the Abbey of St. Gallen. After his death, the fief when to the related line of Gregory of Falkenstein.[6]
- Gregory of Falkenstein (died 1331) married Liutgart of Stauffenberg.[7] In 1287, the oldest parchment codex of the Schwabenspiegel was written for him. He sponsored an annual requiem for his brother, Kuno, who died in 1306 and is buried in Tennenbach Abbey
- Oberried, one daughter entered the Cistercian nunnery at Günterstal.
- John (Hans) of Falkenstein purchased the lower part of the Bruderhalde (in the Bärental valley) c. 1350 from John (Hans) of Hohenfürst (Hochfirst).[9]
- Kuno the Younger, the youngest brother of the aforegoing, had a second marriage to a Schnewlin of Landeck, whose family later inherited the Falkenstein estate.
- Werner, Conrad-Dietrich and Little Künlin, three sons from this marriage, were accused of leagues of towns, who engaged in fierce feudsagainst the princes. In any case, the Freiburgers reported:
to our good and healthy friends, the masters, the sheriffs and councillors who are named below, Strasbourg, Basle, Colmar, Sletzat, Rinfelden, Baden, Waldshut and Bruges, ... as you know about the war, which the lords and the towns of the Federation have waged against one another, you know too that Werner of Falkenstein, son of Lord Kuno of Falkenstein, once a knight, himself took up arms in this same war against the towns on behalf of the noble lords on account of Lord Wirtenberg, whose vassal he was, as he said. For this reason, this same Werner occupied Falkenstein Castle, in which he had a small stake, so that no-one might walk by on the road or through the valley without him or his retinue knowing who it was; and if he understood that he belonged to the towns of the Federation, he robbed him as is commonplace in all wars... and we advanced on the same Saint Nicholas' Eve to this castle, and captured it the same day with the help of Almighty God and burned, devastated and punished it in such measure that on Saint Nicholas' Day we dared lavishly praise God and bless all pious people who walk this road trustingly.[10][11]
Conrad-Dietrich and Little Künlin were imprisoned, but were released in 1390 on swearing an Urfehdeschwur, an oath never to participate in a feud again. All three Falkensteins survived the feud without suffering permanent loss.
Werner, Conrad-Dietrich and Little Künlin were the last lords of the castle. It remained in ruins. The Falkenstein estates gradually transferred to others, especially urban patricians such as the Schnewlins of Landeck. The Falkensteins continued to live in other houses in Freiburg, however, and often held leading positions there. "In such a way, in more recent centuries they were making decisions about Kirchzarten valley and its farmers which their knightly ancestors had ruled for the castles there and which had now come under the jurisdiction and administration (Talvogtei) of the town."[12]
Coat of arms
Or, two bars gules wavy, with an eagle rising, wings displayed, azure.[13][14]
References
- ^ Kindler von Knobloch 1898, p. 323.
- ^ Mangei 2003, p. 170.
- ^ Mangei 2003, p. 148.
- ^ Haselier 1966, p. 192.
- ^ Kindler von Knobloch, 1898, p. 325, and Haselier, 1966, p. 197.
- ^ Haselier 1966, p. 174.
- ^ Martin Roland: Anregendes zu einer bisher kaum bekannten Handschrift. In: IASLonline, 14 July 2004, retrieved 17 November 2012
- ^ Haselier, pp. 197–198.
- ^ Karl Müller (ed.): Der Feldberg. 1948. p. 503
- ^ Translated from Mediaeval German. Original text: "unsern sundern guoten fründen, den meistern, schultheissen und räten dirre nachgeschriben stetten, Straßburg, Basel, Colmar, Sletzat, Rinfelden, Baden, Waldshut und Brugg, ... als ir wissent umb den krieg, den die herren und die stette des bundes wider einander gehebt hant, da wissent, daz Wernher von Valkenstein, her Cuonen von Valkenstein seligen eins ritters sun, sich desselben krieges wider die stätt annam von der edlen herren wegen, der von Wirtenberg, der diener er was, als er sprach. Und darumb do besatzte derselb Wernher mit der vesty Valkenstein, daran er doch gar einen kleinen teil hat, das niemant die straße noch das tal für dieselbe vesty Valkenstein uf noch abe gewandelen mocht, er oder die sinen wöltent wissen, wer er were, und wenne er die begreiff, die zuo den stetten des bundes gehörtent, so schatzte er sü, als in semlichen kriegen gewonlich ist. ... Und zugent ouch wir uf denselben sant Nyclaus abent für dieselb vesty, und notten gewunnent sü bi derselben tagzitt mit hilff des almechtigen gottes, und brantent, wustent und straffetent sü, morndes uf sant Nyclaus tag in solicher masse, das wir getruwent, das es got loblich und allen fromen lüten, die diese straße wandelent, trostlich und nutzlich sie."
- ^ Heinrich Schreiber (ed.): Urkundenbuch der Stadt Freiburg im Breisgau. II. Band. I. Abtheilung. Herder. Freiburg, 1828, pp. 59–82. (digital edition).
- ^ Haselier 1966, p. 202.
- ^ Original text: "In Gold zwei rote Querbogen, auf deren unterem ein auffliegender blauer Falke steht."
- ^ J. Kindler von Knobloch: Oberbadisches Geschlechterbuch. Heidelberg 1898–1919. Vol. 1, p. 328
Literature
- Günther Haselier (ed.): Kirchzarten. Geographie – Geschichte – Gegenwart. Selbstverlag der Gemeinde Kirchzarten, 1966.
- Julius Kindler von Knobloch: Oberbadisches Geschlechterbuch. 3 volumes. Carl Winter's Universitätsbuchhandlung, Heidelberg 1898–1919. Vol. 1, pp. 323–328. (digitalised publication)
- Bernhard Mangei: Herrschaftsbildung von Königtum, Kirche und Adel zwischen Oberrhein und Schwarzwald. Dissertation, Freiburg, 2003. (Full text)
External links
- Works related to Heinrich Schreiber: Kuno von Falkenstein, in: Heinrich Schreiber (ed.); Die Volkssagen der Stadt Freiburg im Breisgau, Freiburg, 1867, pp. 96–99 at Wikisource
- Works related to Eduard Brauer: Zerstörung der Burg Falkenstein, in: Heinrich Schreiber (ed.); Die Volkssagen der Stadt Freiburg im Breisgau, Freiburg, 1867, pp. 99–101 at Wikisource
- Entry at Alemannische Seiten